The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-25

we've burnt our bridges behind u.s. he
said, when he had confirmed the tidings
had had the day before from Father Mat
thieu. And since here in Carolina we have
10 fight each man against his neighoor,
tbs like to go hard with us, lacking help
from the North"
Measured by this mornings work. Capt:
Forney, these irregulars of yours seem well
able TO give good account of themselves
/ ventured.
He shook his head doubtfully. He was
but boy in years, but war is shrewo
schoomaster. and this youth. like many
another on the fighting frontier had ma
circulated early.
you've seen US at our best" he
amended. 1--WE can ambush like the In
dams, fire volley, yell, charge-and run
away.
What's that ye're saying, youngster?"
The grizzled hunter had finished reloading
his rifle, and. lounging in earshot with all
the freedom of the border, would take the
captain up sharply on this last
You heard me, Eph Yeates, replied my
young captain, CURLY.
The old man leaned his rifle against
tree, spat on his hands, cut clumsy caper
should have been heard by Tarletons men
at IA. hhpp heb etorno, .ooon.,,n., o.n .ou.s
the eye out of airy man that says Eph
Yeates carn't stand up fair and square and
whop his weight in wildcats; and can
do 1t now, II not sooner! he snrilled.
Come on, you pap-eating apron-stringed.
Where the blast of vituperative insult
would have spent itself in natural course
We were not to know, for in the midst an
other OF the borderers, wiry little man
in greasy deerskin, came up behind the
caperlng ancient, whipped an arm around
MS neck, and in a trice the two went
down, kicking. scratching, buffeting and
mauling, as like TO pair of battling bob
cats as was ever seen.
For moment 1 thought my youngster
would let them have it out to the finish,
but he did not. At his order some of the
others pulled the twain apart reluctantly,
fancied: and when the thing was done the
old man caught up his rifle and strobe
away in blacklist wrath without look be-
hind him.
Captain Forney shrugged and spread his
hands as his French father might have
done.
Now you know wherein our weakness
lies Captain Ireton," he said. There goes
as true man and as keen shot as ever
pulled trigger. Let him fight in his own
way, and he'll take cover and name his
man for every bullet in his pouch But as
for yielding to decent authority, or stand
ing against trained troops in open field"
He shrugged again and turned to tighten
Il see,'' said 1. Then I asked him of his
plans and intendings, and was told that he
and his handful were a-march to join Gen.
Rutherford, who was gone to the Forks of
Yadkin to break up some Tory embodi
ment thereabouts.
You have your work cut out to dodge
the British light horse, Captain Forney,"
said l.; Gaping the venture by telling him
what little l knew of Tarleton's DISPOSE
tons, and also of the Indian-arming plot
] had overheard.
We'll dodge the redcoats, never you
fear; were at our best in that" he re-
Joined carelessly. And as to the Cherokee
upstirring, that's an old story. The Kings
men have tried it twice and they have not
yet caught Jack Sewer or Jimmie Robert
son a-nappfng. Ease your mind on that
score Captain Ireton, and come along with
as If you have nothing better to do. 1 can
promise you hard living and hard fighting
enough to keep it in countenance'
AT this was brought down to some con-
sideration of the present and it's demands.
As fortunes wheel had twirled. had my
life, to be sure; but by the having of it
was made the basest traitor to my friend
to Jennifer, and no whit less to Margery.
Twas out of any thought that / should
take the field against the common enemy,
leaving this tangled web of mystery and
misery behind. In sheerest decency l owed
1t first to Jennfer to make a swift and
frank confession of the ill-concluded tale of
happenings. That done, / owed it equally
to him and Margery to find some way to
set aside the midnight marriage.
So fell back upon my wound for ex-
fit to take the field-which was true
enough. Whereupon he and his men set me
well beyond the danger of immediate pur-
suit and We parted company.
When was left alone had no plan that
reached beyond the days end. Since to go
to Jennifer house by daylight would be to
run my neck afresh into the moose, / saw
nothing for 1t but to lie in hiding till night
fall. The hiding place that promised best
was the old hunting lodge in the forest,
and thitherward turned my face.
1t was wise man who said that he who
goes with heavy heart drags heavy feet as
well: but while l live / shall remember
how that saying clogged the path for me
that morning, making the shrub-sweet
CIR 1Yrnnv al yrnx md +
toiled along. For sober second thought, and
the unnerving reaction which comes upon
the heels of some sharp peril overpast, left
aghast at the coil in which tricky
fate had entangled me.
The second thought made plain the dis
piteous hardness of ii ALL showing me how
retrieval Would Jennifer believe my tale,
though / should swear 1t out word for
word on the holy evangelists? doubted 1t;
and striving to see 1t through his eyes.
was made to doubt 1t more. For death
should have been my justifier, and death
had played me false.
AS for setting the midnight marriage
aside. / made sure the lawyer tribe could
find way. if that were all. But here there
was loyal daughter of the church to
reckon with. Loathing her bonds, as any
true-hearted maiden must. would Margery
consent to have them broken by the law?
/ knew we'll she would not Though our
poor knotting of the tie had been little bet
ter than tragic farce, 1T lacked nothing
of force to bind the tender conscience of a
woman bred to look upon the churchly rite
8 final
So twist and turn it as / might, the coil
was desperate; and as / strobe on gloom
ily measuring this the first stage in a pill
grimage i had never thought to make a
fire of sullen anger began to smoke and
smolder within me. and 1 could find IL in INV
heart to curse the cruel kindness of nv
rescuers; to sorrow in my Utmost soul that
they had come between to make a living
recreant of one who would fain have died
an honest man.
ITO Be Continued