The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-01-08
"Geoffrey Heathcote, ESQ"
D JOHN FlNh'AosE. tcopyrght 1899. ~ 81 Q. Mcclure Coz

1899. b 9. Q. Mcclure Coz
and reached the door az a third blow
fell and let in light; a strip Of wood q
couple OF inches broad and several
inches long falling away and admit-
ting the fare 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
that their muskets would serve their
turn when once the barrier was de-
stroyed.
A big man. his doublet flung of. and
arms barred, was assailing tho door
with q heavy crowbar, and under his
powerful strokes It must shortly 70
down. I laid the point of the sword In
the gap and ran It forward as he de-
livered his next blow. The point took
swing did the rest. ripping his forearm
right up to the elbow.
With Q shout Of pain. he sprang back,
dropping h crowbar, which Changed
noisily on the steps. A little confusion
followed and the attack: a suspend
ca. I glanced over my shoulder. but
Ieuan and the torch had vanished. Two
trod stealthily along the passage
toward me.
"A hole in there, eh?' chuckled
Ieuan. we'll, hat iss very handy.
They shall have something through It."
put put my hand as he reached my
side. and the hrst thing I touched was
smooth. round metal. I rang my
Pell-shapsd mouth told me what 1T was
"A b~lunderbuss!" said I. Where did
you get 1t, Ievan?"
Il thought It wass pretty sure the
landlord had something to keep his
house. so ! told him to give 1t to mo at
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
muzle to the a and fred. The scat
tering 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
have opened the ball with swords
men.
Ieuan uttered q 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 iss in a
horn IN my pocket. And a little sheet
OF lead. will cut some pieces from it
with my knife"
He returned to he room where he
had left the torch, to get light to work
by. and I 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. I crept to the hole and recon
noitered, for h 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 ana the
work was being carried on by the soft
starlight which fell from q cloudless
sky.
I fancied the time a favorable ono
Tor attempting IN escape, when q
slight clink as Of q musket touching
the wall beside the door warned me
that a guard was set.
sight twenty yards away. It ran up
and mounted. n shot Its yellow
tongue swiftly through a great heap Of
dried furze collected on a bank op-
posite to the ale-house. Not a soul
was to be seen around The blazing pile.
Everything looked silent and deserted.
At that inshtant Ieuan called out to
at the back. a little way from the
house. Welll" he cried. land here.
too"
And here, too" said I; I'VE shall not
escape unseen. that is clear"
The cracking flames rose higher and
higher. we'll fed with air. SO loose was
the fuel, till in a few minutes the whole
rt1a yxyo q hy1rptrrr Hut<L A. -A1-S-. --al
ance of a lamp, the huge flame drawing
clean and clear to a scarcely wavering
point, SO still and MINDLESS was the
night.
II would not like to go out there,
said Ieuan. softly, and I understood the
feeling which lay beneath his speech.
There seemed something inexpressibly
fallen upon the place. The great bon
fire. blazing in the solitude and cast
ing its glareSover the naked road lately
peopled by active foes, seemed to
watch us with a bright, dreadful eye.
In truth, 1t would have been no wise
proceeding to venture out tt become
the target for unknown shot. The place,
as I nave said, lay open on every side,
and the two fires made every corner
as bright as day. Enemies We're am
pushed around, and one might as cas-
lily be running upon a musket muzzie
as away from It.
Fuel was in plenty with them. The
landlords rick OF furze-which in all
parts is cut and stacked in the autumn
for the firing OF ovens and such-was
furnishing out these piles; and I fur
Their marked that the one in front could
be fed from the other side of the bank
without a hand being shown. I recon
noitered the back from a window and
found the fire there as cunningly dis
posed.
What do you say. Ieuan?" I asked.
II say wait" he replied, 'and watch
them. Perhaps they will fail to keep
the fires up. or some other chance will
fall in U way. Just before the day
comes. that iss a good time to catch
people of their guard, when 1t iss very
cold and they are very sleepy"
The word sleep seemed to close nv
eyes. and I stretched myself. I had been
on h move before dawn the previous
morning, I had been busy for many
hours at various tasks. had finished this
day with twenty miles on my feet, and
been wakened for our little skirmish
after an hour or so Of restless slumber.
1T ISIS what you want very badly,
too" said Ieuan. patting' my shoulder
as II he loved me: you have had q
hard hard day and we q very easy mi
Take a sleep for a BIT. We will watch
In turns" I was easily prevailed upon,
I confess. and stretched myself upon
the floor wac % eloop olr,oo& hoRoro r