San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-03-27


Skerrett-him she has never seen and
will see with his mustache off. All! the
chief was right when he told me | should
put my foot into some adventure up here.
And now the thing is started | must set
it moving"
He walked toward Jierck Dewitt, still
on guard at the gate. His relief was
just coming up and the sentry was at
liberty.
Did you know those two men l was
talking with by the well, Jierck?' Peter
asked.
Yes, sir: Sergeant Lincoln and Lady
Brothertofts factotum. I'd like ~
know what old Voltaire wanted here.
He does not recognize the eX-Pa-
troon," Skerrett thought. Then 10
one will. Jierck's eyes always saw II
little lighter in the dark and little
steadier in glare than the next man 5.
Sorrow must have clapped thick mask
On my friends face"
Il suppose you know the BrOthertOft
manor country and the manor house
thoroughly, Jierck," the major said.
Know the manor, sir! | should
think so. began with chasing tumble
bugs and crickets over it, and studied it
inch by inch. Then l trailed black
snakes and ran rabbits, and got to know
it rod by rod. I've tished in every
brook and Clumb every nut tree and
poked into every wOOdcOck swamp o:
partridge brush from end to end of it. |
know it, woodland and clearing, side
hill and swale, fields that grow stun and
fields that grow corn. I've run horses
over it, where horses is to run-and
that's not much, for its awful humpy
country, and powders won't stay put
anywheres. Deer, tOO-there ain many
pieces of woods on it where | haven't
routed out deers, and when they legged
for the Highlands l legged too, and
come to know the Highlands just as
well. used to love, when | was boy,
to go along on the heights above the
river, and pick out places where | was
going to live; but | sha mt live in any of
'em now What does a man care about
home, or living at all, when his woman
isn't true:"
Major Skerrett did not interrupt this
burst of remembrances. "Jierck suffers
as much in his way" he thought, las
the ex-Patroon." And the house." he
said, you know that as thoroughly"
LAY, from garnet to cellar. My ia
Their, Squire Dewitt, has been in Eng
land, and he says it's more like an Eng
lish house than any he knows, in small.
From garnet to cellar, says |. The eel
lar l ought to know pretty we'll.
lodged in there once when | was a boy
hanging round the house, and got into
the wineroom and drank stuff that
came near spoilin my taste for rum for
ever. wish it had. They caught me
and the madam had me whipped till the
blood come. Mr.. Brothertoft tried to
beg off for me. She'd got not to make
much of him by that time, and the more
he begged the harder she had 'em lay it
ON me. But I'm talkin off, Study as the
North river, and you've got something
to say to me, major, know by the way
You look. What's ny about Brothertoft
manOr?
There's a British officer staying
there who has never tasted pork and
beans. I've promised General Putnam
to bring him up here to dinner"
"HoOray! that's right. Give these
militia something to think about, or
they get to believe wars like general
trainin day, and they can cut for home
when they get tired. You want vOlun-
teers. I'm one"
81 counted on you for my lieutenant.
Sergeant Lincoln also goes. Now |
want three men more, and you shall
choose them. Each man must have the
grit of hundred, and they must know
the country as well as they know the
way to breakfast. Name three, Jierck.'
THAT I'll do, bang. There's Ike Van
Wart for one. His juntO, him and Jack
Paulding and Dave Williams, would
just make the three. But Jack is
nabbed and down to York in prison
ship. And Dawes off on furlough, SOW
ing his fathers winter wheat for the
cowboys to tromp next summer"
Only Isaac Van Wart therefore, of
that famous trio, whom the muse of
tradition shall fondly nickname Major
Andres bootDlack, joined Skerrett on
his perilous service.
Ike for one" continued Dewitt.
well, Galsworthy, old Sam Gals
worthy, for two. And for three don't
believe a better man lives than Hendre-
Gus Canady, the root doctors son.
They're all Brothertoft manor boys,
built of the best cast steel, and strung
with the wiriest kind of wire. Shoot
bullets into EN-, stick baggonets into
'em; they don't mind the bullets any
more than spitballs at school, nor
tho hnmmnrlnts rnnrn thnr, -r-s+.L--- 4 -