Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1903-09-26
By JOHN FINNInORE.

"a DOR SOUL" said 1 TO Owain; II
would be a burning shame to kill her
child before her very eyes. But surely
Sir Arthur Will not go so far as that
HIN" said Owain. 1T is hard &c
say"
Upon that hint 1 stepped forward.
Uncle" said /, will you not let the
poo woman take the boy, at any rate
He Is but a mere lad. and certainly we
ought not to take vengeance upon chill.
| dren."
My uncle turned and looked at me
his mouth set in a hard, cruel smile
Would you spare a young adder be-
aus II Is young?" he answered. "Wil
1t not shortly become full grown, and
who Is to blame then If it stings your
He said no more and l heard a scuf-
fling noise behind me. / turned my head
and saw that a rope was already round
the neck of the Red Man of the Dusk
He was dragged to a treee near at HAND
and run up instantly. The woman. with
a harsh scream, ran to the boy and
held him tightly In her embrace, her
face streaming with tears and her voice
choked with sobs. l made another at
tempt to move my uncle, but he turned
on me, his face black with rage: u
tell you, nephew" he cried, that ]
would hang every m / could lay my
hands on and these fellows would glad
ly assist me. You talk like a raw boy
whose heart softens at every whine he
hears. We must ROOT out these rogues
we must, we must" He raised his voice
and gave a view-halloo, as of n cheer
ing his hounds on their prey, and j
turned my head and saw that the lad
was being torn from his mothers
clutch. She struggled and fought like
a wild cat, but in vain. Feeling her
arms empty, she gave one dreadful cry
then sprang toward Sir Arthur. He
whipped u his sword and turned Its
point upon her. But she stopped at a
distance OF several feet from him and
stood at her full height, her tears gone,
her eyes darling flame. With a great
gesture she clutched the rags which
covered her breast and tore them away,
laying her withered bosom bare to the
chill wind.
These breasts" she cried shrilly, and
beat them with her clenched fists
these breasts have given suck TO other
sons than this, and they still live. They
will avenge their little brother. Be sure
they shall dip their hands In the warm
est blood of your heart for this days
work"
rs there no rope left for her?"
screamed Sir Arthur. Hang her up!
Throw down one Of those rogues al
ready dead and seize her. She must
carry no tales back to her tribe" l
saw a couple Of men advance upon her,
and she eyed them unshrinkingly. The
last grain of my patience a out, and
l drew my sword and stepped between.
Not while / can lift an arm to stop
you," said /. NO. no. Those men,
that is one thing; this woman, another.
What! put to death in cold blood the
mother who rushed into danger to en-
brace her child for the last time!' and
! placed myself in ward.
l believe now that / should have Jared
very hardy on that occasion had not
Owain also interposed, for my uncle's
followers were scarcely less ferocious
against the Gwylliaid Cochion than
himself. But When Owain spoke up and
declared that he would stand by mt In
the matter, things assumed a different
look. Men who, at a look from my
uncle, would have attacked me instant
ly, would not stir a step against Owain
and Sir Arthur knew II. For an instant
he glared at me ~savagely, his dark eyes
burning bitterly, his thin, fine face
drawn and white, then, with a single
glance round the six dangling figures
now hanging horribly limp n still, he
gave an abrupt signal for departure.
Owain and l were the last to leave
the little wood, and as we went down
the hill we'll to the rear of our COM
panions, we head the long, piercing,
wailing cry Of the Red Woman Of the
Dusk, mourning her dead.