The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-09-11

VIII go from the house; yes, every one
MY uncle was beyond speech. He
was uttering small odd noises, like q
wild animal caught in a gin.
l made the only reply possible to
!euan's offer, and hat was to ngage
MIN more desperately than ever. He
hung back for a moment. Watching my
wrist, then, with a trick Of fence of
which I had meyer seen the like, he
plucked my sword from my grip, and
l heard it tinkle against the root.
! sprang at him with MY naked
hands but he dropped his point,
me with a tremendous blow. It just
missed my throat, took me on the
breast bone and hurled me backward
on the stairs. My uncle fed upstairs,
screaming, and Ieuan leaped after him,
his sword upraised.
With a sharp, brittle sound a ball
from above shattered the sword to
pieces near the hilt, and, in his rage,
ieuan flung what remained in his hand
at the marksman. The second piece
vas now laid upon him. and Ieuan, call
culattng as ever in the midst OF his
rage, turned and darted back.
The man, fearing to hit one of us,
IN the oaken wainscoting. AS Ieuan flew
down.. I was just scrambling to my
feet, and Owatn was driving his big
opponent before him. In the body Of
the hall-our men were quickly regain
ing their lost ground; and, looking out
upon them, I noticed for the first time
that The place was filled with a bright
dancing light, shining in redly at the
windows.
The cause was in full sight. The
lightning had fired an clubhouse, which
was blazing furiously. AS 1 have said,
our men were now gaining the upper
hand, for the constant shower of balls
from the marksmen posted on the
gallery, both deadly shots, had thinned
the ranks of the Red Men of the Dusk.
leuan ran down the hall, lodged one or
two blows aimed at him, caught UP a
pike from the hands of a man huddled
on the flags, and placed himself at the
mead of his followers. I scrambled for
my sword, which had fallen within
Two yards of me, and glanced at Owain.
AT the same instant he looked at me.
"A rush now would break them" he
said.
"leuan is beginning to draw them
on" l answered. It was even so. His
band looked strangely reduced, though
none had been seen to fly, and they
We're now outnumbered. Making dread
rul play with his pike, he was moving
steadily back. Owafn turned. his head
and shouted to the two men on the
gallery. They ceased firing at the me
my and laid their weapons to cover the
stair foot
"Now." cried Owain, and we flung
ourselves into the midst of the fray.
shouting and slashing our maddest and
hardest. Our advent gave renewed
heart to the men of Nant-y-Bryn. It
was like plucktng up their spirits with
a trumpet, n they charged with a
mighty shout. For some minutes he
StrIlPP1a was still ~ raI joe~o,,4aJ.
but now we fought as men fight whose
victory is assured. the subtle wine of
trfumph mounted to our brains and
drove us carelessly upon the foe. There
was no gradual slackening Of the bat
tie. The Red Men Of the Dusk held
the1r own without fincbing, till, of a
sudden they gave wholly and COM
pletely. like a bank of mist before a
strong wind, and we poured trough
the doorway, chasing all enemy whose
speed made 1t a folly to pursue. Outs
side, great sheets of flame were lea1b-
Ing up into the blackness of the dying
storm. The fire had spread to a wood
en- granary, but the whole camp was
detached and could injure nothing else.
the ground was covered with a thin,
smooth sheet Of o taking the CLEAN
OF the fire ruddtly Inc making the place
light as day.
Heated with combat I ran with sew
eiaA oeheFS tIlrty or rOrty yards from
the door upon the heels Of the flying
foe before I recovered enough sense to
desist. To think Of catching them was
useless, and I stopped and lifted up my
face to the grateful cold of the night.
Behind me the muskets cracked again
AND again as shots were fred at the
dark figures Of the Red Men of the
Dusk gliding up h whitened hill. I
drew a deep breath and looked round
upon the shining scene, when a e,,nsho
echoed from the house, and I felt as #
a stream of fire were passing across
my bare head. A strange weakness
came over my limbs, a great buzzfng
sounded In my ears, and + pitched for
ward into g. little ditch upon the brink
Of which I had paused.
Continued Next week.)