The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1904-01-15
BY JOHN FINNIMORE,
CHAPTER Observation-Disclosures.

bend and saw the gates shut, and q
couple of fellows posted there with
n%nuskets, which were trained upon me
instantly. I had known all along that
Sir John was a8wary old soldier WHEN
one did not easily out-rnanoeuyre and
/ recognized this as a characteristic
stroke. i checked Whitesock, and&she
stood for a moment while / surveyed
the state OF affairs at8less h forty
yards distance.
/ was within easy shot, yet they
made no offer to fire, and this eau
tion showed the danger of pushing
upon them. Sir Joints followers mad
lSnIeitF powder on toe many q battle
field to be held cheaply, and one or
ether of us would get a bullet. andI
was as unwilling 1t should be White
sock as myself. l burned aside and
swept across the open park once more
they never offered to check my flight
and4I saw that I was to be taken alive
IL possible. The thud of the pursuing
steeds came hnrrying at my back, and
L sent Whitesock along q little faster,
ard glanced over my shoulder.
They were pounding stubbornly along
In my wake, hoping to corner me some
where, when it would be short work
between three men armed with sword
and pistol and one h~ourishing a lar
ter-staff. For the first time my heart
sank within me as ] saw h position
In which I stood. A ten-foof paling
could not stop me, and escape was
easy by climbing; but Whitesock, poor
lass, must be left on the wrong side,
and / go out into the world on my two.
feet. 4 cudgeled my brains for a gap
or break anywhere, but I could not
bring one to mind, nor do 4 believe n
exists.
The last summer of my grandfather's
life vas spent In overlooking the re-
paling of the park, the fancy for which
had struck. him In the spring, and he
devoted a whole grove of oaks to the
work, and made of 1t a job to asst a.
hundred years.
/ saw no other way or help for lit, and
struck off toward the southeastern COR
ner, putting Whitesock to the top of
her speed The park was dotted here
with thick clumps of brushwood, and I
soon dropped nay rearguard. I wheeled.
and showed myself as@if racing back
toward the house, then, in shelter of a
long narrow plantation, turned and
went on my former road.
This would throw them out good
ten minutes, for, through a gap i had
seen them riding across to cut me off
as they expected, and so, when i came
to the barrier, 4 was riding quite alone.
Had j a the necessary tools it would
1dyG ldkGl dlSIlOuT4 Oh more 70 IldkG u
gap in that huge solid fence sufficiently
for the mare to pass through; so, with
q heavy SIGH, I tossed oyer my 4qpar-
ter-staff and prepared to follow.
i gave her a few careSSeS, then
mounted the pales, an al thing from
the inside, where the cross-bars formed
a ladder dropped to the ground IN the
other side and plunged into the heath,
followed the narrow, open strips o
grass running between cIurnps of thorn
and brarnble, and was lost to sight from
the park iii al moment.
Whitesock's shrill Mhinny of distress
at being deserted went to my heart,
and plodded along in the worst evil
case I had ever found myself. Nc
mare no money no weapons, active
foes behind me-. and q country@before
where hiding would be another matter
altogether to my last refuge. The only
thing in my favor was that I knew ev-
cry Inch of 1T, and could turn 1t to thu
best account.
"Herefords's I thought, If I can wiz
as far, there will be al chance for ms
yet, and in thought fran owe this
route. Oxford, too, came n my mind
for Roger hadSheard that Jack Locking
was4there, his first harbor proving UNI
safe. ISknew two or three places ii
Oxford, where knowledge of my friends
quartersIniglt be come al, for the city
S48 WIS IdIIlll1dlEslU HE. paAs
ancing, however, I settled upon Here
ford, and began TO play my march.
I walked / carse4tnsa rude cross
ing the heath. and, following 1t for 20t
yards, arrived at point where j
forked into two branches.
One ran southwest M IN that direc.
ton lay Hereford, the other full south.
east. The road was soft n SANDY
and along the southwestern path RAJ
two parallel lines Of hoof-1narks. I re,
membered that / had directed Ieuai
Oh and Dafydd this way, int these mus
be the marks OF their ponies, feet. On
set of prints was not clean cut.
looked closer ana saw that the pom.
was very lame. .
AS raised my headI noticedsa peas
ant at work in theFheath not q away
His bill-hook rested idle in, his ham
and he hailed me, U took no hee,
OF him, and turned to the southeast.
pushed on rapidly, running where tn
ground lay with nle,walking fast else
where, and soon am to q high Tidg
commanding the country 4 had sra
versed. Ilooked back and saw II
signs OF pursuit, then hurried forwar'
alta round pace.
-Four miles OF this travelling brougl,
me to the sedgegof the heath, and tn
roadsnow ransthrough cultivated LAND
Iii HOOK aBsudden bend and twiste
through a farmyard, passing betwee
the house and the DISTINGUISHING frof
the one to the other was 8 big, round
Ea faced country feloW with a grea
wooden bucketin each hand. He stoo
at gaze when he saw me, q eye
Il me o~pen-Inoutlled curiosity.
j AQstranger,ha tlass and d~isneveles
i swinging greet quarter-staff IS h
& sIrode, was assight worth looking a
/ and he toolShis I'LL. He wass@dffrcu
4 III my passh, nd stared him straigk