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

NN ALI
For a moment Astrea s,o.,
yzed-but only for a moma sseOa
Her first thought was .lA.
tempt to escape would No ~a. %,
tile: for how could sba u'efg
strip the swift-footed bon upe .
deep.mouthed baying Q
I'LL the whole swamp with 'sslas
ness of sound? W
But In the same instan, .,
bered to have read thar ~ sae 'sal
fresh blood would so deadan sat
OF smell of a bloodhoud ,na, "
not follow scent. ue 9
Quick as thought, she so.,.,.
tiny dagger from her hosa@
deep cash in one Of h,
smeared the freely-fowipg NM
the surface of a large FAT s,oaa
was lying near, placed II dI,asA
Ter track, and then, wrapping ~ l.
ger In her handkerchief. tho,
Of blood might perchsnce hs,~v
direction of her flight 10 ina ~
she glided away still furtbe, 10y
swamp. In a short time sbs aa.
a sluggish, shallow brook. Ipto ~
she ut once stepped and wadaa n
the center of ii for some distsDa
the purpose of again THROWN, }
hounds Off the scent. in essa
should by any means regain + 4
passing the bloodstone she had ~
the path. She had read Of fns.
Indian captives thus throwinc n
savage pursuers off the trail and
thought the bloodhouuds lwbIA !
ROW heard uttering strange rIs|
some distance behind her MINI
baffled by the same S~tratagem.
After proceeding along the M
some distance, AStrea came 10 4 NJ
tree standing close to its banks. N
which large limbs stretched drou]
ly across its entire width. Ona
these she found she could reach. \
IL occurred to her that il she an
draw herself upon ii, and, BY crawl
upon 1t, reach the trunk OF the d,
she would be securely hidden n
thick foliage from even the most 4
ing observation.
Immediately acting upon this "a
she seized the limb, and, after 4
we're struggle, succeeded In reach
the body OF the tree, which she
cended until she thought she would
safe from any scrutiny TO which
hiding place could be subjected n
below, and then. finding a comiG
BILE seat in the crotch of a huge In
she sat down, calmly to await what
er fate might betide her.
She felt she had done her best to
cape, and she left the result Of
efforts to Providence.
The bloodhounds had for some ]
time ceased their cries altogether
this circumstance inspired her v
additional trustfulness and hope
The cause of the cessation Of
bloodhounds' cries was the fact
they had completely lost the scent
reason of Astrea's stratagem. IN
irving at the stone which she haa
pared for them, they ran then u
over ii after the custom OF then !
and the powerful smell OF the y
blood with which she had 50 ma
smeared it. rendering them utter!
capable of following the falnl !
left by the fugitiye's flying fooc'
1t was then that the hounds u'
those strange cries which Astrea ~
as she was entering the broos'
which were the troubled, inarlicu
explosions of their disappoiutInen.
wrath ut being SO hopelessly pah'
After n short time, and WINK
hounds were still giving vent 70 !
dissatisfaction, Runford and Dis y
rode up. J
What, in the fiend's name y
matter with the dogsY' excial
L,umford. j.
And dismounting as he spoAe'
planter threw the bride rem y
groom, and advanced to the sur !.
hounds, who were mt that molne,N
ming their noses for the niue'n
over the blood-smeared one
No sooner did Rumfords e!ss
on the stone, than he compreu.,
the cause o. the dogs strahse -.
and OWNED the ruse that Asu NV
played him. A burst OF rasc lv
this discovery; but 1t was ~
placed by n feeling OF adihhs ssv
the wit and cleverness or ms s'''
he verify believed Astrea 70 m WA
Catching up the stone, ne NJ. ~,
to the vision of the groom '
claimed: -
'.See here, Sam! Isn't tha' =
trick for that quadroon wien !,
me and my dogs? She's snlas
to be a white girl, that's ce' saap
/ don't know but she may an
Mrs. Colonel Greville, AFTER a. -,
she can't be-" he added
because that lady's appearaso i
fresh in my memory for ihe
posed upon by Zora's mao one
Then, hurting the stone ~ .snol
and again addressing the -
said: ,y;,
Come along this way, sam
hcrses. / must get the uos On
from here, or they'll never Go
scent again. The blood was oaty
the stone, and so 1t must rc, Ther
come from ZOra's veins. ant
she cannot be far from the 18Th M
SO saying, Rumford ca,lsu "a
after him. and strobe alons an
casting penetrating glanc.s as
eide, and followed, at a ilue
by Sam with the two horses
CTo Be Continued