Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1902-02-15
CHAPTER V.

5000 49,
THE LAST OF THE BLIND MAN.
My curiosity. in q sense, was strong
err than my fear; for | could not pemain
where ] was, but crept back to the
bank again, whence, sheltering my
head behind q bush Of broom, l might
command the road before the door.
| was scarcely in position ere my en-
cmies began to arrive. seven or eight
Of them, running hard, their feet beat
Ing out Of time along the road. and the
man with the lantern some PAGES in
front. Three men ran together. hand
I'm hand, and / made out, even through
the mist, that the middle man of this
trio was the blind beggar. The next
moment his voice showed me hat /
was right.
Down with the door" he cried.
LAY, ay, SIR answered two or three;
and Il rush was made upon the Ad-
miral Renbow, the lantern bearer fol-
lowing; aud then ] could see them
pause, and hear speeches passed in a
lower key, as r they were surprised to
find the door open. But the pause was
brief, and the blind man again issued
his commands. His voice sounded
louder and higher, as If he were afire
with eagerness and rage.
In, in, I'M" he shouted. and cursed
them for their delay.
Four or FIVE Of them obeyed at once,
two remaining on the road with the
formidable beggar. There was a pause,
then a cry OF surprise, and then a voice
shouting from the house:
"Bills dead"
But the blind man swore at them
again for their delay.
Search him, some of you Sinking
lubbers, and the rest Of you aloft and
get the chest" he cried.
/ could hear their feet rafting up our
old stairs. so that the house must LAY
shaken, with 1t. Promptly afterwards,
fresh sounds OF establishment arose;
the window of the captains room was
thrown open with a slam and a Jingle
OF broken glass; a man leaned out into
the moonlight, head and shoulders, and
addressed the blind beggar on the road
belog him.
Pew he cried, they've been be-
fore us. Some ones turned the chest
out allow and aloft."
rs 1t there" roared Pew.
The moneys there"
The blind man cursed the money.
'Flint's fist, l mean" he cried.
I'VE don't see 1t here nohow," re-
turned the man.
Here, you below here, is it on Bill?"
cried the blind mar again.
At that another fellow, probably he
who had remained below to search the
captains body, came to the door Of
the inn. "Bill's been o~verhauled
Already" said he, "nothin' left"
ITS these people of the limits
that boy. | wish / had put his eyes
OUT cried the blind man, Pew. They
were here no time ago--they had the
door bolted When / tried it. Scatter,
lads, and find EN-"
Sure enough, they left their glim
here" said the fellow from the window.
Scatter n find EN-! Rout the
house QUIT" reiterated Pew, striking
with his stick upon the road.
Then there followed a great TODD
through all our old inn. heavy feet
pounding to and fro, furniture all
thrown over, doors kicked in, until the
very rocks reechoed, and the men came
GU again. one after another, Of the
road, and declared hat we were no
whore to be found. And just then the
same whistle hat had alarmed my
mother n myself over the dead zap
tain's money was once more clearly
audible through the night, but this
time tiwce repeated. l had thought II
to be the blind mans trumphet. so to
speak, ~suminoning his crew to the as
sault: but ] now found that 1t was a
signal from the hillside toward the
hamlet. and, from its effect upon the
buccaneers, a signal to warn them OF
approaching danger.
There's Dirk again." said one
Twice! Well have to bulge, mates
"Budge. o sulk!" cried Pew
Dirk was a fool and d coward from tie
drst-you wouldn't mind him. They