The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-09-18

will go from the house; yes, every one
My uncle was beyond speech. He
was uttering small odd noises, like a
wild animal caught in a gin
I made the only reply possible to
Ieuan's offer, and that was to engage
hhn more desperately than ever. He
hung back for a moment watching my
wrist. then, with a trick of fence of
which l had never seen the like, he
plucked my sword from my grip. and
heard it tinl1le against the roof.
l sprang at him with my naked
hands but he dropped his point,
clenched his great, hairy fist, and met
me with tremendous blow. 1t just
missed my throat, took me on the
breast bone and hurled me backward
on the stairs. My uncle fled upstairs,
screaming, and Ieuan leaped after him,
his sword appraised.
With sharp, brittle sound a ball
from above shattered the sword to
pieces near the hilt, and, in his rage.
leuan flung what remained in his hand
at the marksman. The second piece
was now laid upon him, and Ieuan, call
culating as ever in the midst of his
rage, turned and darted back.
The man. fearing to hit one of us,
shot wide, and the bullet buried itself
| in the oaken wainscoting. AS Ieuan flew
down. l was just scrambling to my
ICGl, anu o"dlu WAS uIlNlng MS Dig
opponent before him. In the body of
the hall our men were quickly regain
ing their lost ground: and, looking out
| upon them, I noticed for the first time
! that the place was filled with bright
dancing light, shining in redly at the
windows.
The cause was in full sight The
| lightning had fired an clubhouse, which
was blazing furously. AS l have said,
i,,t3,r MS
hand, for the constant shower Of balls
from the marksmen posted on the
gallery, both deadly shots, had thinned
the ranks of the Red Men of the Dusk
Ieuan ran down the hail. lodged one, or
two blows aimed at him, caught up a
pike from the hands of man huddled
on the flags, and placed himself at the
head of his followers. I scrambled for
my sword, which had fallen within
two yards Of me, and glanced at Owain.
At the same instant he looked at me-
"A rush now would break them," he
said.
| '1euan Is beginning to draw them
| off, l answered. 1t was even so. His
! band looked strangely reduced, though
none had been seen to ny, and they
/ were now outnumbered. Making dread
full play with his pike, he was moving
| steadily back. Owain turned his head
| ana shouted to the TWO men on the
gallery. They ceased firing at the enc
my and laid their weapons to cover the
stair foot.
| Now" cried Owain, and we flung
! ourselves into the midst of the fray,
shouting and slashjng our maddest and
hardest. Our advent save renewed
heart to the men of y-Bryn. 1t
! was like pluckng up their spirits with
/ a trumpet, and they charged with a
mighty shout For some minutes the
j struggle was still waGed desperately,
but now we fought as men fight whose
victory Is assured, the subtle wine of
| triumph mounted to our brains and
/ drove US carelessy upon the foe. There
was no gradual slacl1ening of the bat
/ tie. The Red Men of the Dusk held
their own without Nnching, till, Of a
/ sudden, they gave wholly and COM
| pletely, like a bank of mist before a
+! strong wind, and we poured through
| the doorway, chasing an enemy whose
speed made it a folly to pursue. Out
side, great sheets of fame We're leap
ing up into the blaosness of the dying
storm The fire had spread to a wood
en- granary. but the whole camp was
detached and could injure nothing else
The ground was covered with a thin
smooth sheet of snow, taking the CLEAN
Of the fire rNddily and making the place
light as day. 81.
1lCdlcu Will SOliibtl ran WlCll sew
eral others thirty or forty yards from
the door upon the heels of the hyine
foe before / recovered enough sense tc
desist. To think of catching them was
useless, and stopped and lifted up m,
face to the grateful cold of the night
Behind me the muslets cracked agair
and again as shots We're fired at thu
dark figures of the Red Men of the
Dusk gliding up the whitened hill.
drew deep breath and look al rp11rf
upon the shining scene, when gunsho
echoed from the house, and felt as i
stream of fire We're passing across
my bare head. A strange weakness
came over my limbs, a great buzzins
sounded in my ears, and l pitched for.
ward into little ditch upon the brinl
Of which l had paused.
- ,Continued Next Week)
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