The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-10-09

naS HnS nurse, ana he was set
upon 1t, after his broadsword ana a
pair OF pistols had been taken from
MN. leuan ripped off a strip of the
prisoners coat with a knife and bound
MS ieet together under the horse. then
selZeo the rein and struck away at
once Into the moorland.
CHAPTER XVII.
L BECOME A MAN OF THE DUSK
followed in his steps, for I could NOT
see what else to do. The whole affair
was on my account; the man was in q
sense my prisoner, and / felt resnon-
sible for him. The discovery of the
adf advantage which Sir Arthur
nelo over my friends had turned NV
plans topsy-turvy, and 1 could scarce
~ rae away to a safe place of refuge
with the knowledge that their nherties
and i've were hanging in the wind
You will follow very carefully" said
ieuan over his shoulder, 'for there will
pe places where to &C a foot wrong will
pe TO slip into a bog, where YOU will
SINK as a stone sinksi in water"
upon this caution I came down and
leo "hltesock close at the tail Of the
messengers horse. At first the path
was nara n clean, hen we trave'ed
tor a long way through places where
the frost had not yet gained n COM
plete grip Of the marshy track. and
crashing through the stiffened surface
we sank half knee-deep atsevery stem
belng unused to such places nv heart
was IN my mouth time and again. es-
pec1ally when the surface of the hog for
d score OF yards round quaked and
sWayed, and seemed to suck at us. as
lips. oe'
But Ieuan trod firmly and steadily
on, n / followed, and within an hour
we am u on the smooth, hard hill
sue. leuan now sprang up behind
Grut1ydd n took the reins, urging the
powerful horse to a trot, and I swung
myself into h saddle and rode along
side. 0
AS I came up, the prisoner turned a.
sullen y upon me, and I saw fear and
surprise mingled in his glance.
Tell him not to be frightened" said
l; h will not come to any further
harm"
leuan gave a chuckle of dry con-
tempt, and shrugged his shoulders
nightly He spoke never a word, and T
was the more strongly fortified in my
resolution to see the thing through and
90 what l could to keep safe a man
VINO was only an innocent instrument
in the mischief intended to me.
Mile after mile we trotted over the
pare, Dieak hills, and wilder and wilder
grew the scene around us. At last
1euan drew rein at the mouth Of @
narrow cWm, whose entrance was litter
ed by great rocks, and began to bark
IKE q toX. lie was answered instantly,
and two fellows sprang from their hid
ing places among the boulders and ran
to meet US. At a word from Ieuan each
OF them took a rein and guided the
horses through a narrow path, which
wound among the masses of stone and
LED to a smooth patch of greensward
set round on three sides by beetling
p~reciptces.
One Of these latter lay full length
In the moonlight and toward 1t our
horses were led. A dozen yards from
the gray rock our guides stood still,
and leuan mad a sign that 1 should
dismount. I did so, and at a COM
man from their leader the two attend-
ants pulled Gruffydd down In a very
unceremonious fashion and held him by
the collar.
Come this way" said Ieuan.
VIVA about my mare?" I returned
Bring her with you, If you like"
said Ieuan, and l led Whitesock after
him.
I now saw that q huge fragment Of
rock lay at the base of the cliff, but
being of the same color and leaving but
a narrow gap, 1t looked, even when
close at hand. a mere projection rather
than a separate mass. The path be-
tween the boulder and the cliff admit
ted but a single passenger, and we
walked in file, my stirrups jingling
against the rock on either hand as
Whitesock stepped cautiously after me.
A black hole, barely the height of a
man received us, and SAND crunched
under u feet. A red dancing CLEAN
struck into my eyes,, and I saw a great
fire of turf burning high and painting
the wet, Shiny walls of a large cavern
with bright, mirror-like reflections.
Half a dozen figures, who had been
seated round the blaze, sprang to their
feet as we entered, but sank down
again when they recognized Ieuan.
Low strains of the most mournful
music hummed through the place, and
I saw the dwarf harper bending over
his instrument and drawing from it a
wailing. melancholy air.
A woman. huddled near him in a
crouching heap, continued to utter low,
heart broken groans, fitting accompani-
ment to his music. From two or three
bundles laid against the further wall
and covered with skins and tattered
rags, cries Of pain occasionally burst
forth, betraying the presence of the
wounded, and l saw myself, at a bound
transferred to the center and strong
hold Of the Red Men of the Dusk.
Without a word to any one, Ieuan
walked up to the fire and spread his
hands to the warmth. Fierce, curious
eyes were turned upon me, and savage
cries Of rage were uttered as the pris-
oner was brought forward. His teeth
ratified together in fear as he was
dragged into the freight. Ieuan looked
upon his terror and their hate with a
complacent grin. At his instant the
woman, whose groans of sorrow had
been echoing through the place, was
aroused from her torpor by the excite
ment of her companions. She looked
round and saw the captive. for Gruf-
fydd was now bound hand and foot.
With a scream of wild exultation she
recognized him as a man from Nant-y-
Bryn, n at the same moment l knew
her for the woman who had begged in
vain for the life OF her son. She leaped
to her feet. drew a knife, and rushed
upon her prey, amid the a%pplauding