Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1904-01-16
"Geoffrey Heathcote, ESQ.,
By JOHN FINNIh0RE~ Copyright 1899. by 8. s. Mcclure ce)
By JOHN FINNIMoRE.
CHAPTER xxxvI.-Continued.

in sight of the main guard.
III sentinel posted here was walk
Ing a beat of some twenty yards very
slowly. I watched him take a couple
of turns and saw what I must do. Ten
yards Of the twenty he marched with
his eyes off the door, his head rigid
as the musket poised on his shoulder.
He wheeled and moved back, and l
squared my shoulders and nodded to
Ieuan. He drew the bolt noiselessly,
lifted the latch, and opened the door
half an inch.
You feel well?' he whispered. his
eyes shining.
Never better" / replied. 1 had had
a good sleep and a hearty meal. Ev-
cry muscle In my body tingled for ac-
ton.
l was to run not only for my own
life, but for those of the Red Men of
the Dusk, and / felt fit for it. Not an
other word was exchanged. Ieuan and
Dafydd thrust out their hands and l
shook them, then peered through a
crack in the door. The sentinel was
/ stepped back and made a sign. Ieuan
drew the door open and I darted out,
running noiselessly and laying my
course full for the slowly moving fig
ure.
l ran with my hand on the haft of
the knife, but there was no call for 1t.
1 came up with the man just as he was
about to turn. / placed my hand mid
way of his shoulders, and, collecting
all my strength and with the impetus
of my rush, hurled him down head
long. His musket went off as he rolled
on the ground, and / had secured my
aim; he could no longer cripple me
with a bullet as / ran. The whole place
sputtered fire as I flew over the moor,
but 1 had made an excellent start of
1t. and had silenced the only gun dan
gerously near 1 bounded northward,
the short, thick turf springing like vel
vet beneath my feet, not over hurrying,
but running easily within my strength,
a long tail of pursuers stringing out
yer the country behind me.
Half a mile from the inn l ran yer
a swelling rise in the moor. From the
top l looked back, such time as l drew
three or four long breaths, and saw
how matters stood. Two hundred
yards behind, and my nearest pursuer,
rode Sir John Postgate on a strong
hackney. Two men were close behind
him, and scattered figures were dotted
here and there on my track. The SOL
diers must be yet at some distance
from the ale-house, and a clear field
left for the Red Men of the Dusk. ]
turned and ran steadily On, bearing to
the right to gain the road for Butley,
and when I reached 1t, Sir John Post
gate alone kept me in view. Four miles
Of the twelve was soon covered and the
distance between us had scarcely va
ried by n yard.
His horse was q stout Ealloper, but
not very fast, and / held my own cas-
lily.
I was now we'll into Butley Heath,
and the road home ran straight before
me-, crossing the heath as directly as
If II had been drawn with a great ruler
1t was but little used and resem-
bled for the most part a grassy ride
patched with yellow sand. 1t was per-
lection for my feet, clothed only with
stockings, and so far l had had luck
to match, having met with neither
thorns nor fints.
I ran a mile again and breasted q
steepish rise. At the top I turned and
saw Sir John walking his horse.
Blown" I said to myself and
laughed, for I felt as full of running as
when l burst from the house. So ac-
customed had / grown to the thought
of Sir John as my only pursuer, that
Il was a mere glance of carelessness
which l cast along the track we had
come, before l set off again.
l sharpened my gaze and looked
closer. Two riders, mounted in fan
other fashion to the old Independent
and as yet far behind, were coming
on at great speed. One of them shone
and flashed as If he bore a mirror or
his breast, a dazzling point of light ir
the sunshine. / wheeled and flew
down the hill, tearing off my coat as
ran and finging 1t aside to tighten mt
and free me for the task before me.
l had read the riddle easy enough
W ,asrnnY. Nt-nC n nnliohnH ~ nncfnln 70
worn by the mounted officer in com,
mand Of the detachment; his compan'
ion was Jack Postgate, who had beer
to fetch the soldiers, and they were
we'll mounted and %galloping furiously
MY heels must save me now or all wa!
lost.
1 refined myself tightly and Tough
back the panic fear which babe me run
myself blind and exhausted in ten min.
utes, and, instead weighed every strid,
and held myself rigidly to the pac,
which 1 calculated would leave me suf'
ficient strength to swarm over the parl
palings IL l had the luck to finish tn,
race a little ahead Of those swift horse,
men.
The thought crossed my mind t.
swerve aside and hide in the heath, bu
1 dismissed the idea as useless. l
was too open in that part to afford
good cover, and l ran ten times tn,
chance of Gripping myself among tn,
thorns and briers.
No, I had nothing to trust to save m,
own speed and endurance. 1 doubted
whether they were equal to the task
but 1 was fully resolved to run to
stand before / was takeli. / fixed m,
eyes on the road and watched ~jealousl,
every inch Of the ground upon which
l must lay my foot. / had long haC
my second wind, and at present | hat
abundant strength in hand.
The pace at which / was t~ravelin,
did not distress me. The muscles am
sinews in calf and thigh felt like iron;
was tempted to abuse their power an
force the running, but l watched ant
spared myself as a good rider watches
and spares his horse. l went a Ion!
way before l looked over my shoulder
Sir John was pounding away at
hand-gallop in the middel distance
him / was leaving hand over hand
but ven as / looked, over the pidgt
flashed the two flying horsemen, and
knew that they had made the interven
ing distance sooner than / had calcu
lated. I quickened a little, and then
little again, and o l was doing all
could. Had / been half a mile away
so hat one wild squirt would carry m,
va 4 Souiu idNC BOllG ldSlGI, Dul d
matters stood l dared attempt no more
The Dad gently rose and dipped one,
again. l hung a trifle on the hill an
let myself out on the succeeding slope
then came a long strip over a deat
level.
At the end of this I glanced back
Sir John was now the hindmost, an
the leading horseman had drawn terri
bly, The shining breastplat
marked the officer, who had outriddel
his companion. He was mounted on
tall white horse, and rocked easily il
the saddle as he was borne swiftly or
The road ran squarely across TIL
healthy swells which marked this coun
tryside, and now another slope lay be
fore me. 1t was white as snow in tn,
sun, being deeply strewn with brigh
quartz sand.
This made It dreadful travelling, blu
l was a distinct gamer, for along tn,
side OF the a a narrow banl
with q smooth prad Gy ton lo,,r5o