The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1904-01-08
Geottrey Heathcote, Esq"
",'oS Copyright 1899, by s.. s. Mcclure Co,

and reached the door as a third blow
1ell and let In light; a strip of wood a
ouple OF inches broad and several
inches long falling away and admit
llng the flare of the torches and giving
a clear View Of their operations. They
were now certain that we had no fire.
arms to discharge, and they counted
mat their muskets would serve their
turn when once the barrier was de-
stroyed.
big man, his doublet flung off, and
arms barred, was assailing the door
with a heavy crowbar, and under his
powerful strokes 1t must shortly go
down, l laid the point of the sword in
the gap and ran it forward as he de-
ilvered his next blow. The point took
hin in the wrist and the impetus of his
SWING did he rest, ripping his forearm
right up to the elbow.
With a shout of pain, he sprsng back.
dropping the crowbar, which changed
noisily on the steps. A little confusion
1olloWed and the attack was suspend
ca. l glanced over my shoulder, hut
leuan and h torch had vanished. Two
or three moments passed and then he
trod stealthlly along the passage
toward me.
Ieuan. well, that ISIS very handy,
-SS $1,000 49, Y ~ ll1lllS lllOuS IL.
i put out my hand as he reached my
side, and the first thing I touched was
smooth, round metal, I ran nv
fingers up it, and the feel Of the big,
b~ell-shaped mouth told me what it was
he carried.
"A hlunderbuss!" said L. Where did
you get 1t, Ieuan2"
u thought 1t wass pretty sure the
landlord a something to keep his
hOl1Sa cn 7 fp1I ht1, AZ oj,, "a ~ ~. ~
once. And this thing wass under his
BED. There ISIS little bullets In It,"
1euan took a peep through the hole to
survey the field, then clapped the broad
mule to the gap INC fired. The scat
ter1ng shower of slugs struck home
here and there. for loud yells were set
up, and We heard the clatter Of feet,
as the besiegers ran to cover. This
was a welcome diversion indeed. Half
a dozen strokes more with the crow
would have brought us face to face
again, and this time they would not
have opened the ball with swords
men.
Ieuan uttered a great shout of tri-
umph.
1T ISIS shooting like a cannon" he
cried.
Have you anything to reload with?''
I asked.
Some POWDER" said he; ut ISIS in a
horn in my pocket. And a little sheet
Of lead. ! will cut some pieces from II
with my knife"
He returned to the room where he
had left the torch, to get light to work
by, and@1 stationed myself midway In
the passage to watch both the doors.
For some time there was quiet, then
arose a SOUND of feet coming and go
ing. l crept to the hole and recon.
noitered, for the noise was In front OF
the house. I could make out nothing
but that some movements were in pro
gress on the other side of the road. The
torches had been extinguished and the
work vas being carried on by the soft
starlight which fell from q cloudless
sky.
I fancied the time a favorable on
for attempting an escape. when 6
slight cl1nk as OF a musket touching
the wall beside the door warned me
that a guard was set.
Suddenly a brisk flame leaped int
sight twenty yards away. It ran vi
and mounted, and shot its yellow
tongue swiftly through a great heap o.
dried furze collected on a bank op'
posite to the ale-house. Not q sou
was to be seen around the blazing pile
Everything looked silent and deserted
At that inshtant Ieuan called out t.
me as he came: There ISIS o big fir
at the back, a little way from thu
house. Well" he cried. land here
too"
And here, too" said I; I'VE shall no
escape unseen. that Is clear"
The cracking flames rose higher ant
higher, well fed with air, SO loose wa
the fuel, till in a few minutes the who'll
pile was burning with the steady radi
ance Of a lamp, the huge flame drawing
clean and clear to a scarcely waverint
point. SO still and MINDLESS was TIL
night.
said Ieuan, softly, and I understood th,
feeling which lay beneath his speech
There seemed something ineypressih1,
threatening in the silence witch hal
fallen upon the place. The great bon
fire, blazing in the solitude and cast
ing It's glare over the naked road latel.
peopled by active foes, seemed t
watch us with a bright, dreadful eye.
In truth, 1t would have been 40 wis
proceeding to venture out to becom
the target for unknown shot. The place
as 1 have said. lay open on every side
and the two fires made every corne
as bright as day. Enemies We're am
pushed around, and one might as cas-
lily be running upon a musket muzzl
as away from 1t.
Fuel was III plenty Win tnem. In
landlords rick of furze-which in al
!, parts is cut and stacked in the autumn
for the firing Of ovens and such-wa
furnishing out these piles; and I fur
Their marked that the one in front coul
!. be fed from the other side of the banl
, without a hand being shown. I recon
naitered the back from a window an,
!, found the fire there as cunningly dis
posed.
, What do you say, Ieuan?" 7 asked.
, 81 say wait" he replied, and watcl
them. Perhaps they will fail to kee
!, the fires up, or some other chance Wi
fall in our way. Just before the da,
comes, that ISIS a good time to cate
people off their guard, when it ISIS yer.
cold and they are very sleepy"
The word sleep seemed to close m
eyes, and I stretched myself. I had bee
on the move before dawn the previou
morning, I had been busy for man;
hours at various tasks, had finished tn
day with twenty miles on my feet, an
!, been wakened for our little sklrmis
. after an hour or so Of restless slumbel
.It ISIS what you want very badly
too" said Ieuan, patting my shoulde
as If he loved me-; you have had
hard hard day and we a very easy ONT
Take q sleep for a bit. We will watc
in turns" I was easily prevailed uror
; 1 confess, and stretched myself upo
! the floor. I was asleep almost before
: 1.axl yoS ,ooyca1f alan q #s-r= EW4