Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1903-08-15
CHAPTER XII.
/ MEET OWAIN VATGUAN

1 MEET OWAIN VAUGHAN.
l turned Whitesock and moved gently
toward the approaching horseman, in
order to give as much ground as pos
sible to the fugitives, but to my sur
prise the sound of hoofs had died
aWay.
l pulled up and sat listening for n
moment, and heard them again. The
riders had stopped to water their
horses at q little stream which / re-
memh0red passing some distance back.
This did not seem very much ike a
pursuit, and l Cantered sharply down
toward them TO settle the matter.
At thirty yards distance 1 checked
WhitesOck and challenged the two
horsemen coming up the hill. They
halted at once and called upon me in
the language Of the country. Perceiv-
ing they were not the men / expected
/ spoke to them in English and ad-
vanCod in their direction; but they,
wheeling their horses round, and clap
ping In their spurs, returning down the
hil az fun speed.
IT'S a false ALARM" thought 7, trot-
ting back, well pleased at the outcome
Of the Glruir. They are two fellows
who have escaped from the Inn and got
TO the naSs I saw In the stable"
l pushed on rapidly 70 regain my
companions but was not to DO so. for /
fell into q mistake easy to be made
among uCh rude tracks as l was fol-
lowing. But q few hundred yards from
the stop where we had parted. he
chief road took a sudden bend 10 the
right and seemed TO disappear down q
narrow gully, yet straight on ran a
road, white in the moonlight, and, 10
be sure, no n would have any sus-
piCiOn that IN following II he was going
directly out OF his way, and merely
heading for Il lonely farm far among
the hills.
This is what ! DAD, and on / went for
three or four miles, thinking to see the
ponies at every turn OF the road, yet
seeing nothing.
When l became convinced that I had
missed them in some fashion, for at the
pace l had ridden / knew that they
could not be before me, | was puzzled
what 70 DO. l still felt certain thai |
was following the main road, for l had
ridden past the mouth Of the gully into
which IT turned without q glance aside;
and. alters little thought, ! could SEQ no
better plan than to pursue my Journey.
Three miles further, the road turned
directly into one OF those narrow val
leys with steeply slipping sides, such as
the Welsh call a cwm, and ran up the
middle Of 1t. The sides OF the valley
were dotted with sheep, and / looked
eagerly Onward for come habitation.
Soon | saw a light at the head OF the
glen, where the hill seemed to close In
upon either side. / came nearer and
saw something white stretching across
the o ] cantered UP and found my
self staring across a gate into a farm
yard, where the Dad abruptly ended.
and, facing me, a long, low, white
wa ghnd hnl1Sp THROUGH Uhn0a nnLn1
windows a bright freight was stream
ing.
At this moment a man came out Of
an clubhouse with a lantern in his hand.
l hailed him, and he came toward the
gate. Luckily he had a little English,
and at once told me where l had gone
wrong, assuring me that 1t was uncom-
mon misfortune, so easily was the road
missed at that point.
He Hospitality desired me to como in
and stay, and knowing that Whitesock
had earned her rest and would be bet
ter TO make a fresh start with the day
light, / thanked him and rode through
the gate, which he unbarred.
He led the way back TO the building
from which he had come, and helped
me to attend to the mare, and Their led
the way TO the house. The door opened
directly to the kitchen, where a cheer
full fire was blazing, n his wife and
two or three children were gathered
round it.
The universal and cheerful hospitali-
ty of the Welsh was busted at once to
make me comfortable. / was placed In
a chair In the snug chimney corner,
and the good wife at once set a small
round table at my elbow, and arranged
food upon it. No one had any English,
except my host, and his was so fluent
but that occasionally we arrived at
cross-purposes. Still, when we came
to a fix, we tried back and started
again. and In the end managed to find
where we were.
"Nant-y-Bryn." said he, on hearingpf
my destination. II am taking sheep to-
morrow, and must to so that way. We
shall go, the two. now"
This was welcome news to me when
| found that he vas bound to q spot
within q few miles Of my JOURNEYS
end and / gladly agreed to accompany
him.
The e morning I arose to find that
the fine weather Of the past few days
had departed and that a sharp. sleety
drizzle was falling. AS 1 stood looking
at 1t through the window of the great
kitchen, my hest Joined me. Where
Is the big Goa with your" said he.
Spoil the fine clothes, this weather."
n he rubbed his finger, smilingly, UP
and down the silver lace of my riding
suit