Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-10-07
CHAPTER XII 1contnued.)

NtlutA IL Htutn lONtl uOhh Lhh AN
did, anu the consequence was that
they came upon il AT a point almost
opposite to the tree in which she had
taken refuge.
This is fortunate said Rumford,
a. he saw the water. Il will now wash
the dogs noses and prepare them 10
take up the scent again in case we
should be so lucky as to cross Zora's
track"
lie at once set about the task. and
gave the noses of Castor and Pollux a
thorough washing, much TO their dis
gust. Inen, looking about him for a
short time, he said:
Now, sam, dismount and tie the
horses TO that tree yonuer. wnere they
will have a good stamping ground, anu
then wei make a thorough search up
and down this brook. Come, hurry,
you rascal said kumford, with a
manifest tone OF Impotence. why
are you so slowl 1t will be sunaown
before we get under way, Unless you
make haste.
DE tact am, marse, dat | doesn't
like de notion oh leaben' dc bosses tied
UP heah, while we goes a-rampagin'
about troo dc swamp, said Sam, with
a dubious shake OF the mead. low co
we know what may happen To ae poor,
dumb critters While we Is gone! Der
bears may eat EN- up; or ue .ioss
thieves, which you knows, marse, ;ts
de swamp am de place where 1ey nice,
may comc an steal um; and den what
you gwire TO say when you come an
tine saiadin done gone, or see his
bones allyn aroun' heah picked as
clean as a turkeys ar Christmas
There Is no danger, either from
bears or horse-thieves,' Rumford re-
piled, ut the same time patting and
caressing his horse, which was a
handsome chestnut, and was claimed
to be a regular thoroughbred. III 1
thought" he added, that any harm
could come TO Saladili, L don't know
but would give up my plan-and the
girl, too, sooner than lose him. But
there is no danger. There are no bears
about, and no horse thief would dare
attempt to steal the horses from under
my very nose
Don be too sartain oh dat, marse,'
said SAM. "S'poSe a boss rief get on
Saladin's back onct, how you gwine
TO catch him, l should like to know,
when dere amt anoder hess in all de
country Hat can hold a candle To Sal
aGin's heels. | tell you, marse, you'd
better let dis chile stay heah wild de
bosses, while you an dc dogs looks for
Fora. OATS my notion
Perhaps you are right, Sam" re.
turned kumford. AT any rate, you
cannot help me much in my search
after Fora, and SO you may stay with
the horses. But min dthat yea keep
awake, else | may find your bones
picked OH my return. Or perhaps the
Spirit OF the swamp that you aari .es
SO greatly fear, may pay you II VISIT,
anu trouble your dreams.
At the mention of the spirit of the
swamp" Sam turned fairly blue with
terror. ana cried, IN supplicating tones:
Please, marse, don't 60 for TO talk
light oh dat. DE Spirit don't like TO
lie made fun oh, whateb Der you do; so
please let to Sperit alone, or dis chile
won't be WORT Il persimmon ag'in for
a week. he won't"
"Well, well. never mind. I didn't
mean any disrcspect to the Spirit. But
SOC that you keep wide awake, and il
you should hear me halloo. you halloo
back again. that | may know In ex-
actly what direction you are. And. by
the way, should anything unusual
happen here. you just try your voice at
q yell which would brighten every
thing in the swamp. including bears.
horse-thieves and the Spirit ITSELF"
and so saying, Rumford called the
hounds and strobe away down the
stream, the dogs running on In adj
vance of him, and was soon out of
sight.
Sam. meanwhile, after muttering and
grumbling at his masters propensity
10 make light of the Swamp Spirit"
(which was n prodigious terror 10 all
the superstitious negroes. every one OF
whom was certain that he or she had
seer ii gliding at dusk through the
swamp, or about the plantation, on
many occasiofis,) sat down at the foot
of a large tree near by, and, leaning
his back and head against 1t. was soon
In a dreamy d0ze. and forgetful of all
the dangers that he had argued would
be impending over the horses IL they
should be left alone.
Astrea, perched in her tree, had
beard all the preceding conversation
between Rumford and his groom, and
1t had aroused varied emotions in her
bosom.
She feared that her pursuer nigh,
come and examine the tree she was
hiding in. and II he could not see her
the b~ioodhounds might detect hel
presence by their keen scent. And this
made her think of her cut finger and
the blood upon her handkerchief thai
she had wrapped around 1t. She re
Moved the handkerchief and found II
saturated with blood. This excited
fresh fears OF discovery. Surely the
bounds would scent all that blood. II
they should come underneath the tree
And she could not make away with 1t
To throw the handkerchief from he
would only increase her danger, as 4
might fall beneath the tree and arres
the attention of Rumford IL he shoul(
pass that way. OF course, he woul,
Gene back again; and he might cross
the brook and come up on that side
The more she thOught Of thse things
the more alarmed she became; unit
mt last she felt that to stay In the tire,
would lead TO her certain detection
but how was she to find any bette
hiding-place? She might be detecte,
II she came down. In her wandering
she might come upon her pursuer. A
any rate, the more tracks she made
the more likely the hounds would be t