The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-04-26

Ireton, shall neither give nor take ad-
vantage IN this strife. ! said last night that
I would stand aside but that ! can not
not TIL shs herself says the killing word
with her own lipss
And that word will bs-T'
THAT she loves another man. Come;
let US be at 81: we should be well out OF
this before the plantation people are astir."
CHAPTER XIX.
How e Stumbling Horse Brought Tia
iuEs.
Having a definite thing to DO. we set .bou,
Il forthwith, taking to the fields and max
ing q wide circuit around the manor house
and the quarters where the blacks were al
ready stirring, to come out to the river and
80 to cross In our canoe.
The morning, soft and warm enough.
threatened now to break the fair-weather
promise of the star-lit night. Away in the
east a heavy cloud bank curtained of the
sunrise. and IN the fields the few dry maize
blades left by the partisan HAIRLESS were
whispering to the gusts.
In the great forest al was yet dim and
s~hsdowy, and silent as the grave but for the
whispering murmUr Of the rising wind in the
higher tree-tops; a sound so like tha bah
bling of brooks as most ~cunningiy TO de-
oeivs the ear and make IT set the eye at
work to look for water where there was
none.
Not to take a certain hazard for the sake
81 better speed. we Stunned the road, fnd
for the first hour or so were not greatly
hindered by keeping TO the forest paths. In
vast areas this virgin wood was free Of IN
d~ergrowtb, open and park-like az a we'll
kept grove. Fireside tradition on the border
tells how the Indians kept the forest clear
by yearly burnings OF the smaller growth.
this for the better hunting Of the deer. 1
youch not for the truth of this accounting
for the fact, but for the fact itself. For
A-AtAa. -uag Aaturna- Aha wwaHaa @AfrEaaa
these park-like stretches covered hill and
dale; q vast. mysterious temple of Gods
own building, its naves and choirs and tran
septs columEed By the countless trees. with
all their Ieafy crowns to Ipteriacs and form
the Eroined arches overhead
Through these pIllared aisies We tramped
abreast, stunning the road, as I have said,
yet holding IL parallel with our course
where its direction served. In the open
yistas We had frequent glimpses Of II, wind
ing. at feud with all the points of the COM
pass. among the trees. But farther on We
came int the lower land of a creek bottom.
and here a thiekset Underground robbed US
of any view and made the march q toilsoms
struggle with the bushes.
IL was in the densest OF this underwood,
when we could hear the purring Of the
stream ahead, that Jennifer stopped sud
denly and began to sniff the air.
ssmoke,H he said briefly, in answer to my
query. ~ campfire, with meat broiling.
Never tel me you can't smell it,
/ said I could not-did not. at all events
Then you are not as sharp set for break
fast as I am. Cali up your woodcraft and
wen stalk to it,
And, sulung the action TO h word, he
dropped noiselessly on hands and knees TO
inch his way cautiously out Of the thicket.
I followed at his heels, marveling al his
skill in threading the maze with never a
snapped twig to betray him. For though I
ave called him a youthlipg, he came of
great, square-shouidered English stock, and
Was wen upon fourteen stone for weight.
Yet upon occasion. as now. he could be as
1.-the and cat-like as an Indian. stealthy IN
approach and t!ger-strong to spring.
In due time our creeping progress brought
Us out Of the thieket on the brink OF the
higher creek bank. Just here the stream
ran in a shallow ravtne with shelving banks
of clay, and on Its hither margin was a BIZ
Of grassy intervals big enough for a horse
to reil upon. Though II was sadly out OF
season. the carcass Of a deer, fresh killed,
burg upon Q branch OF the nearest tree,
with n riffs Leaning against the trunk as II
to guard It In the middle Of the bit OF
sward a tiny campfire burned: n at ths
fire. sQuatting with their backs to US and
each toasting q cut Of the deer's meat on q
forked stick, were two men,
Dine Of these men would pass by courtesy
as q white. His h~unting-shlrt and legginEs
were Of deer skin, well grimed and greasy.
with leather fnnges at the seams Of lea
and sleeve, For al the summer heat. h
wore a cap fashioned OF r~accoon-skin with
the fur on: and for this great cap his iron.
! gray hair, matted and unkempt, served e
q fringe TO keep the other tsSselings II