The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-10-16

forthwith began dressing the man
again.
Gruffydd came to his senses as
leuan was fastening his doublet about
cantly, uttering low, uneasy cries. I
brought the horse and he was set
upon 1t, after his broadsword and a
pair of pistols had been taken from
him. Ieuan ripped off strip of the
prisoners coat with a knife and bound
his feet together under the horse, then
seized the rein and struck away at
once into the moorland
CHAPTER XVII.
I BECOME A MAN OF THE DUSK
followed In his steps, for could not
see what else to do. The whole affair
was on my account; the man was In
sense my prisoner. and felt respon-
sible for him. The discovery of the
dreadful advantage which Sir Arthur
held over my friends had turned my
plans topsy- turvy. and I could scarce
ly ride away to a safe place Of refuge
with the knowledge that their liberties
and lives We're hanging in the wind.
You will follow very carefully" said
leuan over his shoulder, for there will
be places where to go foot wrong will
be to slip into a bog, where you will
Il
Upon this caution I came down and
led Whitesock close at the tail Of the
messengers horse. At first the path
was hard and clean. then we travelled
for long way through places whore
the frost had not yet gained q COM
pete grip Of the marshy track, and,
crashing through the stiffened surface,
we sank half knee-deep at every step.
Being unused to such places my heart
was IN my mouth time and again, es-
peclally when 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 1 followed, and within an hour
we came out on the smooth, hard hill
side, IeuaN now sprang up behind
Gruffydd and toek the reins urging the
powerful horse to a trot, and l swung
myself into the saddle and rode along
side.
AS I came up, the prisoner turned a
sullen eye upon me, and saw fear and
surprise mingled in his glance.
Tell him not to be frightened" said
I; "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 I
was the more strongly fortified in my
resolution to see the thing through and
40 what | could to keep safe q man
who was only an innocent instrument
in the mischief intended to me.
Mile after mile we trctted over the
! bare, bleak hills, and wilder and wilder
grew the scene around us. At last
leuan drew rein at the mouth of a
narrow cwm, whose entrance was litter
ed by great rocks, and> began to bark
like a fox. He was answered instantly,
and two fellows spranS from their hid
! ing places among the boulders and ran
1 to meet US, At a word from Ieuan each
! of them took rein and guided the
! horses through narrow path, which
/ wound among the ma secs of stone and
/ led to q smooth patch OF greensward
set round on three sides by betting
/ precipiccs.
One OF these latter lay full length
| IN the moonlight and toward it our
i horses were led. a dozen yards from
/ the gray rock our guides stood still,
rand leuan made sign that / should
dismount l did so, and at a COM
mand from their leader the two attend
ants pulled Gruffydd down in a very
unceremonious fashion and held him by
i the collar
Come this way" said Ieuan.
! What about my mare?" l returned
| j0illlS tIeI WIN you, IL you like,
said Ieuan, and I led Whitesocls after
/ him.
! l now saw that q huge fragment Of
! rock lay at the base OF the cliff, but
| being Of the same color and leaving but
q narrow gap. it looked, even when
close at hand. a mere projection rather
than separate mass. The path be-
| tween the boulder and the cliff admit
ted but 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 CLEAN
| struck into my eyes, and I saw a great
! fire of turf burning high and painting
the wet, Shiny walls Of a large cavern
/ with bright mirror-like reflections.
! Half q dozen figures, who had been
seated round the blaze, sprang to their
feet as we entered, but sank down
j again when they recognized 1euan
! Low strains Of the most mournful
music hummed through the place, and
I saw the dwarf harper bending over
! his instrument and drawing from It a
| wailing, melancholy air.
a woman, huddled near him in a
crouching heap, continued to utter low,
i heart broken groans, fitting accompa nj :
bundles laid against the further wall
and covered with skins and tattered
rags, cries Of pain occasionally burst
4 forth. betraying the presence of the
/ wounded, and I saw myself at bound
transferred to the center and strong
/ hold OF the Red Men Of the Dusk.
/ Without a word to any one, Ieuan
walked up to the fire. and spread his
hands to the warmth. Fierce, curious
] eyes We're turned upon me, and savage
cries Of rage were uttered as the pris-
oner was brought forward. His teeth
/ ratified together in fear as he was
4 dragged into the freight. 1euan looked
upon his terror and their hate with a
cornplacent grin, At this instant the
woman, whose groans Of sorrow had
] been echoing through the place, was
aroused from her torpor by the excite
ment of her companions. she lc liked
z, round and saw the captive, for Gruf-
4 fydd was now bound hand and foot
i With scream of wild exultation she
4 recognized him as man from Nant-y-
1 Bryn, and at the same moment / knew
her for the woman who had begged in
vain for the life of her SON She leaped
! to her feet, drew a knife, and rushed
upon her prey, amid the applaudine
cries of her friends. / sprang for