The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-02-14

GGeEA
was to be seen on the top except a suit
OF very Sood clothes, carefully brushed
ana folded. They a never been worn,
my mother said. Under that, the mis-
celluny hegan--a quadrant, u tin can't
III several sticks of tobacco. two brace
OF very handsome pistols. a piece of
bar silver, AN old Spanish watch and
some other tr.nkets of little value and
mostly of foreign make. a pair of COM
passes mounted with brass. and five or
SIN curious West Indian shells. 1t has
often set me thinking since that he
should have carried about these shells
with him in his wandering, guilty,
hunted life.
III the meantime, we had found moth
ing of any value but the silver and the
tr1nkets, and neither of these were in
our way. Underneath there was an old
hoat-cloak whitened with sea-salt on
many a harbor-bar. My mother pulled
II up with impatience, and there lay
before us, the last things in the chest,
a bundle tied up in oil-loth, and look
ing like papers, and a anvas bag, that
gave -orth, at a touch, the jingle of
gold.
I'm show those rogues that I'm an
honest woman said my mother. IN
nave my dues, and not a farthing over.
Hold Mrs. Crossley's bag" And she be-
gan 10 count over the amount of the
captains score from the sailors bag
into the one that l was holding.
1t was a long, difficult business, for
the coins We're of all countries and
slzes-doubloons, n Iouis-d'ors, and
gu1neas. and pieces of eight, and l know
not What besides, all shaken together
AZ rqndnnO Thn. p,,,t,onnr ".}on ,..-o
ABOUT the scarcest, and it was with
these only that my mother knew how
to make her count.
When we We're about halfway
through, I suddenly put my hand upon
her arm, for I had heard in the silent,
frosty air a sound that brought my
heart into my mouth-thc tap-tapping
or the. blind mans stick upon the frozen
FCau 1t drew nearer and nearer,
while we sat holding VI breath. Then.
IT struck sharp on the inn door, and
then we could. hear the handle being
turned and the bolt rafting as the
Wretched being. tried to enter; and then
there was Il long time of silence both
within and without. At last the tap
ping recommended, and to our indie
~scrl5able joy and gratitude died slow
~ away again until it ceased to be
heard.
MotiSi, sE-u |. take the whale
and let's be going" for I was sure the
bolted door must have seemed sus-
plcious, and would bring the whole hor-
nets nest about our ears, though how
thankful | was hat I had bolted it
none could tell who had never met
this terrible blind man.
But my mother. frightened as she
was, would not consent to take a frac-
uon more thai was due to her. and
was o~bstinately unwilling to be content
with less. 1t was not yet seven, she
SAID. by a long way; she knew her
rights and she would have them: and
she was still arguing with me, when a
little low whistle sounded q good way
Off among the hills. That was enough,
and more than enough. for both of us.
I'll take what ! have" she said,
jumping to her feet.
And I'll take this to square the
count said 1, picking UP the oilskin
packet.
Next moment we were both CROP.
ing downstairs. leaving the candle by
the empty chest: and the next we had
opened the door and We're in full retreat.
we mad no started n moment too o
The fog was rapidly dispensing; al
ready the moon shone quite clear on the
high ground ON either side; and it was
only IN the exact bottom Of the dell
and round the cabin door that a thin
veil still hung unbroken to conceal the
nfst steps OF our escape. Far less than
halfway to the hamlet, very little be-
yond the bottom of the hill, we must
come forth into the moonlight. Nor
was this all; for the SCUM of several
footsteps running came already to our
ears. II as we looked back, in their d.
rcction. a light tossing to and fro, and
and still rapidly advancing, showed
N f M -,,~ ~ 80. -,- f- -"
tern.
My dear" said my mother, sudden
~, take the money and run on. 1 am
going to faint
This was certainly the end Of both
OF us, | thought. How ] cursed the
cowardice Of the neighbors; how I
blamed my poor mother for her honesty
and her greed. for her past foolhardi-
ness and present Weakness! We were
just at the little. bridge, by good for
tune: and I helped her, tottering as
she was, to the edge of the bank, where,
sure enough, she gave a sigh and fell
on my shoulder. / do not know how
| found strength to do it at all, and
I am afraid It was roughly done, but I
managed to drag her down the bank
and a little way under the arch. Fur
Their l could not move her, for the
bridge was too ow to let me do more
n a crawl below it. So there we had
to stay-my mother almost entirely ex-
posed. and both of us within earshot
of the inn.
CHAPTER v.
THE LAST OF THE BLIND MAN.
My curiosity, in a sense, was strong
er than my fear; for I could not remain
where ] was, but crept back to the
bank again. whence, shelteripg my
head behind a bush of broom, + might
command the road before the door.
l was scarcely in position ere my en-
emies began to arrive. seven or eight
of them, running hard, their feet beat