Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-07-15


other side and they were fleeing as
fast as their horses could carry
them. My question was not an
swered, Capt. Blue. Can you tell me
whose bullet struck Mr.. Herbert?"
mo one could tell you that, Miss
Vlandingham. A dozen shots were
fired simultaneously and it would be
impossible to tell which did the
work"
1--WE will inquire into that later.
/ am going to push on so as to have
the doctor at our house and to
make ready for Mr.. Herbert. See
that you briag him as quickly and
as easily as you can"
She darted from the captains side
at top speed and was quickly lost to
sight.
"Itow is he getting along?" asked
Capt. Blue riding close to the men
who were carrying Guy.
"He hasn't f1iezed an eyelid," re-
piled Barney. who was one of the six
and who imagined that he had been
watching Guy very closely.
you're mistaken, Barney" spoke
up Guy, his eyes wide open.
."How do you feel, Herbert?" in
quired the captain in tones of mex.
pressible relief.
"As well as can be expected, cap
tain" Guy lifted himself slightly and
saw that his coat and vest were I'M
bottoned and that, tight across his
wound and over his blood-stained
shirt had been bound scarf of silk.
"Whose house is that over there?"
he asked, pointing.
THAT'S Sile Whittaker's place." an.
swered the captain.
take me there, please" said Guy,
dropping back on the blanket.
"We've got orders to carry you to
Harmony, to the squire's," returned
the captain.
"It seems to me that am the one
who ought to be consulted" MUIR
INJURED Guy, weakly.
He was in much pain but he could
probably have weathered out the
longer journey to the squirrels had
circumstances been different. just
now he preferred any other haven
than Willowview.
'See here, Herbert" demurred the
captain, his brow wrinkled per-
plexedly, miss Vlandingham has
gone on to make things ready for
your reception at the house. She's
going to have doctor there, too.
If I don't bring you I'll be raked
over the Goals and I think I've had
more than my share of that already.
Put yourself in my place, can't you?"
"Put yourself in mine, captain, -
said Guy, his eyes closed and his
face twitching with pain.
The captain felt that he under
stood then. Herbert was not able
to be carried farther than Whitta-
ker's.
"Major," said the captain to man
who reared above the saddle like
Don Quixote over the back of Rozi-
mantle, "ride on to the squirrels and
tell Miss Betty that Herbert gave
out and we couldn't get him past
Whittaker's. Bring the doctor post
haste"
Correct, cap'n," was the response
which the major shook out of him
self. Relinquishing to companion
the horse he was leading, he ratified
his spurs and was off at speed.
Only few minutes were required
to carry Guy to Whittaker's shack.
yN1,iffoIay,
mediately came forth to welcome the
Invincibles.
what you got there, Blue?" he
asked, nodding his head toward Guy.
"a wounded man. Whitaker"
81 heard shootin' off south, spell
ago. Did he get in the way of it?"
Eyes. We had orders to take him
on to the squire's but he doesn't feel
able to travel any further. Will you
take him in?"
Not if he's one of your folks,'
clustered Whitaker, whose house
was Just then on the Concord side
of the farm.
"Well, he's a Concord man." said
the captain. grimly.
"All rigth, then. Sile Whitaker is
with the under dog every time, and if
he's from Concord he's welcome to the
best I've got. Bring him in, bring
him right in"
Sile Whittaker's shack was small
and it's furniture, what there was of it,
was very primitive, but the young man
could not have been made more of had
the house been palace and Sile Whit
taker a grandee.
After seeing that Guy was as COM
Portable as possible, Capt. Blue and his
Invincibles galloped away, leaving
Barney behind to be of what assist
ance he could.
They had not been gone long before
Miss Betty came, accompanied by her
father and sober-appearing gentle
man who carried a medicine case I'M
der his arm. Miss Betty was first in
the room where Guy lay.
care you better, Mr.. Herbert?" she
asked, hating beside the bed and look
ing down at him.
II shall do well enough, Miss Wand.
sngkam, thank YOU" answered Guy.
81 hope 3d." she said, formally, after