The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1902-01-23

surf | had a weight at my heart when
we desisted, and i saw that even North
mour was unusually pale. He looked
over his shoulder nervously as though
he feared that some one had crept be-
tween him and the pavilion door.
by God, he said in whisper, this
is too much for me-"
replied in the same key: Suppose
there should be none, after ALL"
Look there" he returned, nodding
with his head, as though he had been
afraid to point.
| glanced in the direction indicated
and there. from the northern corner Of
the sea-Wood, beheld thin column of
smoke rising steadily against the now
cloudless sky.
''Northmour," | said 1--WE still contin-
ued to talk in whispers), sit is not pos
sible to endure this suspense. prefer
death fifty times over. Stay you here
to watch the pavilion; / will go for
ward and make sure, If have to walk
right into their camp"
He looked once again all around him
with puckered eyes and then nodded
assentingly to my proposal.
My heart beat like sledge- hammer
set out, walking rapidly in the di-
rection of the smoke; and though up
to that moment had felt chill and
shivering. / was suddenly conscious of
glow of heat over all my body. The
| ground in this direction was very un-
| even; hundred men might have lain
hidden in as many square yards about
my path. But had not practiced the
| business in vain; chose such routes as
| cut at the very root of concealment,
and. by keeping along the most con-
| venient ridges, commanded several
hollows at a time.
1t was not long before | was reward
ed for my caution. Coming suddenly
on 10 mount somewhat more elevated
than the surrounding hammocks saw,
| not thirty yards away man bent al
| most double and running as fast as
| his attitude permitted along the bot
tom of gully. had dislodged one of
| the spies from his ambush. As soon as
| sighted him | called loudly in Eng
fish and Italian, and he, seeing conceal
ment was no longer possible, straight
ened himself out, leaped fISnl the gully
and made off as straight as an arrow
| for the borders of the wood.
| 1t was none of my business to pursue;
| had learned what wanted-that we
were beleaguered and watched in the
| pavilion. and / returned at once. and
walking as nearly as possible in my old
footsteps, to where Northmour await
ed me beside the dispatch box. He
was even paler than when / had left
him and his voice shook little.
| Gould you see what he was like?"
he asked
He kept his back turned, replied.
LET us go into the house, Frank
don't think I'm a coward, but 1 can
stand no more of this" he whispered.
All was still and sunshiny about the
| pavilion as we turned to re-enter il.
even the gulls had flown in a wider
circuit, and were seen pickering along
the beach and sandhills, and this lone
illness terrified me more than a regi-
ment under arms. IL was not until the
door was barricaded that could draw
| full inspiration and relieve the
weight that lay upon my bosom. North
mour and exchanged steady glance
and / suppose each made his own re-
flections on the white and startled as
pect of the other.
you were right" I said. "All Is
over Shake hands, old man. for the
last time"
Yes, replied he, 81 will shake hands
for as sure as / am here bear no
malice. But, remember, If by some
impossible accident we should give the
slip to these blackguards, III take the
upper hand of you by fair or foul"
"O!" said /, you weary me-"
He seemed hurt, and walked away in
silence to the foot of the stairs.
The remainder of the day was passed
in the same dreadful tedium and sus-
pense. / laid the table for dinner.
while Northmour and Clara prepared
the meal together in the kitchen. |
could hear their talk as i went to and
fro and was surprised to find it ran
all the time upon myself. Northmour
again bracketed us together, and rail-
lied Clara on choice of husbands, but
he continued to speak OF me with some
feeling, and uttered nothing to my
prejudice unless he included himself
in the condemnation. This awakened
a sense of gratitude in my heart which
combined with the immeGiateness of
our peril to fill my eyes with tears.
After all, l thought-and perhaps the
thought was laughably vain--we were
here three very noble human beings to
perish in defense Of a thieving banker.
Before we sat down to table, looked
forth from an upstairs window. The
day was beginning to decline; the links
We're utterly deserted; the dispatch box