Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1902-09-20
CHAPTER XIV
THE EPISODE OF HoLTs TAVERN

JED)
But is is very uncertain IL we can
get out Of here alive" said /, irritated
in some way by this excessive calm
ness of Curtis and the jovial ease of
MI. John Acton.
My dear lad" said Curtis, you ask
ed for a place where we could ak
without fear of interruption. / give
you one. | can do no more. Doubtless
this is a band Of SINNERS of not more
tina six or seven, n could not we
three hold this house against twenty?"
Then, look you, Balfort,'' urged Ac-
ton. I'VE shall have the satisfaction of
knocking some one OH the head. l owe
these fellows a debt, Nay, tbs more
stroke of luck they drt come
At this mOment the report Of a mus
ket rang out overhead, and a heavy
weight fell against the outside of the
DOR neal which we sat. A deep groan
was followed b. a moment OF silence
aha! you skunk, !" cried a voice from
gave my brother" The voice was
scarcely stilled when n fusillade sound
ed from across the DAD and several
bullets struck the stout oak of the
door.
Seven" muttered I to myself.
Seven what?" asked Acton.
There are eight in that party and
one is dead. You are right, Curtis, t is
indeed better than ! thought. We can
handle seven 1 feared there were
more"
stay, but l do not see
My dear John" laughed Curtis.
"mayhap you did not notice that seven
bullets pelted the house but now"
First of all, said I, checking some
other remark of Acton's, before I
give you my work-dld you notice the
two men who ate at u table?'
"Oh, aye, they were natives, sure
enough"
Right, lad, but they hail from New
York" said Curtis slowly.
From New York." cried Acton.
Precisely" said |. But they have
just now come from Boston or near
there"
"Balfort, my friend, you are better
than l." said Curtis, smiling in the
darkness; how know you that :,
Their boots and clothes are covered
with mud. 1t has not aimed to the
westward in ten days. They have come
from the east, therefore, where l hear
1t has rained for several days"
Man, you are a genius!" cried Ac-
ton.
Furthermore" said 1 1.-The mud is
light IS color and sandy, whereas
hereabouts ( is red and dirty. IT is
SGllu9 Ollly lCal AAV oS1NOGoN'
How do you know they hail from
New York;" persisted Acton.
'S-s-st," whispered Curtis. All three
sat in the darkness. Nothing could be,
heard for a moment n then the un-
mistakable cracking of a twig sound
ed through the window of the main.
room. Curtis crept towards the win
dow with pistol in hand There was
a bit of opening where the table failed
A.. $50, 49, xts1IAnT oAy1 glnPlrr his
eye to this, he saw the dim outline of
a figure crawling around the corner of
the house Softly, cody, he put the
pistol to the opening, took a slow aim
and fired, dropping Immediately to the
floor himself. There was no sound or
movement in the grass, but the next
instant a bullet came diagonally
through the small opening and flat
tened itself against the door post above
my head.
did you get him?" asked John.
THE attacking party now consists Of
SIX" replied Curtis.
And now as to III instructions"
said Acton.
we are to go to New York to &C
complish three things, which l may
not tell you till we get there"
VERY WELL" said Acton, 1--WE are to
go to New York; that is sufficient.
What next?
1--WE go separately and meet there.
That is, one goes alone and the other
two together. / have passes for one
and for two travelling in company.
Once there, l "a tell you in good earn
| est there is much to do. But here looms
up the question as to where we shall
meet there and be unobserved."
Il nave been in the town. said Ac-
ton, promptly. Let us meet 1t the
village of Greenwich and go into the
town together"
80 far good" said I, but we must
have some base to work from-some
spot to meet in. Curtis, what think
your"
For a moment during this bit of dis
cussion Curtis had said not a word.
Now, though l could nos see his face,
for the darkness, l got an instructive
idea that something was wrong. III
fact, after once seeing ACton pulled
up when he tried to question his friend
about something to do with an event
Of several years ago., ! had made VI
my mind to steer clear of any refer
ences, so far as Rob Curtis was con-
cerned, beyond the limits of camp life
Before i spoke t was clear"tO me that
something was amiss. The moment he
answered the change IN his voice was
so great, yet SO quiet, that l started
as did Acton, almost persuaded that
some other sat by us in the gloomy
smoking hall.
''Balfort," said he slowly, Us it OF
grave Importance that we should &C
into New York;"
l did not reply at once. L was toe
struck with the change and all tina
such a change must mean in such g
man.
You shall judge for yourself. 1 an
| commissioned" and / leaned over close
to the other two, Il am commisS oneG
by General Washington himself alone
No other knows aught Of the thing
but you two. II is not ever to be writ,
ten down. / am to go to New York &c
do three things, one is no more thar
a piece of daring; the other two are
of the gravest Importance. One, if ac-
Complished, may save Manifestation,
sands of lives
And these you may not tell us? 2
asked Curtis, still in that low voice.
mo, friend, not till we are on the
ground"
ct is better So" said the same deep
sonorous voice SO unlike his. I'VE car
be of no use to them as prisoners"
These commissions are not for one
man to carry out. l therefore asked
for you two and obtained your re.
lease"
And you did well" said Curtis.
"WeIl, well, Rob, did / not as much
ten minutes gomez" cried Acton, impa.
tiently. There stands no doubt OF
question; but where are we to meet?'
where in the own must we go?'
asked Curtis, still pursuing his owr
course.
"All over the town. but especially al
No. 3 Broadway"
There were two shots overhead al
this moment, and ii may have beer
for this reason that Curtis started sc
suddenly. He made 40 reply at once
but when he did he said:
Impress this on your memory-No
2 Broadway"
mo. 2 Broadway said we together.
"Well, we are to meet there"
You know the placer" | asked.
wa