Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1902-10-25

He stood looking at me In wonder
Tor a moment, and then, gripping me
with his strong hands, he said:
L do not know thee, Merton! What
would Rob Curtis say to thy mood?
Hast forgotten thy homer and let 1t
sleep? Wake up, friend, and remem-
Der the trust the great Washington has
put in you! | do not know all you nave
to do. You have not told me. But
what's TO be done must be done quick
ly. or you and l and Curtis will be dead
and nothing done.'
Il am a crazy fool" 1 muttered.
That we are not, Merton" said he
with a kindly smile. But something
has happened, and o shall tell me-"
And he sat me down and drew eut of
me the lie / n Y Anterior over the
wine, and the sequel that was coming
in the morning at G. At that he laughed
a free laugh, and cried:
why, man, I've seen we in worse
places than that and never knew you
to take on SO. Is he 80 marvellous a
sword ."
l could not tell him the truth, and
thought best to let him think so, and
he thereupon began to ak to me in
an embarrassed fashion, telling me [
too good a hand to lose in such 4
childS play, and more and more, till l
must needs smile at his ill-Concealed
NNSllN W DIiIlS llt OUT Oh lily
dread or fear to meet this nan And
so we talked softly together through
the night as men talk but seldom in a
lifetime, as no one could write down
on paper, of home and friendship and
chivalTy to ones God or ones COM
mander. And l learned in those few
hours something of the soul of a great
honest man, awkward when he got up
on such subjects, but with as high n
Wow IF IL 70 aud tho Iowa nP ,rn,l N+nr,nv,
as 1t has pleased God to let me hear
from the lips Of any one, or see in the
eyes of any human being, save only
one, and that, heaven be thanked, no
man! And in those few hours cropped
up a friendship of man to nan between
us two that through many a trial has
lasted on to his day, and will till the
death Of us both, and after.
And so 1t came 5 In the morning. q
sultry autumn morning, still lark when
we went down Beaver street and
through Princess to Queen street, and
thence down Cherry street to the ship
yards by the breastworks at Rutgers,
and to the hill and fields OF C~orlear's
Hook. We had not gagged the dis
lance well and were a bit late in ar
irving, so that it was striking 6 in the
barracks hard by when we came into
the fields above the tide that flows be-
tween Long Island and Manhattan. The
place was rolling country dotted with
trees and underground, n had be-
gun to think we should not find the
others when l heard a hail and saw the
party In n small hollow below US and
nearer the river. There was a soft
mist hanging in the bottom like that OF
an August morning, and we could make
out half a dozen figures looming up as
we came down to them.
Here they are at last" said n voice
that made me start, for l recognized 1t
as that OF DR.. Low, the Chirurgeon,
who had laid out with me not twenty
four hours before the plan Of abducting
Arnold. Then stepped up Prince Henry,
Major Sproat and Lieutenant Purdy,
and last came Captain Atherton.
I'VE have come to see fair play done,
sir" said the young prince. And to be
in sufficient force to prevent any in
~terruption from the authorities, should
such occur. You know all here but Dr.
Low, l think"
What name was it," asked the doc
tor, shaking hands in a business-like
way, as if he saw me for the first time.
Mr.. Merton n Mr.. Roberts," said
Major Sproat, presenting US.
We'll, gentlemen, if you insist on
this, it's time twas over" said Low,
and the major and Acton then meas
ured my sword and Atherton's. Find
ing them practically the same length,
they led US to the bottom of q hollow
and into an open bit surrounded by
trees, and just as the light was fairly
full grown for another day we were
ready.
Acton was in his element. He talked
in an finland way with the others,
hoped Anterior was a good hand, as
his friend there was no fool, and asked:
Whats the rules"
"The first serious draw of blood set
ties the affair, DIR. Low deciding said
the prince, IF you will agree"
My friend is quite at your disposal,
gentlemen" said Acton, bowling, while
l walked up and down by myself. l
had had so little time to think on the
affair that the serious nature of 1T had
not occurred to me, n now for the
first time l began to think of what
might happen to myself. If a stroke
found me home and did for me, l did
not much care. But | had a horror of
a serious wound so that / should live
on here and fail in my work My death
was nothing to any II but General
Washington, and he alone would know
of my falling away from his COM
mandS.
We'll, gentlemen, is all ready?" said
the doctor.
We stepped out and drew. The two
blades crossed, holding there for a mo-
ment as each of us took a good look at
the other. L was to do as l had done
many times before in open fights upon
a skirmish--wait to feel the strength Of
his wrist. He tried to do the same, but
becoming irritated he made three quick
passes at me, and, though his blade did
not leave mine once, l knew l had a
strong hand that had been in a long
and good school.
Just as the third thrust came and |
parted, L swung my point down,
turned it under his blade, n swayed
his point out to the left of me. 1t
would have been my third thrust en-
quatre, had not a voice cried out:
stop where you are, gentlemen, in
the kings name!"
We both stopped, turned, and saw
three men coming down the slope above
They We're in our midst in a mo-
ment.
Gentlemen, L come with a warrant
for the arrest of that man. and I took
a sudden breath as l saw Hazeltine
standing there pointing at me, and
this man here" pointing to Acton.
Acton laughed in his face.
What is this, sir?" cried Prince
Henry, walking vel to Hazeltine. do
you not see you interrupt an important
matter?"
Your highness, I am obliged to fol-
low the orders of Sir Henry. These
are being searched for all over
town. 1t is a matter Of great mill
tary Importance"
And can you not choose a better
time, them" asked the young man in
first tone of voice l lad heard him
use that showed he was accustomed to
;cGt,a no thor th ~ ra,a;xyo -
Il cannot do it, your highness." said
Hazeltine, doggedly, and none too po-
litely.
Frank" cried Atherton at this. "'tis
Unsolicited moment. What matters
half an hour?"
1T matters much" said the other
holly. They must come now!"
80 - ny III 49,