Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1903-08-06
the ground. The other two took no
notice Of him, but continued to talk

the ground. The other two took no
notice Of him, but continued to talk
quietly.
Who is this man following us?"
said 1.
ooh, said the bard, waving his hand,
1T ISIS nothing. ~ friend to me-"
l slipped my hand down to the Oft
holster, dropped it on a pistol butt and
gently drew it to full cock. The &C
ton was we'll oiled and worked smooth
ly. and amid the rafting of the horses
feet the soft click was, as 1 thought.
unheard.
So far az could see was the only
one In the party possessed of firearms.
and to that extent held them at adj
vantage.
I glanced again, and gave an invol-
untary start. A second pilsenran was
trotttng at the side OF the first. How
or from where the fellow came could
not divine. If spirits of the dead had
been rising to join U.S. they could not
come more silently or held their way
with softer football.
He also had no other head covering
than shock of hair. and his feet We're
bare. Both had that bounding move
ment which betokens surprising
strength and activity, and l scarcely
knew what to think of the company
into which l had so strangely fallen.
That they We're honest l had a great
doubts, and I had a mind to give
Whitesock e. hint to leave them, but
that the rood had now fallen very bad
again.
Marching with my beard upon my
shoulder, as the saying goes, | saw the
third pikeman arrive. Just as we
passed great boulder lying on the
edge of the road he gfided from its
shadow and fell in at the rear. He was
as like his fellows as one bean resem-
bles another.
Not word or Sign was exchanged
among any of them. and with the
queerness and odd danger of 1t all a
cold sweat came out upon me- This
was another business altogether to
keeping an eye for few miles upon
the bard and the dwarf. Our path
now lay along the lee Of hill. which
cast dark shadow over the rough,
broken road
Without looking round. the tall man
gave shrill whistle l half drew my
pistol, but the signal was not aimed
against me- AT a flash. the three pike
men aprang forward, running swiftly
and silently. and few on ahead, the
dwarf running with them. l urged
Whitesock on. impelled to follow them
and see what was their object, but I
was compelled to rein in almost in
stantly. should only have famed the
poor lass among the loose cluttered
rocks, and then things would have been
at worse pass still.
Come, come" said my companion,
who had sent his pony along with me
and drawn rein when l did; Indeed,
YOU are not treating nc fairly at all.
To cock your pistol and hold 1t ready,
when we are riding together so friend
ly as possible, is not showing any
trust at all. Do you think l would set
those boys against you whom you had,
a good chance to kill me this after
noon and did not do it? To be sure L
would not And, indeed, l am wanting
no help against any one man In this
world" he added, proudly.
To these remarks l had no answer to
make, and we rode for some time In
silence. The dwarf had left his harp
behind and my companion fingered 1t
as he rode, now and again hunming or
trying over an air, as If he had for
gotten my existence.
The young lady and her attendants
ran strongly in my mind. How far had
they got ahead? What was the mean
ing of that little elf and the three MIN
BILE fellows running forward like grey
hounds?
CONTINUED Next Week.)