The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-05-31
CHAPTER v
i, Which 1 saddle the Black Mare.

In Which 1 Saddle the Black Mare.
| Having 30 good q disguise. the hing ]
had set myself to do would seem TO ask
for little more than peaceful holiness held
in check by common caution.
. The point where I had broken cover &c
step into the circle OF freight was nearly
eou!distant from the Englishmen's camp or
F, tho right and the horse meadow on the left.
50 l had not to pass within recognition
range OF the great fire; indeed, / might
have skulked in the laurel cover all the
way, thus coming to the horses unseen by
any but that 1 was afraid Falconnet might
miss his trooper. So l thought it best to
show myself dlscreetly.
Copying our captive's loungins stride, I
first held a sauntering course down to the
streams edge. keeping the great camp
fire and the droning Indian hive well to the
right and far enough aloof to battle any
overcur1ous eye at either. Coming to the
stream without mishap. I stopped and made
q feint of drinking: after which 1 crossed
and limbed slowly toward tho makeshift
powder magazine.
A. 1 have said. the camp was pitched
In . small savanna or natural clear
ing on the right bank Of the
little river. This clearing was hedged about
by the forest on three sides and backed
by the densely wooded sleeps and crags Of
the western cliff. I guessed the compass OF
1t to be something more than an acre; not
greatly more. since the fire at the troop
camp lighted ell it, boundaries.
On the left or opposite bank Of the stream
there was nc intervale at all. The ground
rose sharply from the waters edge in q
rough hillside thickly Etudded and bestrewn
with powders great and small. fallen cleav-
ings and hevings from the crags Of the
eastern cliff. Twas At the foot Of one of
the powders. . huge overhanging mass Of
veather-riven rsck facing the camp that
the powder cargo was sheltered, 20 iso-
lated to b out Of danger from the camp
ares.
From the hillside Just below this powder
rock I could look back upon the camp
en- enflade. a. an artIleryman would say.
Nearest at hand wa the half moon OF
Indian lodges, with the hollow Of tho ores
cent facing the stream and q caldron fire
burning in the midst- Around the nra .
ring Of warrters naked to the breech-clout
kept time In . slsw shuffdinR dance to q
monotenous chanting, and for onlooxers
there was An outer ring Of squatting figures
tho visiting Tuckaseges as I supposed.
Beyond the Indian lodges, n q little
higher up thu gentle slope Of the savanna.
were tho troop shelters; and beyond these,
half concealed in the fringing Of the
boundary forest wa the tepee-lodge Of the
women.
On the bare hillside beneath tho powder
magazine I made no doubt I was in plain
est view from tho great fire, and the proof
OF this conclusion came shortly In Z below
Ing hail from Falconnet.
"Ho, Jack Wardenv' he called. making q
speaking trumpet Of his hands to lift the
hail above the chanting Of the Indian dan
GERS. Have q look at that shelter whilst
you are over there and make sue twill
shed rain II the weather shifta-"
NOW. some such long-range marking down
a. this was I had been angling for.
So I came to attention and saluted in SOL
dierly fashion. thereby raising a great laugh
among my pseudo-comrades around the
trooper nre-a laugh that pointed shrewdly
to the Baronet-Captain's lack Of proper
discipline. But that is neither here ncr
there. Having my masters order for It, I
to the foot Of the powder rock.
Here the bare sight of all the stored-up
devastation set me athirst with a fierce
longing for leave to snap a pistol in the
mine. For IL these enemies OF
ours had planned their own undoIng they
could never have given a desperate foeman
q better chance. To hold the pine boughs
the rude shelter In place they had plsd