The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1903-11-13
sGeoffrey Heathcote, Esq
BY John FlhNlMoRE. Copyrights 1899, BY S. S. Mcclure Gu
BIZ JOHN FlNNlMORE.

saw for the first time that she had
brought the boots y had left behind in
my flight. THANKED her and asked her
to leave them where she stood. I had
me need of them in the loft. N 1T
would be qaieter work to scramble up
and down, if need b without hem.
She went away ard / sat down at the
edgeSof the trap, my feet dangling, my
eyes fiSedSon the stair corner where
/ danger must first show itself, and my
thoughts busy on the situation. After
"a While remembered my empty pistol.
"a bag of large swan shot stood close
at hand, and I loaded it from that.
Them swung myself over the | d of
b opening Snd dropped lightly to the
floor below. I advanced stealthily to
the head of the stairs and peered down.
The house lay as silent in the gathering
dusk as If I We're the only living soul
In it. 6
The silence was portentious.s and in
spired me with caution not confidence.
/ slipped back and gently lifted the lad
der n place, that my way of retreat
might be clear, then returned to the
stair head. 1t grew darker and darker,
AND 1 Nentured q few steps DOWN to a
point wheFe:I could catch a glimpse Of
the hall. No sign of light, or sound, or
movement. + felt certain there was a
ldlQ&1CTEu HE IL eWGfL IuTlIleT, So L
returned. MY foot touched something
as I clept up again. / put my hand
down and found that a carbine had
been flung aWay@on the stairs by one of
the fleeing band.
I picked 1t up md carried it back with
me- Upon trial 1 found it was loaded,
and I propped II handy against the
stair rail and resumed my watch.
The night had now fallen as dark as
1t would be, yet Of black darkness there
was none; for the sky was frosty clear
and flied with tWinkling stars burning
their brightest, and sending through
the narrow easements a faint, gray
simmer. Ny eyes. too, were thorough
sly at home in the pale light, for I had
known no other since the night fell;
and when a silent, creeping figure came
slowly up the stairs from the hall, I
saw 1t. Another and another followed,
until a cluster of five men stood in the
gallery.
It is very likely that they had come
from a lighted room In a part OF the
house out of my sight, and so believed
themselves surrounded by an impen-
Eetrable darkness. The while they gath
cred, distant sound came tony ears.
Ut was a long, slrin. faint scream. ac-
companted by a hollow rapping. There
was a note of warming in the sounds.
Luckily, I had no need of it, for my
y was fixed upon the group below.
MY assailantss stood several moments
cropping among one another; to be sure
that they had gathered together, and I
think that the silence ana the gloom
fingered at their hearts even more
surely than they identified each other
by sense of touch.
Ishad laid my hand on the carbine,
thinking to follow the shot with pistol
and sword. but 4 drew back. The five
slipped noiselessly forward and / saw
that the leader bore some long object.
j made w bounds up the ladder to-
the loft, took a double handful of swan
shot n returned. They were half way
up to me when got back, but moving
very slowly n cautiously. Primed, as
s1&found out afterward, by promises and
drink, they had started out gaily
enough. and now the darkness and the
strain Of their secret advance were tell
Ing. n Of them preathed out a long,
squavering sigh, and two or three others
scaught#their breath In sympathy. I
leaned forward and tossed the two
shandfuls# of shot plump upon the black
patch crawling UP. An attack was
never more simply and surely repulsed.
The rain Of tinkling. pattering, rolling
shot fetched out an instant cry, sharp,
short shrieks OF nervous terror.
IS heavy body was dropped upon the
- 0AAof5SAC 1iNS&iiGi1A
screaming as they ran. I had felt per-
fectly certain that their quivering
nerves needed but a prick to jar every
out of tune, for / had learned to.
know them a little, and I laughed aloud.
as they ran. AT once, as if a signal had
been given, the policy of silence was
thrown up. Lights flashed and voices
ounded in the hall below, threats
scoucl,ed in very shaky English We're.
sll1rIGI@l1n al ma q nd chofr fred " fIo
bullets burying themselves harrnlessly
in wall$or ceiling. On the last flight of
steps lay a light ladder. 1t had been,
carried by the leader Of the storming
party, to spare them lifting into place.
as they expected, the clumsy one I had
flung down. and had been thrown aside
In the flight.
fortress, feeling perfectly certain that.
the coming night was to see some
strange things, and only longing to get
some glimpse of my dear mistress and
be sure that she was safe amid this
turmoil. Within five minutes this wish
was gratifed. / saw her sweep swift
~ into sight, turn along the gallery.
and disappear. She went in the direc-
ton of OWain's room, and I knew that
h was going to watch by him. She
bore herself with a proud lift of the
head, an air of wounded dignity which
set ny nostrils quivering with the idea
that some n had offended her or Of
fered her insult.
She was, after an interval, followed
by SIAM, and the latter was undis-
guisedly in a rage shaking her fist and
spluttering g%utturals which sounded
like threats at some one below.
CHAPTER XIV.
With the failure of the attempt to
take me off my guard, the ordinary life
of the house was, in the main, resumed,
and. as / sat up aloft in the darkness.
women came and went on errands,
twice 0 thrice men appeared in the
gallery, and save thai no one seemed
inclined to come my way, the place as
surned its usual aspect after dark and
the lighting of the lamps.
OF noise there was plenty and to
spare. Uproarfous voices disputed,
~quarreled, shouted each other down,
and made a riot in the lower regions.
Now and again a snatch of a drunken
song was beloved out, and 1T was plain
that my uncle's strong ale was flowing
freely.
OF him I had seen never a sign since
became up to the spot where the due
was fought. ard though, nominally
there was no dispute between us. vet