The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1901-01-29
Ghe MeralA ana Neavs
my CAPTIVE E.
By JOSEPH A. ALTSHELBR,
AuthOr of "I Soldier OF Mdhhdttun,'
"Thc sun of Saratoga" ETC.
copyright, 1900, by Joseph A. Altshcler.1
CHAPTER III.

for momcntary reflection on tho yaNl.
ty IF man and tho dcceitf nlncss of WON.
az in taking advantage of it, and then l
sprang upon tho back Cf that old brown
hack--confound him for IN army mulo
without the earsl- --u"'t gavo chase. |
had no switch or whip, bat l rowclcd
him and kicked him in tho sides until |
frightened him into Il greater speed than
ho or any ono clso believed to dwell
within his long franz. Iiu gave wild
snort, and wo plunged after tho tlcot
girl, rocking and swaying like u boat III
q stormy sea, but even with such cXcr'
tion ho could not compare with Old Put
Despite tho anxiety of tho moment, l
noted his infcriority with somo pride,
but then l remembered how much do
pended upon tho success of tho pursuit.
and l continued to urge Oh my own
mount.
Strive and strain rs Wo could and
ride and thump rs | would with all my
arms and legs, wo lost ground rapidly
Tho girl turned her head onco to look
at mo, and | thought | saw n look Of
triumph OH her face. but | suppose it
was my imagination which was indus
triously tormcnting mo just then. |
groancd at tho certainty of her escape.
and then hopo seized mo, for | rcmcm'
bercd suddenly that l, too, had Il trick
to play. Old Put and | possessed II com
mon language in which we often talked,
with perfect understanding. l pat two
fingers to my lips and blew between
them a long, shrill whistle, which cut
tho air and travelled like the scream of
fife. 1t was request, Il command
even, to him to stop and wait for mo
Ho twisted his long neck in tho manner
of one listening looking bacls at mo to
though with slightly diminished speed,
his manner indicating that ho was un-
certain what had said.
The girl was belaboring him with
the switch, for she must havo noticed
his decreasing gait. | whistlcd again,
and rs Old Puts pace sank to u trot
sho beat him ticrcely with the switch.
A third whistle, and Old Put, now in
perfect accord with mo, stopped stock
still; not only that, but ho faced about
and neighed joyously The girl threw
The romans Of her switch upon the
ground and began to cry, not pitifully,
but angrily, fierccly l rode up slowly
and held ont my hand to Old Put, who
rubbed his nose against it. He knew
his master and best friend Never had
I beaten him, and now there were
stripes and welts OH his sido whcro' she
had pounded him with IL swirch, or
yathcr stick
"Why did you not tell me what sort
Of q horse he was, - sho cried, land
then l would not havo mado myself
look so ridiculous, sitting hero as if
had been tied and waiting for you to
come up?"
Miss Howard" said l in some as.
tonishmcnt, "do you expect mo to show
you tho way to cscapc?"
II do not expect anything from you,
a rebel" she said. "Do not speak to
me again. -
All right; that suited mo. did not
wish to talk to her She used words
only to inveiglo mo into somo incau-
tious mood. But it was necessary for me
to tell her to dismount in order that l
might change saddles again, as l did
not intend to give her another such op-
portunity I did not offer to assist her,
having had enough Of that, but stood
beside tho brown hack, watching her
with q look that was now strictly mill
tary.
"Why don't you help mo down?" sho
said angrily. "Havo you no courtesy
for n lady?''
"You have declined such assistance
from q rebel before" " said in reply to
her unexpected question.
"And decline again. You needn't
offer it, " she said abruptly, springing to
tho ground, when l had no thought of
Offering it.
AS soon rs she was Off his back Old
Put showed tho greatest distrust of her
and aversion. Flo shicd as far away
from her as my hold OH his britlo would
let him, and his big, dark eyes shone
with wrath. Twas glad that ho had
come back to his senses, and he, like l,
should have known hor thoroughly from
tho first and always.
"We don't intend to DO deceived by
her again, do wo, old comrade?' said
to him.
Flo nodded his head in cmphotic fash
lon, and his big eyo winkcd intelligcnt-
ly. Her eyes flashed little, but she took
no other notice.
''Lools well at this lady, Put" I
said. "Do you noto hcr?"
He nodded.
"Sho's English, wore Americans,
and therefore sho's an enemy and not to
be trusted. Watch her WE'LL" con-
tinucd,
Flo nodded Violently.
"Now, Miss Howard" said severe
ly, "I'vo changed those saddles, and
thoy arc ready for our uso when wo
need them, but meanwhile wo'll walk
again, as we've tired our horses out for
the second time, and all your fault too. !"
Sho said nothing, but walked on in
tho way which had indicated, keeping
eight or ten feet from mo. Sho had
ceased to cry and had given her features
n fixed and angry sot
l was troubled greatly. We had
wasted so much timo over her futile
efforts to escape that tho problem of q
nights shelter had grown moro diff.
cult and pressing, and intended that