Kimball enterprise. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1883, 1883-04-13

can for you"
DO you expect me to believe you?'
demanded the colonel. half crazed by
his situation. "Tou tried to make a
traitress of my sister, and now you have
come to slay my dearest. Is that what
you mean by doing what you cant"
Seaton made no reply for an instant.
And your sister," he then inquired,
with a f~altering voice-"is she herew
You needn't fear for herr" sneered
the colonel. "She.is out of reach of your
brutes. You may do your worst to us
day"
Your wife must be seen to-" Seaton
burst out. 81 will 60" and leaving the
colonel nde guard, he ran forward.
But hefwas met by the returning atide OF
men, ana an order from the captain to
re-emhark. The piIlage was completed.
Slaves were being driven INTO boats; the
air was full of cries, songs, oaths and
drunken laughter. AS they We're pull.
ing into the creek, the lieutenant and
Col. Ralphtheard a hoarse voice in one
of the other barges. "We've put a key
of powder there" it said, under the
woman and its brat, and the train is
lit.n
Then the colonel threw towards his
captor, in the dim light, one look of
abiect despair and entreaty.
Here, men, put back" commanded
Seaton. swiftly, in a loud voice: Il
dropped my pistol at. the landing. Back
water--so! Give way now
The bows had not touched land when
Col. Ralph felt the knotted rope around
his arms suddenly part. He took the
hut, bounded up, sprang out and vas
f1v1nT t1Ln q u n yt.Nu ~r,N, NJ l-.-
before a man had time to think of shoot
ing.
Let him Alone" shouted seaton, who
was standing up with his sword drawn;
hes out of reach now" And to him
self he muttered, "God help him!n
The men who had been charged with
setting fire to the house had hit upon
the fendish plan of beginning the work
by an explosion, which would destroy
mother and child; bat with a pious re-
gard for their W safety, they made
the train a long one, and kindled it as
they embarked.
In her bedroom the ~colonels wife Law
helpless, knowing we'll what had been
prepared for her, and in the agony of
her approaching fate she held close to
her bosom the baby, who was to share
her death as she had shared with him
her life.
The powder coil began blazing with a
splteful hiss, and a thin track of fire
was scored through the grass for sever
al inches. Then passed an instant, and
burned more slowly. Again it flashed
up, as if it were some harmless little
creature of the night which had been
restlng-an uncanny sort of glow~worm,
indeed. 1t continued to shoulder, OF
To r11Ch huSf1Iu on - -
sparks IN fair showerlets that barely
scorched the grass blades. Now it light
ed up with its eltine glow a nodding
wild flowers or clover blossom; the next
moment it famed up around an impru-
lent beetle that had got in its way, and
lett him lying there a motionless cinder.
The serpent of fire had 20 yards still to
go, and could not delay for these slight
accidents. And now it was coursing
along with sullen.heat beside the bounds
of the family cemetery. One seeing
1t there might have fancied it the drop.
pings from a funeral torch. But not for
those mute forms under the low mounds
was it sparkling; its fire was to illumin-
ate an awful obsequies of the living; in
that house so near, and always nearer.
The vile, to weak to rise, and, more
over, paraiyzed with fear, almost imae-
med that She could see throughthe walls
and note this insidious advance of the
dea1hlight. She had been left in dark
ness, but her eyes we're turned toward
the door for there every instant she ex-
pected to see the premonitory flash, and
then to hear the bursting roar which for
her was to end all earthly consciousness.
All, there was-a light! But the ex-
ploslon did not follow, "You are safe
-S.f T.. +. ~, ~ .,zt ~ 49,
heard, 1t was Ralph who came to the
bedside, bringing a candle, which he
held carefully, you may be sure.
When she saw him She lost conscious
ness, 1t is true, but only in a %fainting fit.
Alter the war was yer Lieut. Seaton
came to see them. The old enmities
and harsh words had been forgotten.
II caught the fire snake Just in time
said the colonel as they talked over the
maraud. "It had got almost to the steps
when stamped the light out of it.n
And it is really trne," announced
Sally. who was sitting with them, that
the Lieutenant cut your bonds with his
sword?"
PRAY how DO you know that" asked
her brother.
Sally blushed. "I made him tell me,
to-day" she admitted.
YES" said the colonel, II W much
TO seaton. I owe it to him that I am
not now Il stricken man for life."
"Well, Cuttance," put in Seaton,
there was another train laid all the
time which you have not succeeded in
extinguishing."
"Eh? How's that?" demanded the
young veteran.
s'The conf1agration, if may call it So
answered the lieutenant, "took place
this morning. Could you forgive me if
were to carry your sister away??"
Col. Ralph smiled with a courtlv air.
"lf she consents" he asked, Chow can ]
resent"
And it was arranged that the lieuten'
ant should resign his commission and re.
main in Virginia.
The weather on the eastern shore was
SO mild you could hardly have guessed
from anything in the air that Christmas
had arrived. But the lovers knew il
and had good reason to; it was also thei,
wedding day. Little Ralph now ovel
two years old, was made to put theil
hands together. The colonel gave point
to this afterward in d brief speech. "It
was Ralph," heisaid ''whose peril and
rescue reconciled me to you, Seaton
And / remember how that day the
thought of my child disguised me witt
war, SO that it is quite just that he should
have joined your hand with Sally's OF
the natal day ofthe Holy Child, the Prince
of Peace. Still, however / may have fell
then, l have come to think there are two