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

that when he denied having had any
sucb Intention. and was only waiting
FOR his master to come back, q sper-
II drawed an awful sharp knife out %
rs bosom. and proceeded to cut out uis
YER chile's tongue by de roots, when
knows. marse, as how it would nave
done. sart'in sure, only ! heefd you
noller. and run'd away to meet you,
which I'm glad | did"
Rurnfofi was non-plussed. Ihat
Sam had seen something, he felt sure,
..ring that bottle along, Steppins, ana
MS the fellows terror had been too gen
nine TO spring from nothing. But what
could IL have been? He did not be-
Iieye in the existence of spirits. II he
did believe in the existence of horse
thieves. He feared some of the latter
had played a trick on SAM, ana fflSht-
ened him away, that they might MAKE
off with the horses. This alarmed MN
excessively: and, putting the dogs on
the ,rack that Sam had made III ms
fight for it hab become too dark III
the swamp to be guided by the sense
of yision), he followed them as speed
ily as possible to the place where the
horses had been left.
on seeing that both of the horses
were gone, Rumford was confirmed In
his idea that the whole affair had been
a .use of horse thieves, and vented has
rage nj Sam by pouring out n voliey Oh
~imprecations and threats OF venge
ance that almost made his woolly naH
stand straight or end. Having thus
given vent to his anger and chagrln,
he was about to start for home, When
his attention was attracted by some
thing white lying on the ground near
by. and at which the dogs were smut
fling eagerly. On picking it up, he
found it to be a lady's pocket banker
chief, spotted with blood. Instantly
It flashed upon him that that WAS
Zora's (Astrea's) handkerchief; ahu
that ii was she who had personateu
the Swamp Spirit, for the purpose Oh
frightening Sam and getting posses
sion of one of the horses to escape
upon. But what had become OF the
ether horse? Fora would not want
both. and she had no accomplish. This
part of the mystery he soon solved by
taking IT for granted that the horse mol
taken by Fora had broken loose TO fol
low after his companion, or TO go nome
and homeward Rumford himself now
went, with a reckless haste that pus
Sam 10 his best p~edestrianism.
1t was nearly nine O'Clock n
Rumford arrived at his plantatloh'
where he found his Overseer, Steppins,
ant, several of the house ervants IN u
state of wonder bordering on alarm
owing to the fact that the horse which
Sam had ridden away a few hours be
fore. when ne went after the hounds
with his master, had returned home
alone and riderless. No sooner .Gd
Rumford learn that the groom's morse
had returned than he made eager III
auiries as 10 the direction whence ne
had come and when he had arrived.
Steppins stated that he had met the
horse half an hour before, as he 1.-THE
overseer) was stroliing down the Ole
Lighthouse road-(the road that AS
trea had struck, on emerging from the
swamp. and which owed its name to
the fact that it led to the ruins OF q
lighthouse that years before had stood
upon a high point upon the river bank
many miles below Rumford's planta
ticnD-for n walk. The horse was trct
ting along the road toward the planta
ton. and Steppins, recognizing him
had caught and mounted him, and rid
den some ways back TO the house, &c
await development of events. He hat
become very uneasy, he said, aDou'
absence of Mr.. Rumford and his
groom, especially as. upon examining
the bride rein of the horse, whici
seemed to have been broken, he found
| that it had been cut. This" said Step
pins. showed that it was not altogeth
er an accident that the horse was thus
found loose, and he couldn't account
for it."
II cant said Rumford, ~savagely
and bringing his hand down heavily
OH the table before which he was seal
ed. Il can account for it. The bride
was cut by that girl, Fora. / ha(
thought that the horse broke loose. II
order to follow Saladin: but now
see that she cut him loose, and tool
him off on purpose to prevent immedi
ate pursuit. She Is a smart girl, anC
no mistake-altogether too smart t.
/ lose. Go to the stable, Sam, and sad
die Roanoke and Duroc. If you have
them at the gate In ten minutes, III
give you a silver dollar. IL you do not
I'll have you whippedr'
Sam instantly disappeared, ant
Rumford. turning to Steppins, said:
Wen give Fora another chase. TIL
moon is coming up bright-almost a
bright us day, and she has not more
than an hour the start. She must have
come cut of the swamp, upon TIT
old Lighthouse road, and then leavin,
Sans horse to take its W curse
she rode Saladin away in the opposite
direction. l cannot afford to lose eithe
her or Saladin, and when 1t comes Il
losing them both, that Is more thar
any man could stand. I'd ride al
night first-yes. half-a-dozen night
and days in succession. That younI
gypsy has excited my admiration
What a pity she isn't really white"
And going to a cupboard, Rumfor,
took therefrom a decanter and n SINAI
glass. and filling the latter wit
brandy. tossed il off, with a smac.
of his lips. and said:
'"That will keep off the night chills
/ l must give Sam n dose of it, to keer
his spirits up. Ii you We're only
good horseman, Steppins. you shout
go along with us. l think I'll tax
another glass;" suiting the action t
the word.
There comes Sam with the horses,
he said, as he set down the glass
bring that bottle along, Steppins, an
I