The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-09-25

we mounted the hill very slowly. !
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 q 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
little rise, and he pointed before us.
A short distance in front was a steep
hill crowned with 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"
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 hear 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-
venge."
They are bent on that now, in any
case replied Owain, land he will leave
the less to execute it."
In a short time we were up among
the trees, and at a glance + saw what
spot Sir Arthur had chosen for his
gibbet. On every hand the country lay
below us like a map. Far to the west
a gray level patch marked the sea, and
the slant of the stunted trees told of
the winds which raced in from that
quarter. The Red Men of the Dusk
looked around them with quick, un-
easy glances is they were halted in the
tiny wood, and when a mountain pony
came scrambling up after US, laden
with coils of rope, every man turned
with fierce eyes upon my uncle and ut
tered deep cultural cry of scorn.
Two of them made an attempt to
burst their bonds and run, but it was
useless, and within the instant they
We're struck down and pinioned still
more securely. The other four, after
that single note of rage and scorn, re-
manned as impressive as the hills
around them. I now saw for the first
time that one of them was mere boy,
not more than IA years old. Even as I
looked, the tall elderly man who had
seemed their leader moved a little
toward the lad, and began to speak to
him In low, caressing voice. The
savage mask dropped off, and his fea-
lures worked with strong emotion. This
and the likeness that existed between
them made the situation clear; they
were father and son. The boy paid but
little heed, nodding carelessly now and
again, and looking from side to side
with sullen glare.
Sir Arthur now began to call out
quick orders, and his men ran right and
left. In trice half dozen ropes were
run over branches, lofty enough to
swing the Gwylliaid Cochion several
feet from the ground, and the execution
proceeded swiftly. Already four fig
ures were writing in horrible contor-
tons, when a woman darted into the
circle and seized the boy with dread
full cutlery. Her scream was echoed by
my uncle, who doubted not but to see
whole band upon us, and there was
general run to arms. But no one else
appeared, and the poor creature who
had got among us must have exercised
wonderful cunning to evade the SEN
tries posted about the hill.
She was an elderly woman, though
it is likely she was not SO old as she
beyond their time. Her foul, tangled
scanty elf locks, once red, now bleached
to O. dry wheaton shade by weather and
years, hung low over her hard worn
features, her great dark eyes looked I'M
naturally large and bright in their hol-
low sockets, and as she fondled her
child, the business we were engaged
upon, distasteful before, now seemed to
me dismally repulsive.
The little group drew every eye, and
for few moments no one moved or
spoke; father, mother and son, even the
rude fellows who were stringing up the
Red Men of the Dusk as indifferently
as if they were hanging salmon to
smoke, stood at gaze, struck by the dra-
! matte quality Of the scene. My uncle
| alone remained unmoved and venom
| GUS; he shouted an angry order, and
| the woman cried out as If she had re-
ceived a wound. She turned and flung
herself upon her knees before Sir Arr
! thur, pouring out with tears and up
lifted hands frenzied entreaties that he
! would spare her son, her youngest, her
dearest; for her husband she uttered
no plea. She knew it would be useless,
but she begged for her boys life in
| terms which moved every listener but
/ one. There was no need to be able to
understand her words; the piercing
| quality of pathos and longing In her
voice went to the very heart Had she
spoken nothing, the simple natural elo-
quence of her entreating gestures would
have said everything. My uncle took
but little heed of her, and called out to
his men again in a harsh, grating
! voice.
Continued Next Weekly
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