The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1903-12-06

n1leS OUTS pIdUueu
doing they could never have given a des-
perate foeman a, better chance To hold
the pine boughs of the rude shelter in
place they had piled a great loose wall
of stones around and over the cargo;
and the firing of the powder, heaped as
it was against the backing cliff OF the
boulder, would hurl these weighing
stones in a murderous broadside upon
the, camp across the stream
But since my dear lady would also
share the hazard of such broadside. L
had no leave to blow myself and the
powder convoy to kingdom come. as
thirsted to-could not you will say, hav-
ing neither pistol to snap nor flint and
steel to fire train. Nay, nay. my dears,
l would not have you think so lightly OF
my invention. Had this been the only
obstacle, you may be sure l should have
found way to grind a firing spark out
of two bits Of stone
But being otherwise enjoined. as l say.
/ turned my back upon the temptation
and held to the business in hand, which
was to reach and recross the stream
higher UP and so to come among the
horses
AS 1 had hoped to find them. the sad
dies were hung upon the branches Of the
nearest trees. Margery's horse-furnish-
ings among them At first the black
mare was shy of me, but gentling word
or two won her over, and she let me take
into the herd where l could saddle and
bride her in greater safety
My plan to cut her out was simple
enough. Trusting to the darkness-the
horse meadow was far enough from the
fires to make a murky twilight of the
rudy glow thought to lead the mare
quietly away up the stream and thus on
to the foot of that -ravine by which we
hoped to climb to the old bOrderer's rem
devious on the plateau. But when all
was ready and l sought to set this plan
in action. an unforeseen obstacle barred
the way To keep the horses from stray
ing upsthe valley an Indian sentry line
was strung above the grazing meadow.
and into this I blundered like any I'M
licked knave OF raw recruit.
Had I been armed. the warrior who
rose before me phanton1-like in the lau-
rel edging. of the meadow would have
had a most sharp-pointed answer to his
challenge. AS 1t was-I had left my
sword with Jennifer because the cap
tured trooper whose undcrstudy I was
had left his sword in CAMP tried to
parley with the sentry. He knew no
werd of English. nor of Cherokee; but
that deadlock was speedily broken. A
cultural call summoned others of the
horsekeepers, and one among them who
spoke little English.
"Ughl What for take white squaw
horse?' he demanded.
IT'S the captains order" I replied.
lying boldly TO 1t the crisis.
At that they gave me room; and had
FASTENED / had doubtless gone at large
without more ado. But at this very apex
point OF hazard l must needs play out
the part of unalarm to the fools envoi.
taking time TO part the mares forelock
under the headstall. and looking leisure
ly to the lacings of the saddle girth.
This foolhardy delay cost me all, and
more than all. l was still hddle-fad-
ding with the girth strap. the bet
ter to impose upon my Indian
horse guards when suddenly there arose
a yelling hubbub OF laughter in the
camp behind. l turned to look and
beheld a thing laughable enough. no
doubt. and yet 1t broke no bubble Of
mrth in me. Halfway from the nearest
forest fringe to the, great fire a man.
white OF skin and clothed only in a pair
of trooper boots, was running swiftly
for cover to the nearest pine bough
shelter, shouting like an escaped Bed
lamite as he fed. 1t asked for no see
ond glance. this apparition OF the yell
ing madman: twas our captive soldier,
foot loose and racing In to raise the hue
and NdA Won NAV .,,,.v. .onD, ,non ri.
falling in a cautious man-that in
crisis be is like to do the unwisest thing
that offers This cutting out OF Mar
gerv's mare was none so vital matter
that / should have riskcd the marring
of Ephraim Yeates plan upon it. Yet.
having done this very thing. l must
needs make bad matter infinitely worse.
Instead of mounting to ride a charge
through the camp. and so to draw the
pursuit after me toward the cavern en-
trance. I should, l slapped the mare
to send her bounding through the guard
line, snatehed a saddle from its oak
branch peg to hrrl 1t in the faces OF the
nd MIN
ed into the laurel thicket to come by
running where l could and creeping
where I must to that place where 1 had
left Richard Jennifer.
All hot and exasperated as was. twas
something less than cooling to find Dick
a-double on the ground. holding his sides
and laughing like a yokel at his first
pantomime.
"Oh. no. no, did you-did you twig
him. AJack?'' he gasped- Saw you ever
such a mincing puss-in-boots since the
Lord made you? All. ha hal"
THE devil take your ill-timed humor!'
cried. "Up with you, man, and let W
vanish while we may
BY this time the camp was in a pretty
Torment, ycu would guess-our late
captive having had space enough to tell
his tale. Drunk or sober FaIconnet was
afoot and alert. shouting his orders to
the Englishmen. who were scrambling
TOT tnelr arms, ana 10 the INDIANS, VINO
came swarming UP from the lodges.
While looked the Cherokees scat
tered like a company of trained giIlies
to beat US out of cover; and when the
hunt was fairly up the baronet-captain
set his men in marching order to sur
round the wigwam of the captives.
As yet there was time for a swift
retreat up the valley. OF at least for the
choosing of some battlefield of our own
where the enemy need not outnumber us
twenty to one; and again I urged Richard
10 bestir himself. But 1t was the sight
of Falconnets troops deploying to sur
round the tepee-lodge. and not any word
of mine, that broke his merriment in the
midst
At a bound he was up and handing me
my sword.
"Good-by. Jack: go while you can.
You'll be like to meet Eph and Catawba
coming in. Turn them back and tell them
to bide their time
But your 1 would say.
MY place is inside Of that soldier
Gordon our friend is drawing about his