The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1903-08-07

a., EEfAH-5StEE
1he good woman of the cottage, gave a
pieee OF money to the little boy, and
swung myself into the saddle. I felt
NY sWord was buckled tightly, the hilt
lAndy, and the butts of my pistol ca
SLY with In reach.
mad no real evidence for dtstrust-
ins my companions, but l did so heart
~, ana for that very reason was de-
sl1iiined 70 keep an eye upon them I
tsie. certain that the girls in gray had
e s packed Off at sight of them. and
l FELT also that they were of another
alaa q n dangerous class than the
and her dirty rabbie.
ruf a couple Of miles we moved slow
~, Tor the Q was villainUus under
ioot. indeed. my ~conlpanion,s ninlble
.lltie pony, bred up on these mountain
slacRs' made better way than White
s,' 'l VINO was quite at a loss among
:. io,lills ebb!e Inc clumsy pieces OF
incK that Uttered the way.
Ihen the path improved, running over
elean mountain, turf. and. turning q
sltur Oh the hill, we rode into the light
" the rising moon, now nearly at the
Iull, n swinging low against a dis
a SLOPE.
Inc harper was. trotting beside my
n at intervals they ex-
snaitsed a few words in a loM tone. A
urn OF the road brought the moon at
our back, and l was surprised to see
a SHADOW fall between Whitesock and
1le pony ! glanced quickly round.
Immediately behind was marching a
p~are-headed, bare-footed fellow with a
PIKE over his shoulder, following with
nolseless tread, and his eyes bent on
me ground. The other two took no
quietly. =
who is this man fol,op,,nr -,
Oh, said the bard, waving his hand,
~ ISIS nothing. A friend to me"
l shipped my hand down to the off
hofstef', dropped it on q pistol butt and
gently drew it to full cock. The &C.
llon was we'll oiled and worked smooth
~, and amid the rafting Of the horses
leet the soft click was, as I thought.
unheard.
So far as 1 could see / was the oniv
one IN The party possessed Of firearms,
and to that extent held them at ad-
vantage.
y glanced again, and gave an invol-
untary start. A second pikenan was
tTotting at the side of the first. How
or from where the fellow am L could
not divine. If spirits of the dead had
been rising to join US, they could not
come more silently or held their way
with softer football.
lie also q no other head covering
.tan a shock Of hair, and his feet were
ARE. Both had that bounding move
ment which betokens surprising
strength and activity, and 1 scarcely
knew what to think of the COMPANY
into which / had SO strangely fallen,
mat they We're honest l had a great
oounts, and l had a mind to give
Wh1tasock a hint to leave them. hut
mat tho Y>nnI had NOV. -
again.
Marching with my beard upon my
shoulder, as the saying goes, / saw the
third piheman arrive. Just as we
passed q great boulder lying on the
edge OF the road he glided from its
SHADOW and fell in at The rear. He was
as like his fellows as one bean resem-
bfes another.
Not a word or sign was exchanged
queerness and odd danger of it all q
old sweat came out upon me. This
was another business altogether to
Keeping an eye for a few miles upon
the bard and the dwarf. Our path
now lay along the lee of a hill, which
cast a dark shadow over the rough.
broken road.
Without looking round, the tall mar
gave a shrill whistle. I half drew nv
pistol, but the signal was not aimed
against me. At q flash, the three pike
men sprang forward, running swiftly
and silently, and flew on ahead, the
dwarf running with them. urged
Whitesock on, 1mpelled to follow them
and see what was their object, but
was compelled to rein in almost in
stantly. | should only have lamed the
poor lass among the loose cluttered
rocks. and then things woulds have.been
at a worse pass still.
Come, come said my companion,
who had sent his pony along with me
n drawn rein when I did; indeed.
you are not treating me fairly, at ala
To cock your pistol and hold 1t readFyN
when we are riding together so friend
ly as possible, is not showing any
those boys against you when you had
a good chance to kill me this after
and did not do it? To be sure i
would not. And, indeed, l am wanting
help against any one man in this
he added. proudly.
To these remarks / had no answer to
make, and we rode for some time In
silence. The dN'arf had left his harm
and my companion fingered it
as he rode, now n again humming or
over an air, as if he had FOR
gotten my existence.
The young lady and her attendants
ran strongly in my mind. How far had
got ahead? What was the mean
ing of that little elf and the three s1frn-
Bile fellows running forward like grew
hounds?
Continued Next Week.)
A ma called Major Prentiss wsS one
80 <l,, ,,nr., IL y ec.% a nd !, a,,-L3;.. 4 q |