The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-14

I A: our turning eastward On the trace tbs
| old hunter nnassed our little company a.
| cou1actiy q, the path allowed, and. stving
| Us tas word to follow cautiously. tossed his
bride rein to the Catawba and went %
ahead 10 feel out the way.
This reaTangement set me to ride ahreaSo
with Margery: and for the first time Ancs
that Hateful night IN the upper room Al
Appleoy Hundred We were together and
measurabiy alone.
Since death might by lying IN wait for ~
at any turn IN tbs winding bridle-path. :
had no mind 70 break the strained silence.
But. vcmanhke. she would no: miss the
chance TO thrus. q. ne
Are you not ai-e with shame. Cautain
1fetonT' she said bitterly; and then: "HoN
you mrst despiss ue.''
I knew not what shs meant; but being
mos: anxious for Ter safety. begged her
not 20 talk. putting It all upon the risk Ne
ran In passing the outlet Of the gunken
valley. Now, as you have long Gtnce
Learned. my tongue was but q skillees SER
want: and though I sought to make the
command the gentlest plea she took ins
slant Umbrage and struck back smartly.
You need not make the danger an exc
cuse. viii be still: and when speak
to y'u again, you viii be willing enough
to hear me, premise you!"
Nay. then. dear lady; you mus. nol
take It sor' 1 protested. ITS my mis-
fortune to be ever blundering.'
Bu: 20 this she gave me no answer AZ
all: and barring a word or two OF heart.
eains for her serving woman. she never
opensd her lips again throughout the pas
sage perilous.
By good hap we came to the crossing Of
the cavern stream without meeting any
foenan: and On the farther side OF the
shallow ford we found the old borderer
awaiting Us.
''E1 1 allow. we've sr,eit the bai. In the
as --t-h Ls,fa
Shadrach- Meshach and Abednego." ne said,
mixing metaphor. scripture phrase and
frontier idion as was his won't Then hs
Put Il leg over his horse and gave the STIR
up-word: From now on. old Jehu, the
son o N.nshi. Is the hoss-whipper we've
got to beat Get ye behind, Cap'n John.
and give the boss that lags half inch r
so Of your sword-p'int."
Then and there began 4 night fight Ionu
to De remembered Down the valley Of the
swift river TO the ford where Yeates and
l had crossed after the mock rescue Of
Margery the night before. We let the horses
pick the way as they could. But once be-
yond the ford. where the trace was wider
and the footing less precarious. We Piled
whip and spur. pushing the saddie-beasts
for every stride We could get out OF them
In the blind race.
I have marveled often that We came nsb
once 10 grief in al this long night-saIlo2
through the darkness There was every
c5ance Tor IL Inc over-archtlS trees OF tha
great forest shut out all the starlight, and
the trace was no more than bride path,
roughsr than any cart read. Yet We held
the breakneck pace steadily, save for the
time IL took to thread some steep cefIs
to stream crossing. or to scramble up fts
fellow on the opposite side: and when the
dawn began to gray IN the sky ahead. We
were well out OF the broken mountain
region and into the opener forest OF the Hill
country.
The sun was yet below the eastern
horizon when We came TO the fordiny Of Q
larger stream than any we had crossed IN
the night Its course was toward
the sunrise. hence took II for some trib-
utary Of the Catawba or the Broad
It's the Broad ITSELF" said Ephratm
Yeates, In answer to my asking; land yit n
amt; leastwiss. IL amt the one you know.
It's the one the Psrieyvoos claimed in the
old war. and they call IL the Frinch Broad"
But that flows north and westward. III
remember Alright" said /