The Springdale news., 1889-05-24
[Copwighted, 1ss9.l
CHAPTER III-CONrINuEp.

Captain Smart, remembering tho ad- vantage Luke's suggestions had been to him, said:
 m give ye any four men in my compa- ny ye want, If ye thlnk they'll be enough to protect the people. I've tried t' stop thelr stealth, but it don't seem in my power Ii you kin do it, yer welcome t the detail"
 Having the privilege of making his own selection, Luke chose his mess-Arkansaw Tom, Ned Cotton, Bill Swain and Corporal Max. Bills wound was trfing, and did not disable him.
 What ye want us t do!" asked Arkan- saw Tom, as they hurried down the road past the advance guard.
 You are to protect house."
 "Whose!n
 Mir Jordan Neff's."
 ''Union or secesh!"
 'The family are divided. The only son is in the Confederate army"
 "They'll burn the house."
 '' You must not let them. The house and inmates must be shielded from insult"
 If ye say t, we'll perfect lem, eff it costs us our lives"
 That is what want you to do."
 its settled" said old Arkansaw Tom. "We'll perfect lem, UT bite the dust tryln'." The old familiar farmhouse was at last in sIght, and Luke felt his heart beating high with hope and expectation as he neared it.
 q 1 will see her once mOre,' he thought. e She will know that l have done this for her sake, and that next to my country she is the dearest object of life"
 How peaceful and quiet seemed the pleas ant old country home. The tall poplars and stately elms lowered above the broad lawn, and their leaves rustled in the breeze. The fiocl1s were bleating op the hills and distant tnlIling of cow-oells came to his ears. Pigs were gruntlng in the fence corners, and busy bees hummed from flow CT to flower. The strange silence about the house caused an uneasy feeling to come over him. When they reached the gate they saw that the house was closed, and had the appearance of being deserted.
 Followed by his comrades, Luke has tened toward the front door, hoplng by his sudden return to give his betrothed rAas- ant surprise Y
 Only hollow echoes answered his knocks, and at last, growing impatient, he turned the knob and opened the door. The room was uuoccupicd. There was Mr. Nefs ia voritc couch, with one cushion on the floor. as if the occupant had quilted the room hurricdly. \ few embe"o still smOldered on the hearth, and Lines favorte chair, with her sewing on the floor near it, was at the side of tae couch. A crumpled news paper i'll the middle of the floor and the dis arranged furniture all bore evidence of hasty y(@-ighs.
 Filled with strange dread, Luke has tened to the next room, calling the name of Lille, with no answer save the hollow echo of his own voice.
 He soon satisfied himself that the house was deserted. 4 warm dinner was smok- ing on the table in the dining room, which convinced him that the house had been but recently occupied.
 Hoping that the owners might be near, @.- ,ran to the garden, then to the negro quarters, but they could nowhere be found. .>Ie was about to return when a black face S2eeped out from a cluster of woodbnes aN he rear of a chimney to one of the negro nuts, and voice sad
 "Massa Luke, am dot you:n
 Blackhawk, why are you hiding there!H Luke asked.
 "Hidin, massa all dc others am done gone an hided, an so did l."
 Who are you hiding from2"
 'Dun no, massa. All dc oddcrs dey
 
 BlaclIhawk, where is Miss Llllie:'
 "Dun no, boss; she an ole massa runs like de debll war after 'em down into de woods, an lief me heah by myself, an den hided heah."
 "Go after them-tell them they shall not be harmed"
 ''Couldn't find 'em, massa-"
 .'Go and try. 1 must see Lille, and have but short time to stay. l must see her father too l left so suddenly that night that I did not get to say all l wished '
 "Ikln go, massa, but ten to one l don't find um.n
 The head withdrew into the woodblnes, slight rustlng noise and the negro was gone over the low fence into the wood be- yond
 When Luke returned he found his com rades seated at the farmers table helping themselves to the ready cooked dinner.
 "As they've all vamoosed we thought 1t best ter keep this ar grub from splin," saH old Tom
 Luke felt inclined to deny them the right to appropriate the dinner of others, but, the