Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1903-11-07
CHAPTER XIII.
IN THE POWDER O

IN THE POWDER LOFT.
/ thrust my pistol back into my
pocket and looked about me at my
ease. A desperate man and a couple of
hundred weights OF powder would be
allowed a wide berth, SO much was
clear, and i need fear no Interference
for the present. I had been in the loft
several times before with Owain; but,
coming merely to fetch powder and
down again at once, I had given no
particular attention to the place.
/ must now take a more careful sur
vey OF IT lest some other door should
lead into II and 1 be taken by surprise.
! let the trap down into its place and
dragged upon 1t a great piece of lead
stored there for bullet moulding. No
one could lift 1t now without giving
me warning. and / began to move about
the room scanning every corner eager
ly. The loft was built in the very ridge
of the roof, was about sixteen feet
wide, and ran the whole length of the
house. 1t was possible to stand up only
in the middle, the slant of the roof for
bidding such a position elsewhere.
There was a window In each end,
the western one, close to me, bright
with the evening light, the eastern one
looking far md dim 1 made haste to
traverse the long wedge-shaped place
while the light lasted. 1t was empty
of all save the ammunition stored in
the western end-that was certain; but
the huge, massey beams of the roof
made the eastern half so dusky that 1t
was impossible to search for trap-doors
or other openings. I returned to the
better lighted part and knelt down at
the window, which was near the floor.
Almost the first thing l saw was
Whitesock. She stood upon the hill
side two hundred yards from the house,
her head n tail up, and an air of
curiosity and wonder distinct In ev-
cry turn of her attitude.
Next / saw three men creeping to sur
round her. They posted themselves in
a circle and moved gently upon her.
She remained perfectly quiet till they
were within a dozen yards, her nose II,
shifting the air impatiently, and mar
yelling, doubtless, where I could be;
then she turned and was off like light
ming. Up the hill she went. bound upon
bound, her pursuers straining In the
rear. She ran ONE distance, then
paused to look back. A tiny squat fig
ure shot into sight on top of a boulder
beside the mare and made a flying leap
at her.
1t lighted on its stomach, dropping
on the saddle at right angles to her
back. l saw the arms spread and the
heels stuck stiffly out to gain a balance,
and then the shock-headed dwarf har-
per, for / had recognized him, pivoted
himself about, dropped his short legs,
stuck his feet into the stirrup feathers,
and waved his hand to the three run
ners.
1t would have be n more to his pur-
pose had he taken q handful of mani
to hold on by, for Whitesock clapped
her head between her forelegs and shot
her heels high into the air. The har-
per, without a doubt, had a safe seat
on a mountain pOn not much bigger
than a rat, but this was q notch be-
yond his powers for away he went
whirling through the air, and bringing
up, headfrst, on the grass.
His neck, however, was surely des-
tined to be broken by other means,
since he was up In n moment. White
sock trotted on as soon as she was rid
of him, and passed him just as she
rose. He ran after her. Forty yards
further she disappeared over a rise, the
harper vanished at her tail In full pur-
suit, and, n minute later, the three men
went after the harper.
All this, taking place to the west of
me, In the afterglow of a clear, brilliant
sky, was in full sight, and l watched
eagerly for the next move. l could not
see into the valley beyond the rise, but
1 commanded the further slope entire
ly; md, before long, 1 saw Whitesock
u w IL GllOllCt oltllll " ~ = AAO
ments, then strike away southwark
and begin to circle back toward the
house. where she knew very we'll that
l was.
Minute after minute passed and there
was no sign of the harper or the three
men who had pursued from Nant-y-
Bryn. I whistled softly between my
teeth as the idea dawned upon me that
the three men never would come back.
The harper was not there alone, and
the unlucky fellows had run into an
ambush.
A slight scraping on the floor below
fetched me from the window to the trap
at q bound. Some one was trying to lift
the ladder into place.
"Who is there?" I challenged.
well, it's me-" said n familiar voice.
1 swung away the lead and flung up
the trap door.
"Siani." said I. us you mistress
safe?"
Yes, she u.s." said Slant.
And YOU" I continued, "how did you
come OFF,"
II am all right" said Siani.
Did any n try to get up through
the Window"
"One," said Siani, with a grin. He
was a stranger, so l let him come up
half way and then cut the stuff. He
tumble very hard"
Slant" said 1, you are a girl Of n
thousand, and / am very grateful to
you, Is there any way Of getting into
this loft except by the trapdoor here?"
None at ALL" said Slant. II go now
to Miss Enid. Here are the boots"
CONTINUED Next Week.)