Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1904-08-10
Copyright 1907, by ]. B. Lippincott Company.
CHAPTER ".
A QUARREL.

a QUARREL.
James eyes, when they recognized
him, flashed with anger. Godfrey
WOrthingtOn here, one of this mob
who had overridden her fathers
premises. had destroyed his property.
and might for aught they cared, have
slain the members of his household
One of the mob, did she say? Nay,
was it not likely that he was their
leader-their instigator-the one who
had brought them here? She saw it
all now. His visits that day had been
but to spy upon her guests, with this
very object in view. A note from
Mary, indeedS 1t was but mere
blind.
Meanwhile the solitary horseman
was having pretty hot fight upon
his hands. When the Americans re-
treated, most of the British force
gave them chase, and Godfrey was
left upon the field with some half
dozen opponents, whom his ac-
complished horsemanship and his deft
use of rifle and sword enabled him to
keep at bay. All would have gone
well had not an English captain, as
he was about to enter the woods with
a company of men, turned and seen
the conflict. Calling to his soldiers
to follow him. he ran to the rescue.
Seeing that he was about to be
surrounded, young Worthington at
tempted to repeat his dash of the
morning, but he was too late. Already
the British were upon three sides of
him, and his only recourse was to
back his horse towards the house and
thus fight off all corners. Turning his
head as he backed towards the porch
he saw standing within it's columns
Jane.
MY God, Jane" he cried, in a voice
in which commingled sharp command
and earnest entreaty, get within the
house. You are in danger here"
Jane gazed at him with such cold
scorn that, had not the young man
been so much heated by his eXertions,
he must have been frozen stiff
go, 60" he duplicated again.
''You win be shot if you remain"
But Jane disdainfully held her
ground, and Godfrey was forced to
turn his attention from her to his
antagonists. Taking advantage of
his momentary preoccupation, they
were pressing him close. The little
captain. bantam of man, made a
pass at him with his sword that
barely missed its work. Bending
from his saddle, the American. with
an adroit blow of his sword. knocked
the weapon from the others grasp
and, catching him by the collar,
dragged him up in front of him.
Holding him thus, though the other
kicked and squirmed and swore in
language not choice for james ears,
he held him as shield while he
maneuvered his horse, backing and
siding and seeking an avenue of
escape.
The soldiers, afraid to fire lest
they should hit their captain. and
lost too. as all soldiers are except
American, without leader upon the
ground to tell them what to do. held
their weapons in readiness but used
them not, while the captain. sputter,
ing and twisting and writhing. tried
in vain to loose the grasp of iron
which held him.
Thrusting password through his sad
dle-strap and taking his pistol from
his belt with his left hand, the Ameri.
can circled his horse, firing as he did
so. In the momentary decentralization
that followed, when each of the
soldiers felt that he was the target
Godfrey had time to dash away, and
though bullets sped after him they
did not serve to slacken his progress
Jane, left alone upon the porch
without further notice being taken
of her presence there, felt unreason
able resentment that it should be so
''Traitorous spy" she said to her
self, little would be care were
slain if he might accomplish hi,
dastardly ends"
The brilliancy had died out of the
scene. The outbuildings which haG
been ablaze were either smoulderine
or completely out. The only BUILDING
which had burned to the ground, ant
which was the one that had aeci
dentally been setafire blythe invaders
was supplementary stable in which