Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1903-09-19
CHAPTER XIII.
THE CAPTIVES.

THE CAPIlNES.
Upon the conclusion of breakfast I
saw Enid Vaughan cast a significant
glance toward her brother; 1 had OBJ
served that not once had she spoken
to, or even looked In the direction of,
Sir Arthur.
What is to be done with the prison
ers shut up there, sir?" asked Owain.
Ought they not receive food?"
My uncle started, as If from a rev.
erie, but did not raise his eyes as he
answered, Il have formed my plans for
dealing with them, and things are in
train"
And what Is the first step?"
ITO secure them In bonds, that they
may do us nc further mischief"
He rose as he spoke, and went from
the room, Owain and | followed him
at once. He made for the courtyard,
and by the instant information of
Owain, who was uneasy when anything
was said in my presence which / did
not understand, l was enabled to fol-
low perfectly every incident which now
took place.
Hal" cried Sir Arthur, in a tone of
satisfaction, and we saw the two
marksmen, Evan and Mocyn, each
posted at a window with the muzle
of his piece between the bars, and
pointing inward.
Are they going to shoot the poor
wretches In their PRISON." / asked.
Il don't think So" replied Owain,
but l certainly cannot answer for
he is going to do with them"
Owain's o showed that he put but
little faith In my uncle's mercy, and we
continued to follow the latter as he
walked toward the nearer window.
A glance through the unglazed iron
bars showed that the captives were six
in number. Bitter as was the season,
their n~akednesS was covered with but
q few rags, and they lay on the stone
floor of the large, low room as COM
posedly as q mar lies OF n bed. Four
Of them were lying down, the other
two were leaning against the wall,
blinking carelessly at the muskets
pointed directly upon them. Mocyn
and Evan had watched their opportun-
ity, slipped the guns in at the window,
and hidden them remain as they We're,
Offering to shoot the first man that
moved. So the pixies, which were their
only weapons, save for large, savage
knives, lay on the floor as they a
placed them, and they slept or stared
idly about them, awaiting, with an APP
pearance OF perfect unconcern, the
pleasure of their captors.
Sir Arthur counted them Over and
over again, drawing deep breaths of
satisfaction. Then he put mis- fac close
to the bars n began speaking in
sharp, clear tones. He mad a short
speech, and paused. He spoke again.
and | recognized the same sounds. He
paused once more,
II Is bidding them submit them
selves to be %pinioned, one at a time, or
they shall be shot down as they stand"
| whispered Owain in my ear. He Is
ALSO" and this was said very drily,
making them n great quantity Of
promises, which l DON'T" Owain
stopped in a little confusion, and l
looked upon the prisoners. One of them
others, without a word having been
spoken among them, all turned their
eyes upon him. Sir Arthur began
speaking again, but instantly stopped
as the tall man Strengthened himself
from the wall, flung his knife to the
other side and went to the door weap-
onless. My uncle blew a loud shrill
| call on the whistle which hung at his
button, and the door was cautiously
opened, and the prisoner disappeared.
The same process was gone through
with each of the other five, and then we
went round to the hall, where we found
the captives ranged along a bench.
Their arms were closely pinioned be-
hind, and their ankles were bound with
leathern pony shaCkles in such fashion
that they could move at a shutting
walk and no faster. A guard of seven
or eight men stood over them, and
women's faces peeped from the lower
end of the hall, eager to catch a
glimpse of the terrible Red Men of the
Dusk, The latter bore themselves with
the stoicism of true savages. They
barely deigned to look round them, and
when by chance l met a glance from
one, he eyed me as colby and hardly as
If he stood In a purely Indifferent stu
alton.
Sir Arthur uttered a few words of
command, and the line of prisoners
with their guards was set in motion.
shall we go with them?" said
Owain.
will the house be safe? ?" I asked.
Several men will be left to watch It,"
he replied, "and If you wish for my
opinion, 1 do not think we shall go far"
Sir Arthur took his place between
two well-armed attendants at the head
of the procession, and it moved UP the
mountain road, a couple of active fell
lows or either side of the way search
ing every hollow where an enemy might
lie concealed, a precaution against sur
prise. Owain inc 1 brought up the
rear. Our pace was timed to that Of
the shackled, shuff1ing prisoners, and
we mounted Ine nil very SLOWLY. i
looked upon the wild pinioned figures
before me and felt the irony of the
circumstances that we should be
marching thus to accommodate these
children of the mountain, who had
hitherto flown over it's face nimbly as
the wild goat.
Half a mile from the house we
turned to a side track, and Owain nod
ded to himself.
Il was sure Of it," he said in my ear.
"Of what?" / asked.
Owain said nothing for the moment
but half lifted his finger. We topped a
little rise, and he pointed before us.
A hort distance In front was a steep
hill crowned with a clump Of ragged
stunted trees.
"He will hang them to those trees,
and leave them swinging there as we
do crows In a ~cornfield," said Owain.
Without trial, without form of law 2"
I asked.
Trial! law!" repeated Owain. Those
are words OF little import here as re-
CARDS the common people, ay, and for
plenty above them. And, indeed, who
Is there to inquire or care for what be-
comes of such rogues as these? Those
who lear OF it will praise Sir Arthur
heartily, and the relations whom the
Red Men leave behind them are little
likely to prosecute him at law for his
lack of form In disposing of their
friends"
But they will exact a dreadful re-
.arnro