The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1904-01-07

IN Icli6 ~ p CIV 0S LIZ
ting the flare of the torches and giving
a clear view of their operations. They
were now certain hat 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 off, and
arms barred, was assailing the door
with a heavy crowbar, and under his
powerful strokes it must shortly go
down. / laid the point Of the sword in
the gap and ran it forward as he de-
livered his next blow. The point took
him in the wrist and the impetus OF his
swing did the rest. ripping his forearm
right UP to the elbow.
With a shout of pain, he sprang back.
dropping the crowbar, which changed
noisily on the steps. A little confusion
followed and the attack was suspend
ed. 1 glanced over my shoulder. but
Ieuan and the torch had vanished. Two
or three moments passed and then he
trod stealthily along the passage
toward me.
"A hole in there. eh?' chuckled
Ieuan. well, that ISIS very handy.
They shall have something through It,"
I put u my hand as he reached my
side, and the first thing I touched was
smooth, round metal. 1 rang my
fingers up it, and the feel Of the big,
b~ell-shaped mouth told me what it was
ne carried.
"A blunderbuss!" said I. Where did
O get it, Ieuan?"
II thought it vas pretty sure the
landlord had something to keep his
once. And his 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 gap and fired. The scat
tering shower Of slugs struck home
here and there, for loud ye1ls 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.
horn in my pocket. And a little sheet
of lead. / will cut some pieces from it
with my knife
He returned to the room where he
had left the torch, to get light to work
by, and l 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 the noise was in front Of
the hose. l could make out nothing
but that some movements We're In pro-
gress on the other side of the road. The
torches had been extinguished and the
work was being carried on by the soft
starlight which fell from a c~loudless
sky.
l fancied the time q favorable one
for attempting an escape, when a
slight clink as Of a musket touching
the wall beside the door wa.ned me
that a guard was set.
Suddenly a brisk flame leapea into
sight twenty yards away. 1t ran up
and mounted, and shot its yellow
tongue swiftly through a great heap of
dried furze collected on q 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. WE'LL" he cried. and here,
too"
AND here, too,' said I; Eve shall not
escape unseen. that is clear"
The cracking flames rose higher and
higher, well fed with air. so loose was
the fuel, till in a few minutes the whole
pile vas burning with the steady radi-
ance Of n lamp, the huge fame drawing
clean II 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 / understood the
feeling which lay beneath his speech.
There seemed something inexpressibly
fallen upon the place. fine great bon
fire, blazing in the solitude and cast
Ing its glare over the naked road lately
peopled by active foes, seemed to
watch us with a bright, dreadful eye.
In truth, it would nave been no wise
proceeding to venture out to become
the target for unknown shot. The place,
as I have said, lay open on every side.
and the two fires made every corner
as bright as day. Enemies were am
pushed around, and one might as cas-
lily be running upon g. musket muzzle
as away from It.
Fuel was In plenty with them. The
landlords rick of f~urze--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.
ther marked that the one in front could
be fed from the other side OF the banI
without q hand being shown. I recon.
noitered the back from a window ant
found the fire there as cunningly dis.
posed.
What do you say. Ieuan?" I asked.
II say wait" he replied, .and watcr
them. Perhaps they will fail to keer
the fires up, or some other chance vii
fall in u way. Just before the daa
comes, that ISIS a good time to catch
people Off their guard. when it iss yer,
cold and they are very sleepy"
The word sleep seemed to close m,
eyes, and I stretched myself. I had beer
on the move before dawn the previous
nIorniiIl5 had been busy for many
hours at various tasks, had finished The
day with twenty miles on my feet, and
been wakened for our little skirrnisf
after an hour or spsof restless slumber
1T ISIS what YOU want very badly
too" said Ieua1l, patting my ahouIdel
as &c he loved me; you have had {
hard hard day and we q veryseasy one
Take d sleep for BIT e vii watci
In urns.. I Wasseasily pr-ayafledsupon
I confess, and stretched myself upoa
tine floor Was asleep; Almost before
had laid myself aIonS
III S5NISIS6#S ! !. v.