The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1903-11-12

E 80
would4be aaieter work to I'm u
and down. If need he, without then
She went away, and | sat down at IN
edge of the trap, my feet dangling, m
eyes fixed OF the stair corner wher
danger must first show itself, and m
thoughts busy ON the situation. Ate
a while I remembered my empty pisto.
A bag of large swan shot stood clos
at hand, and I loaded 1t from thai
Then | swung myself over the side o
the opening and dropped lightly to IN
floor below. / advanced stealthiiy {
the head of the stairs and peered dcHfn
The house lay as silent in the g~atheriE;
dusk as if / were the only living sou
In it.
The silence was portentious. and in
spired ME with caution not confidence
/ slipped back and gently lifted the lad
der into place, that my way of retreai
might be clear. then returned to thu
stair head. 1t grew darker and darker
and / rentured q few steps down 10 6
point where 1 could catch a glimpse OF
the hall. No sign of light, or sound. OF
movement. felt certain there was q
trap laid FOR me If / went further. 50 ]
returned. My foo touched something
as / crept up again. ] put my hand
down and found that q carbine had
been flung away on the stairs by OF
the fleeing band.
I picked it up and carried it back with
me. Upon trial l found it was loaded.
and / propped it handy against the
stair rail and resumed my watch.
The night had now fallen as dark as
IL would be, yet of black darkness there
was none: for the sky was frosty clear
and flied with twinkliDg stars burning
their brightest, n sending through
the narrow easements a faint. gray
~ -. /, ~ Is. TOO a 4 hn.r,11 u -
Iy at home in the pale light, for 1 had
known no other since the night fell;
and when a silent. creeping figure carne
slowly up the stairs from the hall. /
saw 1T. Another and another followed.
until a cluster of FIVE men stood in the
gallery.
1t is very likely that they had come
from a lighted roou In a part of the
house out of my sight. and SO believed
themselves surrounded by an impen-
etrable darkness. The while they gath
cred, a distant sound came to my ears.
Ut was a long. shrill, faint 9grEa.m ac-
companied by a hollow rapping. There
was a note of warning in the sounds.
Luckily, I had no need of it. for my
~ was fixed upon the group .,aloEv.
My ~assailants stood several moments
cropping inong n another 10 be sure
that they had gathered together, and /
think that the silence and the gloom
fingered at their hearts even more
surely thar they identified each other
by sense of touch.
I had laid my hand on the carb:ne,
thinking to follow the shot with pistol
and sword, but drew back. The five
slipped noiseiessiy forward and ] saw
that the leader bore some long object.
I made two pounds up the ladder to
the loft, took a double handful ofswan-s
shot and returned. They were half way
up to me when / got back, but moving
~VerySslewly and cautiously. Primed. as
I found out afterward. by promises and
drink, they had started out gaily
enough and low the darkness and the
strain of their secret advance were tell
Ing. One Of them preathed u a long,
duavering sigh, end two or three others
caught their breath in sympathy. T
leaned forward and tossed the w
handfuls of shot plump upon the black
patch crawling up An attack was
never more simply and surely repuissd.
The rain of tfnkling, pattering. rolling
fetched out an instant cry, sharp,
Short shrieks of terror.
heavy body was dropped upon the
and the five men bounded down
as they ran. had felt per-
fectly certain that their quiyering
ery needed but a prick to Jar every
of tune, for / had learned to
know them q little, and I laughed aloud
they ran. At once. as II a signal had
given, the policy OF silence was
thrown up Lights flashed and voices
in the naIf below.
conclaedSin3gery shaky E-ngIishgswere
up at me and shots fired, the
bullets burVing themselves harmlessly
In wall or ceiling. On the last flight of
steps lay light ladder IT had been
Carried by the leader of the storrning
party, to spare them lifting into place.,
assthe3s expected, the c~IurnsyAone / had
flung down and had been thrown aside
til5the flight.
As me. waited contentedlyin my
fortress, feeling perfectly certain that
the coming night was to- see Some
strange things, and only longing to get
sorneaglitnpse of my lear mistress and
be sure that she was safe amid this
turmoil. Within five nlinntes this Wish
gratified. saw her sweep swift
Ave into sight.Sturn along the gallery,
ton OfsOwalnss roonl,ssand I knew that
she wassggofng to watch by him. She
bore herseif with q proud lift ofthe
head. an air Of wounded dignity which
set Observation-Disclosures witlisthe idea
that some int had offended her on of.
Tered her insult.
was, after an interval, followed
by Siani, and the latter Was nndis-
5gnisedly I'M aarage, shaking her fist and
spluttering gutturals which sounded
lk threats sat some pnesbeloW.
CHAPTER XIV.
With theafaihIIe4of
take me On my guard, the ordinary life