Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1903-10-17

lEc5n dlT Il WdSS just 30 uTuilh db Po5-
sible. The man had a ship lying out In
the bay. and a boa was waiting for
him In a very quiet bend lying between
the rivermouth and the castle. / wass
in such a state hat 1T wass quite easy
to get me to go out to the ship with
them.
There I had a glass of rum, and, n
deed, l remembered no more till the
next morning, n then we were miles
out In the sea. Well, l made a great
noise; but the captain he laughed and
said that when 1t wass time for him to
go 1 wass too drunk to go ashore, SO he
left me alone. But sal he, L am put
ting into Aberteify this afternoon; you
car go ashore there
II was quite satisfied with that, but
I saw no Aberteify that day; indeed. I
wass too sick to see anything. The next
morning 1 wass little better, and l
asked the captain about Aberteify.
Well, ne just laughed again and said
he had changed his mind about calling
at that place, n / must go to Bristol
with him now, as that was the place
for the ship to stop next, and then I
could go where I liked.
by this time 1 wass not easy In my
mind. But l wass very careful not to
look anxious, because l would spoil the
chance of getting away. That morning
III WIFI uIOppeu, ana IHe snip lay oil
the water all day without moving. We
were not very far from land. perhaps
1t wass two miles, perhaps not so
much, n the little white cottages on
the hills of Sir Benfro, that ISIS, In your
language, FREDERICKSBURG, looked very
pleasant to my eyes. If the captain had
wished to set me on shore he could
have done 1t very easily with that boat.
u he never made the offer, and l took
care not to ask him for VviGha1 IN
look so innocent as possible and willing
to go to Bristol or anywhere with them.
l knew quite well by now that If /
made a noise they would shut me up
somewhere and spoil all my chances.
Yet I could not understand what. they
wanted with me.
That afternoon. having nothing to
do. they got to the liquor and made
themselves very drunk. They offered
me some, and I pretended to drink with
them and be very merry, but l wass
careful to keep my wits. There wass a
little boy on the ship and one Of the
drunken sailors wass beating him and
beating him with a piece of rope, just
for nothing at all.
We'll, 1 stopped that and kept the
boy by me. where he wass safe, and
lucky for ME I did. Fol- that little boy
told me everything. He told me that
the ship was going about picking up
people here n there, and taking them
to Bristol to sell them for slaves. Then
they were carried across the sea and
set to work In a far country under q
burning sun, and were beaten with
whips If they dared to grumble. ISIS
that all true?"
Perfectly true. Ieuan." said I; true
as gospel"
And what else did the little boy tell
me?' cried Ieuan, grinding his teeth
~furiously. This, this ISIS what he told
me; that he had heard the captain say
to the mate that he was to have twelve
pounds from some one he called Sir
Arthur, besides the price of me in Bris-
tol. ISIS that clear to your"
Clear enough" said I. The thing
hangs together as straight as a string"
We'll, 1 should think So" snorted
Ieuan. Il think that, indeed"
How lie you come clear?" 1 asked.
ooh, my heart wass on fire." cried
Ieuan, when l heard such things. The
sky was red instead of blue before me,
but 1 kept very quiet and waited for
the darkness.
Il could swim we'll and the sea wass
so smooth as q pool. Well, when it was
dark l crept to the end Of the ship
where no one wass, and took off all my
clothes, and slipped down a rope that
wass hanging into the water, and so
got into the sea without . sound;
though, indeed, they were too drunk in
the ship to trouble much about a noise
If l had made II.
There was a light in a house on a
hill, shining like a pretty star and
guiding me straight to the shore.
Il wass a long, long time getting
there, for l was a slow swimmer,
though l can swim far; but at last l
put my feet down and felt the sand. All,
how l ran that night!
THE stones cut my feet and the BUSH
es tore my naked body, but l ran and
ran, wishing for nothing but to leave
the sea and ship far behind me.
THE next morning l found myself
close to a little farm, and 1 went there
to beg God At first the people were
frightened, and thought l wass a mad
man. But they were very good people,
and sorry for me when they heard all
my story, and they gave me food and
some clothes. And now l wass safe,
and made my way back easily over the
hills"
"A very lucky end to your story,
.Teuan," said !. There Is many and
many a one working this day in the
plantations, trepanned and decoyed as
you were"
And shall I let the man escape who
did all this to me ?" cried Ieuan Gwyllt.
mo. no. and he poured forth a fierce
torrent Of words in his own tongue, in
which he could express his feelings
more easily.
His outburst was deep rather than
loud, n was dying away in savage
mutterings when l laid my hand on
his arm. Horses, and many of Them"
said /.
A confused trampling had come to
my ears and we listened intently. A
rider appeared round a corner of the
hill, and another, and another. The
first four were Owain n three gaily
dressed young men about his own age.
followed eleven mounted and we'll
armed fellows.
Some trotting, some cantering, spurs
and harness juggling gaily, swords rat
Ting, talking and laughing they rode
past us down the slope, heading for
Nant-y-Bryn.
Fifteen" said Ieuan, softly, when
the last horseman had ridden by; and
that is twelve come to help"
From where, and for what?" I
asked.
From a man who is a savage enemy
to u.s." replied Ieuan; "Sir Lewis Mer-
vyn of Alteration. He is living about
twenty-five miles away over the hills,
and he has sent his two sons and his
nephew and nine men at once" Ieuan
turned and strobe back rapidly toward
the little hut and our horses, and fol-
seeing my dilemma growing
more and more difficult.
And root out this ancient mischief"
Owain's words came to my mind, and
l perceived why he was returning in
such force. He had been to obtain aid
from another magnate whose lands had
been harassed by the Red Men of the
Dusk, and now the latter were to be
pursued with fire and sword, and an
end made of their troublesome pres
ence.
And what was / to do? Run away
from people who had rendered me q
service, or stand by them and
fight like a rat In a hole against my
brother n my friend? 1t was a
knot which I am tbopEf,II that