Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-09-30

ueIVn. SuC IN - -
manns and at all hazards; loose the
two old bIoodhounds, Castor and Pol
lux, and bring them to this room"
"Oh! marse! You would not hurt a
young gal with bloodhoundsY ex-
claimed the old man.
"Why not? They will not hurt her:
they are too well trained; they Will
only track her and hold her until we
come up: and, in One word, 1t Is the
only way, or, at least, the quickest and
su.est way Of recovering her! Besides,
blame you. am / accountable to you
for my actsY'' said Rumford, half
laughing, as was his custom, when be-
trayed into a supposed infringement or
his dignity.
The old man went out and did as he
was bid, and very soon the passage
door was burst open, and two beauti-
full hounds bounded before Saturn into
their masters presence, and, jumping
upon him, began to cover him with
caresses.
GOOD dogs. come! comet" said the
latter, rising and leading the way to
Astrea's room.
Here he looked about in vain for
some article of her clothing, but, fail
ing to find any, and recollecting, be-
sides that she had brought nothing
with her except what she wore, he felt
quite at a loss; until. suddenly, think
ing of the arm chair in which, he had
learned, she had passed the night, he
made she well trained dogs scent that.
and then he started them upon the
track with the usual words:
Good dogs! good dogs! seek her!
seek her. them
They snuffed about the chair. and
then about the room. and, finally reach
ing the door, struck her trail; hut
seemed soon to lose 1t again in the
passage. and again to recoyer 1T in the
yard. And thus, sometimes at fault.
sometimes on the trail, they passed
through the yard and the garden and
the poultry yard to the back gate,
where il win be remembered that As
trea stood talking a considerable time
L Venus.
Here tl.ay set up a howl, and, as the
fence was very low, they soon scram
bled over 1t, and set forth in full cry
upon the path she had taken.
Meantime Rumford had mounted n
horse that stood ready saddled 10 re-
ceive him, and had ridden out upon the
high road to watch the movement of
the dogs.
When he saw them scramble over
the back fence of the poultry yard.
and set out in full cry upon the narrow
path leading through the old field, he
called on his roc TO mount and fol
low him, and put spurs to his horse
nnl .lnnlALl aft,,. tln,. - E.D a-~l
uttering, in n high, encouraging tone,
the cries by which a hunter cheers on
his hounds to the chase. So they
dashed oye the fields leading 10 the
cypress swamp.
And meantime, where was Astrea?
After she had passed the gate and
heard it shut and locked behind her,
she struck into the narrow path lead
ing through the neglected fields to-
ward the grove of wild fig trees. Fear
lent her wings until she had cleared
the intervening space and reached
their friendly shelter.
Then, weary, palpitating and breath
less. she sat down to rest. She could
no longer be seen by any chance OBJ
server from the house. But yet, in her
nervous, frightened and vigilant state.
the fiutter of a bird In the foliage. the
stir or an insect In the herbage. was
enough TO startle her. Not long, there
fore, liz h trust herself To repose
here; but, having waited only to re-
breath, arose and hurried for
ward ON her way, which led through
the open country toward a grove OF
magnolia trees, where she again vent
ured TO sit down TO rest for n while.
and this time with the more conf
dence that she calculated herself TO he
at a considerable distance from the
plantation house.
After half an hours repose she again
set forth on her way, that now led
hrougt the green %savannas stretching
oward the cypress swamp.
Twenty minutes walk brought her
within its venerable shades. There had
been a long dry season, and the verge
or the swamp scarcely deserved its
name. 1T was more a wood than n
swamp. She penetrated vet half n
mile into its interior. and here. lost i'm
It's impervious shades, she sat down
upon the fallen trunk of a thunder
stricken tree and yielded herself nm 10
the new, delightful feeling of freedom
and safety. In these thick shades who
should find hec. True, she was heated
tired and hungry; but the fresh shades
OF the wood would cool her fever: the
velyety ground invited repose: the
tfuER OF tie fallen tree offered n nil
low she would sleep and forget her
hunger. So, folding her arms under
her mead, with a deep sigh of satisfac.
ton, she closed her eyes and welded
herself to sleep.
Ii was early in the afternoon When
she fell asleep; it was late I'm tho
night when she awoke.
AT hrst she knew not where h was
so pr0fund had been her sleep On
perfect had been her forgetfulness
Aid now. when she awoke and foun5
herself alone i'm this Southern wool
with the yelled glory of night above
anu The subdued melody of nature
around, she felt strengthened. com.
forted and cheered.
II would seem easy to die here aud
return to the bosom of a mother en- fuII
OF benignity; and even If | do not die !
leei that shall be delivered. in some
o,her way. from the destruction thar /
so much dread" she said IN bersaIf os
she arose from her recumbent post,ro
ana sat upon the trunk of a fallen tree