The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1896-02-06

Iake any notice or III. o may nave
been followed. I'll go b~y-and-by and
look from another place. Did you tell
anybody at Hatcher's you were com
ing here?"
mo" the young Il replied. Il
had no need of that; your description
of the road was plain enough; but
remember now | did ask a girl, about
two miles down, how far ii was TO
your place
That was foolish" said Ashland.
"That girl was Lucy Maclane, Freck-
led Georges daughter, and he's the
man. of all others, that I'm most
afraid of. He's always DIGGING and
lodging me about; but I've put him OF
the scent so far. He's been on the
same game as myself these months
past. and he's as great IA rascal as is
to be found On the plains. That kill
ing of Dick Mcguire was never prop
erly explained. George insists that it
was done i'm a fair fight. but l. for
one. don't believe it. I'm sure theer'S
someone lodging about among them
cedars." Ashland continued.
Perhaps it is som beast" Herbert
suggested.
Not a bit of it," Dick replied.
Inter - uo game tutlt thiS tlhIt
day. You sit here and I'll get around
to the back Of the cabin. and from
there III quietly climb INTO the rock.
and II theer's anything alive among
them cedars I'll spot IL. Keep your
weather eye skinned while I'm away"
With that he arose and Sauntered
careiesSly to the door Of the small,
rude log hut which formed his habita-
tiop Ha sfcliIly walknI RI tho f1,r-
Their end Of II and there disappeared.
The young Englishman looked about
him in that lovely wilderness. tinged
as il was in all the sheen Of that mid
summer eve. The luxuriant thin noun
tain grass reached to his knee, here
and there a brilliant wild flower looked
like a bright spot In the sober green,
and further on feathery ferns rose in
all their dropping grace. All around
the hut the wild geranium. the box
elder, the spikenard and the bearberry
throve i'm wild confusion: while hop
plants, wild vines and towering creep-
ers stretched out verdant tendrils to
enIace tree and shrub. The rocks We're
covered with soft mOSSes and hanging
grasses and ferns, while a plantation
of great Cedars and mightier pines
stretched as far as the v could reach
to the west, there TO be Ov]ertOpped by
the great cragS and mountain fast
nesses in all their evening glory of
purple and gold.
He had been an inveterate theatcr-
gOer in his days of London frolicry.
and could not help being an magma
tive man. transporting on the stage Of
the Princess or Drury Lane the picture
that unrOlled itself before his eyes.
"Begad.' he said TO himself. this
beats your pantomimps and sensation
al dramas hollow. And TO think that
there's gOld-buShcls of il, tons of it
lying somewhere about. And I'm to
have my share of it. Who says there
is no such thing as luck in this world?
Gold!' he repeated to himself. Gold.
gold, tons of gold
He shook himself together on a sud
den and commenced to pace up and
down.
THAT was a pretty girl" he muir
INJURED TO himself: n downright jolly
girl. And looked to me, TOO as though
h were a good girl. The sort of n
girl who would stick to a man through
thick and thin and help him TO fight it
out, though the devil and his
chances were against him. Dick don't
like her father. but he didn't say
a word against the girl. He'd have
mentioned it if there had been any
thing against her. No. no. She's a lit
tie brick. I'm sure. And if I'd dress
her In a nice gown and polish her a bit,
she'd drive the girls at the Towers
mad with envy. \ long way between
here and StaffOrdshire, but if there
isn't a slip betwiXt the cup and the
lip I'll take her there. or my name
isn't Herbert Chauncey."
He stood tapping the ground with
his right foot. putting away at his
pipe, while he kept his hands in the
pockets OF his buckskip trousers. and.
with a vacant gaze, searched the
ground in front OF him.
A broad hand tapped him on the
shoulder. 1t was Dick.
Il was mistook," said the yeOman.
Cheers nobody theer. 1t must have
been some beast after all. But | think
we'd better wait until it's quite night
for all that, before we climb down
and have a look at my find"
The pale, haZy light of the young
moon had Swathed the mountains. and
the hut was lost in the black shade Of
the giant rock that sheltered it,.
Among the cedars beyond, the night
seemed 81 dense as to become nearly
palpable, while just one or two fur
tive CLEANS shot through the pitchy
gloom where the more open space per-
united the light to penetrate.
Ashland and Chauncey were still
putting away at their pipes, talking Of
old times at home, of those CHEEKY
times in the old country when they
both would have thought one-half the
hardships now endured a tribulation.
Yet they both felt happier in being