Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1902-08-09

triguing and under-current work going
on at this otherwise strangely period of
the war. Twas on such an expedition
that Acton had rtgarly lost his life when
I CHANGED along! and, I'm fact, Z was
no chlld's play TO eoam about the coun-
try to the south IF us, infested as II
was with all the Outlaws of the north
ern part of the colonies.
These villains pre;ed on any one, and
we were good meat for them. Two or
three running tightly We had I'm these
ten days, as IL was. hut without results
OF any kind. save thu lesson OF know
Ing when 20. run away Yet could Acton
never get this better part of vaior in
to his head; for L was always a hard
task to make him retil a. AS. on the day
/ first met him, he would brighten up
at the prospect of a tight, and would
tackle any number Of SINNERS that
might fall in with us with a laugh on
his lips and JOY In his heart. And then,
when we had finally got him away, once
actually leading his horse against his
will, ne would curse US roundly for an
hour, and then beg u pardon!
Yet with all this the time dragged
with me, for / had hoped TO get a com
mission to search for Arnold, and each
day that passed made this more hope
less. Once we heard that he lay in New
York; again, that he had gone to Eng
land; still again. that he had joined
CORVALLIS in the south. | had, of
course, told my story TO my two friends,
and we had here again agreed to work
together, should / ever gain permission
to go forth In search of him. The idea
brought more life and color to Curtis
face than anything l had Witnessed
since making his acquaintance; for,
cool though he was and little given to
enthusiasm, this was a work after his
own heart. In fact, his mind seemed
gradually to settle upon that, too, as a
piece of work he must have a hand in.
Then, too, my mind would continually
bark back TO q face that would not
down from my thoughts, and | won
dered night after night as ] lay IN my
bed-for the %colonel's aides actually did
have beds-wnat she did now, and now;
where she was; what might be her sor-
row and trouble that had taken her
from her home, n why tate should
have set the insurmountable barrier of
a great war between us. OF the episode
of Gowan's tavern in which one James
Marvin had taken so significant a part,
l thought but little and spoke not at all.
because, indeed. II meant naught. And
yet t was q strange satisfaction thai
would run through my blood, to think
that this one unknown woman Of all
others in the world had stood beside
me there, had ridden with me the next
morning, and, whatever she might have
felt, had certainly trusted me. If |
could see her once again, under happy
circumstances! If | could watch the
sudden changes of mood fly one after
another across her fair face! Aye, il |
could. IF | could. If
And In walked Curtis with his usual
careless step and undisturbed counten-
anCe, to say:
Get your kit together, lad. We go
on something worth while this night"
Without a word, l took my sword
from the corner and got pistol and boots
ready. IT was only a moment, and we
went over to his room, where sat Jack
Acton, ready as well.
I'VE take twenty men, and ride south.
Are you ready?"
why twenty men, Rob-" asked Ac-
ton. Let us do it alone, whatever II
may be-"
we shall need them all. Nothing
more here. The walls can near and talk
Of it,"
Still, 1 do not see," went on the big
fellow; but he followed after.
Continued Next Week.)