The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-10-09

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| moonlight glinting along the barrel o
a carbne pointed directly at my breast
ran my eye up to the stock and rccog
nlzed the face peering at me, and al
impulse came upon me to speak t
nm, to any one, to hear my own voice
"leuan," said l, ''Ieuan, I am in ;
hard place"
You are meaning, perhaps" said he
that you fear l am a straight shot"
Your shot said l, feeling all the
careless contempt l put into my voice
If l had no more than that to trouble
me- l should be a happier man than
am now"
Well" said he, you are a strange
young man. But there was somethins
IN my heart which said NO. when
saw a good chance to shoot you anC
take the beautiful horse. Will yor
promise not to ride off nor to draw q
pistol on me if l come to talk with
you?"
Il Will said I, and he dropped the
long carbine he was carrying into the
hollow of his arm at once | flung or
my coat again and drew the left hand
| rein.
Where are you going?"
Back to Nant-y- Bryn," said I.
Why?' asked Ieuan, land why are
you going away?"
left both questions unanswered. The
1lrst question was already one to which
was seeking an answer in my own
mind, and could not give it. TO what
end should l return? Would Sir Ar
thur yield up the letter or confess to
any knowledge of It? 1 knew it was
loonshneSs to expect any such thing,
and l halted again in perplexity.
You have Quarreled with him" said
leuan, sharply; you are leaving him
IN anger You are finding that he is a
bad man"
nodded, but said nothing.
" nat has he taken from you" next
demanded Ieuan. 1t was clear that he
mad been watching me since I halted.
and his keen wits We're threading my
actions On the right string.
"A letter." said I, "a letter which r
would have given all the world that
no one should have seen"
Ana can he make q mischief with
mat letter in Nant-y- Bryn?"
No. | replied, but he can put it in
the right hands, I fear"
and where are they?"
IN Worcestershire"
Then he can do nothing" Ieuan
slapped the stock of his piece trim, nh nh
ahtly, and | started once more. as If
from a dream, and began to rub the
mist from my wits. His questions had
peen SO Jumping With my thoughts that
| mad answered them NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
~, and now l began to bethinls myself
where | stood. Here was the fellow
whose throat I had done my best to
out last night. putting query after
query TO me like q father-confesso
ana was giving docile answers. I ran
my mlnd swiftly over what had been
SAID and found nothing further TO rn-
proach myself With, then looked for
the iirst time with clear seeing ewes
at leuan Gwyllt. He stood With ono
mana leaning on t;.e mares shoulder,
ms ~ keen, herce eyes riveted on nv
lace, and reading my thoughts-so
keenly intuitive is this race--as a man
reads an open page.
You gave me a chance" said he
when that woman Jumped on nv
shoulders. | gave you a chance last
night, and we were level Rut vo,,
stood by old Megan this morning. and
am thinking of that now It has held
my finger from the trigger. But never
mlhd; let us consider this letter. Can
'e use IL TO make a profit to himself?"
AZ that he can, said ], as my mind
beSan to sum up things clearly for tho
ilrst time. I had been so fun Of
thoughts OF Enid Vaughan, SO occupied
WIN the hustle of things of late, that
had never fairly set myself to WORKING,
OUT the meaning of my uncle's conduct
| now saw with what hopes he had
launched that bullet at me Had it
peen an inch or so lower in its flight.
surely an ounce of lead had never been
put TO greater interest, FOR it would
nave meant lis accession to the fair
estate he coveted so eagerly; it would
nave meant safety wealth, a great
position, and all secured so easily by
the death Of one already proscribcd-
ALREADY fugitive. Who was there to
inquire or to care Where or how had
come to my end? And then his peace
to be made with the authorities by de-
llVerinG up my hapless friends. With
what patient care must he have search
ed my clothes while l slept for | had
no other coat, and wore It constantly
by day.
And the letter is Of no use to him in
Nant-y -Bryn?" went on Ieuan.
None" said l.
He must send it or carry it to some
one else?'
He must"
and will it be best for him to do that
soon?"
perceived Ieuans drift, and thought
Tor moment. Had he already made
use Of the informa ton? / fe,t sure he
had not. | had gained enough kno,yl-
edge of the household to be pretty Ger
tain that no one had been despatched
SINCE my arrival, and then his fear Of
reducing the garrison had made in my
favor so far. Now his fears would be
greatly relieved, and the news was not
Of nature to keep. My friends might
Shift their quarters.
1t will" said !.
What will the letter do for bino?"
persisted Ieuan.
1t will furnish him very likely with
means to remove from this country"
SAID |, and place him in safety, far
from the Red Men of the Dusk"
leuan ground his teeth wickedly, and
tuSged at his great red beard
he cannot send it by a bird in the
sky said Ieuan, and Will make that
the only safe way to him."
Here was an unexpected ally and
one Of whose power ] had no doubt.
leuan stared thoughtfully along the
thread of road running white in the
moonlight across the swart moor, for
the land on either side was wet peat
bog, where the snow did not lie
The moon viii not be much higher
before we have that paper" he said at
last
Surprising he comes this way?" I
returned, following his unsuolen argu-
ment.
Il have been thinking OF that" said
leuan; and he will not come this way.
We shall be doing well if we go to place
ourselves on the Wav that ha ,c,,e.t