Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1903-10-10
"Geoffrey Heathcote, Esq"
BY JOHN FINNh0RE. Copyright 1899, by g. 9. Mcclure Coz
CHAPTER XVII.
BECOME A MAN oF THE DUSK

L 6ECOmE A MAN OB THE DUSK
1 followed in his steps, for I could not
see what else to do. The whole affair
was on my account; the man was In a
sense my prisoner. and / felt respon-
sible for him. The discovery OF the
dread&al advantage which Sir Arthur
held over my friends had turned my
plans to~psy-turvy, and 1 could scarce
~ ride away to a safe place OF refuge
with the knowledge that their liberties
and lives were hanging in the wind.
You VIII follow very carefully" sale
Ieuan over his shoulder, for there will
be places where to go a foot wrong will
be to slip into q bog, where you will
sink as a stone sinks In water"
Upon this caution / came down and
led Whitesock close at the tail of the
messengers horse. At first the path
was hard and clean, her we Travelled
Tor a long way through places where
the frost had not yet gained a COM
plete grip Of the marshy track, and,
crashing through the stifened surface,
we sank half knee-deep at every step.
Being unused to such places my heart
was In my mouth time and again, es-
pecially hen the surface OF the bog for
a score of yards round quaked and
swayed, and seemed to suck at us, as
II eager to engulf us between it's sedgy
lips.
But Ieuan trod firmly and steadily
on, and i followed, and within an hour
we came out on the smooth, hard hill
side. Ieuan now sprang up behind
Gruffydd n took the reins, urging the
powerful horse to a trot, and l swung
myself into the saddle and rode along
side.
AS 1 came up, the prisoner turned n
sullen eye upon me, and / saw fear and
surprise mingled in his glance.
Tell him not to be frightened" said
l; he Will not come to any further
harm"
Ieuan gave a chuckle of dry con-
tempt, and shrugged his shoulders
slightly. He spoke never a word, and 1
was the more strongly fortified in my
resolution to see the thing through and
do what l could to keep safe n man
who was only an innocent instrument
In the mischief intended to me.
Mile after mile we trotted over the
bare, bleak hills, and wilder and wilder
grew the scene around us. At last
Ieuan drew rein at the mouth OF a
narrow cwm, whose entrance was litter
ed by great rocks, and began to bark
! X O fox. He was answered instantly,
and two fellows sprang from their hid
Ing places among the boulders and ran
to meet us. At a word from Ieuan each
of them took q rein and guided the
horses through q narrow path, which
wound among the masses of stone and
led to a smooth patch CT greensward
set round on three sides by beetling
p~recipices.
One of these latter lay full length
In the moonlight and toward 1t our
horses were led. A dozen yards from
the gray rock our guides stood still,
and Ieuan made a sign that l should
dismount. / did 30, and at q COM
mand from their leader the two attend
ants pulled Gruffydd down in a very
unceremonious fashion and held him by
the collar.
Come this way" said Ieuan.
What about my mare?" l returned
Bring her with you, If you like"
said Ieuan, and l led Whitesock after
him.
I now saw hat q huge fragment Of
rock lay at the base OF the cliff, but
being OF the same color and leaving but
a narrow gap, 1t looked, even when
close at hand, a mere projection rather
than q separate mass. The path be-
tween the boulder and the cliff admit
ted but q single passenger, and we
walked In file, my stirrups juggling
against the rock on either hand as
Whitesock stepped cautiously after me.
A black hole, barely the height Of a
man received us, and SAND Crunched
under our feet. A red dancing gleam
struck into my eyes, and 1 saw a great
fire Of turf burning high and painting
tho wet, Shiny walls of q large cavern
with bright, mirror-like reflections.
Half a dozen figures, who had been
seated round the blaze, sprang to their
feet as we entered, but sank down
again when they recognized Ieuan.
Low strains of the most mournful
music hummed through the place, and
l saw the dwarf harper bending over
his instrument and drawing from It q
wailing, melancholy air.
A woman, huddled near him in a
crouching heap, continued to utter low,
heart broken groans, fitting accompani-
ment to his music. From two or three
bundles laid against the further wall
and covered with skins and tattered
rags, cries of pain occasionally burst
forth, b~etraying the presence Of the
wounded, and saw myself, at a bound
transferred to the center and strong
hold Of the Red Men Of the Dusk.
Without q word to any me-, Ieuan
walked up to the fire and spread his
hands to the warmth. Fierce, curious
eyes were turned upon me, and savage
cries Of rage were uttered as the pris-
n e was brought forward. His teeth
ratified together In fear as ne was
dragged into the freight. Ieuan looked
upon his terror and their hate with a
complacent grin. At this instant the
woman, whose o Of sorrow had
been echoing through the place, was
aroused from her torpor by the excite
ment of her companions. She looked
round and saw the captive, for Gruf-
fydd vas now bound hand and foot.
With a scream of wild eXultation she
recognized him as a man from Nant-y-
Bryn, and at the same moment l knew
her for the woman who had begged in
vain for the life of her son. She leaped
to her feet, drew q knife, and rushed
upon her prey, amid the a%pplauding
cries Of her friends. i sprang for
ward just in time and caught her up
lifted arm.
With swift adroitness she changed
the knife to her other hand, and was
about to aim a blow at me, when l
moved aside and the freight struck
full on my face. The knife tinkled at
feet, and she clasped my arms and
burst into a flood of speech and tears.
"Old Megan ISIS asking your pardon"
said Ieuan, who had watched every
thing with his broad, cruel smile. She
wass not knowing you till she saw your
race, ana she ISIS now saying that there
ISIS nothing which could persuade her
to do o a mischief"
And this poor wretch who has been
brought here, surely you will not put
him to death in cold blood"
Indeed, l do not care either way"
said Ieuan, stroking his beard; yet,
to be sure, if they should catch some
one again, as they did last night, they
would not be so quick to hang him II
we had a man to hang, too. We could
exchange, as they do at the wars"
And hats a good idea," said I.
Yes" said Ieuan. with a smile Of
pleased vanity.
Indeed 1t Isl" and from that instant
life was safe.
Food was now offered us-broiled
and oatmeal cakes-while a
bundle of fodder was brought out for
Whitesock.
A heap of dried PUSHES and farms wa