Willmar tribune., 1900-01-24
XVI1.-CoNT1NUED.


creek to take the road leading up the
hill.
"Whcre are you going?" asked Mar
garet.
ITO the crest of the hill.'
1--WE can't 60 that way; we would
strike the confcderates. We must take
to the creek to evade the dogs"
Dashing into the stream, walking in
shallow water, we had not gone far
when the baying of hounds behind us
had grown so much nearer that we
stopped and looked at each other in
dismay.
"Leave me-" said Margaret, "and-"
''Save myself? No, no; set your wits
to work, Margaret. Find ruse to
thwart them"
''There's our chance" she exclaimed.
A hundred yards ahead tree had
fallen, its branches lying in the creek,
it's base resting on it's stump some SO
feet from the margin.
''You're right" cried, delighted;
"we'u break the scent"
On coming to the tree, we climbed
into it's branches and worked our way
along, risking a fall every minute-for
whenever we heard the dogs we moved
recklessly-and reaching the trunk
walked on it till we came to it's base.
"Can't we 60 farther without touch
ing ground?" asked Margaret.
I cast hasty glance upward, grasped
q branch above me, vaulted upon it,
pulled Margaret after me, and in a few
moments we were shining like squir-
rels along limb on the other side. AS
we crawled outward it began to bend.
"stop," said Margaret.
"What now?"
"If you can reach that branch above
US and jump from it to the one on the
next tree, you might loosen that old
vine, and throw it over this way SO that
I can go down it to the other tree my
self. We would gain at least so feet
MORE"
"But, my God! hear the dogs"
I stood up, but could not reach the
branch. Margaret rocked the limb we
were on till 1 was enabled to grasp the
one wanted. Once on it, cravled to-
wards it's outward end. I was now 40
feet from the ground; if I should miss
my grip on the limb intended to jump
for, the race would be ended.
I looked, hesitated, looked again,
drew back, then gathered all my nerve
and my strength, and jumped.
The next thing 1 knew was lying on
my stomach on a limb below the one I
had jumped fort had broken my fall
with the breath knocked out OF me.
AS soon as I could recover scrambled
to the trunk where grew the vine was
after, and began to tug at it with all
my strength, but could not separate it
from the limbs to which it clung. The
dogs were nearly on us.
''There isn't timc,'' said Margaret.
"Leave me and go on
Nothing will make a man so irritable
at such time as to receive sugges-
ton. I was driven to that temper which
alone enabled me to do my duty prop
erly in fight.
"I'll be damned if do"
I ierked the vine clean loose, though
came near losing my balance at the
same time, and swung it toward Mar
garet. Lashing it to a branch wit h her
handkerchief, she slid down it and I
caught her in my arms. Then crawling
out on branch that would give us fully
Is feet more distance, we dropped to
the ground and dashed to clump of
bushes few rods away.
The pursuing party were soon on us,
the dogs barking, the men disputing.
We could see and hear them distinctly;
they were citizens who, owning hounds,
had been sent to track US.
'tMart," heard one of them say, ''1'll
bet my hide they have left the creek by
that tree across the creek thar
"We'u take the dogs to the stump and
see."
With that they made for the stump,
the dogs frisking and barking; butnone
of them came near enough to catch the
scent.
"They've gone on up the creek" said
one.
"Reckon," said another.
"We're losin' time," said a third.
One old dog that had doubtless had
great experience in tracking runaway
slaves had reached the point where we
would have struck the ground had we
dropped from the first tree we entered.
"Come, Tige," said one of the men.
But Tige knew more than his master.
He kept on with his nose to'the ground
making wider and wider circles. He
was coming near to the place where we
had descended from the tree, and would
there take our scent. Instinctiyely I
reached for my revolver.
"Shan I kill him?"
Heavens, no." y,
"You Tige!" called q voice. A man
grasped Tige's collar and dragged him
away. =
''Thank God!" we both gasped.
I was dazed by the sudden release
from so terrible tension. Margaret
cried, incoherently, general mean
Margaret-you'ye got more sense than
any general in the army" = !.
Margaret paid no attention to me.
She had risen and was looking about
listening. $s
hich way now?'' I asked. j
eve must go in the opposite direc-
tion from the dogs down the creek"
We retraced our steps, walking on
the bank instead of in the water, till we
came to the place we had left-the place
where the creek crossed the road. We
i had scarcely reached it when from the
southward came clatter of horses,