The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1903-11-11

Inducements, and while two seemed
frantically signalling toward the
northwest, the third whirled his
horse and sped madly away in that
direction.
Millions, be damned" yelled Ken
needy. "There's only three. Come on,
We scut!" And down they went, full
tilt, at the Sioux, yet heading to cover
and reach the beleaguered party in
the hollow. Some one of the besieged
waved hat on high. Two more car
bines parked their defiance at the
feathered foe, and then, came pretty
exhibit of savage daring and devotion.
Disdainful of the coming troopers and
of the swift fire blazing at them from
the pit, the two mounted warriors
dashed their ponies to mad gallop and
bore down straight for their i'm
periled brother, crouching behind the
stricken "pinto." Never swerving,
never halting, hardly checking speed,
but bending low over and behind their
chargers necks, the two young
braves swept onward, and with wild
whoop of triumph, challenge and
hatred, gathered up and slung
behind the rider of the heavier
pony the agile and bedizened form
on the turf; then circled away, de-
faint, haunting, gleeful, yes and even
more:- With raging eyes Kennedy
sprang from saddle and, kneeling
drove shot after shot at the scurrying
pair. Two of the troopers at the hol-
low followed suit. Even the big,
blubbering lad so lately crazed with
fear, unslung his weapon and fired
thrice into empty space, and shout
of wrath and renewed challenge to
"come back and fight it out" rang
out after the Sioux, for to the amaze
of the lately besieged, to the impo-
tent fury of the Irishman, in unmis-
taxable, yet mostly unquotable, Eng
fish, the crippled warrior was yelling
mingled threat and imprecation.
''Who was it Kennedy?- where
did you ever see him before?" mo-
ment later, demanded Capt. Blake,
almost before he could grasp the
Irishman's hands and shower his
thanks, and even while stanching the
flow of blood from furrow along his
sun-burnt cheek. whats that he
said about eating your hearth"
And Kennedy, his head cleared now
through the rapture of battle, mind
ed him of his promise to Field, and
lied like hero. "Sure, how should ]
know, sorr? They're all Of the same
spit"
But he called you by name. ]
heard him plainly. So did Meisner
here" protested Blake. "Hello, what
have you there, corporate" he added
as young Feeney, the surely killed.
came running back, bearing in his
hand gaily ornamented pouch OF
buckskin, with long fringes and heavy
crusting of brilliant beads.
"Picl1ed it up by that pony yonder
sir" answered the corporal, with a
salute. BEG pardon, sir, but will the
captain take my horse? His is hit
too bad to carry him.
Two, indeed of Blake's horses
were crippled, and it was high time
to be going. Mechanically he took
the pouch and tied it to his waist
belt. 'Thank God no man is hurt!'
he said. "But-now back to Frayne!
Watch those ridges and be ready il
a feather shows, and spread out q lit
tle--don't ride in a bunch.'
But there was bigger game miles tc
the west, demanding all the attention
of the gathered Sioux. There were
none to spare to send so far, and
though three warriors-one of them
raging and clamoring for further at.
tempt despite his wounds-hovered
about the retiring party, Blake and
his fellows within another hour were
in sight of the sheltering walls OF
Frayne; and, after last, long-range
swapping of shots, with Blake and
Meisner footing it most of the way
led their crippled mounts in safety
toward that Rubicon of the west
the swift flowing Platte. They were
still three miles out when Blake
found leisure to examine the contents
of that beaded pouch, and the first
thing drawn from it's depths was
about the last Christian would
think to find in the wallet of Sioux
a dainty little billet, scented with WOOD
violet--an envelope of delicate tex
ture, containing a missive on paper
to match, and the envelope was adj
dressed in a strange, angular, char
acteristic hand that Blake recognized
at once, to man of whom, by that
name at least, he had never heard
before:
''NIR. RALPH MOREAU,
"En Ville."