The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1904-01-22
were twisted into a grin, and in an In

were twisted into a grin, and in an In
slant he gave me in vivid pantomime
an account of the manner in which he
was wounded. He capped an imagi-
nary gun to his shoulder and fired it,
shook his handin the air the hand hang
ing loose from his wrist, then Rugged
it to his bosom with his face horribly
contorted to represent pain. How he
came to be shot in the hand was an
other thing altogether, for we could
not communicate by speech, so 1 turned
to seek 1euan.
The merry hiss of the frying pan
guided me to the main apartment, and
here | found 1euan standing with his
hands on his hips regarding a pan Of
rashers, which he had placed on a
blazing fire.
He turned his head as I entered and
smiled cheerfully.
Well" said he, you have had a
good long sleep"
II should think I have" replied;
why did o not wake me before?"
There wass no need" he answered.
Il thought we were to attempt an es-
cape just before daybreak,' I re-
marked.
1T wass tried" said Ieuan, land
failed"
"Tried?' I cried. IT made no try"
NO said he. carefully setting the
RNAA - VII LII ire, nor me elInGr.
l sent Dafydd out to see If there wass
a chance. IF he had got away 1 would
nave walked o ard we would have
peen on. But they were watching like
an old fox after lambs. l put him
through a little window at the back.
ana before he was a yard from the
mouse a mar ran out and shot at him.
he Jumped back to the dor and I let
MIN IN, n before shutting the door l
had a shot at the man with the little
gun, Tor he wass standing plain in the
freight"
Did you hit him ?S D,
h. hit mimi cried Ieuan; yes, indeed
l filled him with small pieces Of lead,
ana two came to drag him away.
why did you send that poor little
fellow out first?"
Because" said Ieuan, with his cruel
grim, 1T Wass better for them to shoot
at him than at me. 1t wass lucky to
nave Dafydd to try with"
And he was hit in the hand?"
Yes rejoined Ieuan, nodding his
head refectively, as he stared into the
1lre. Right In the middle. You could
put a stick straight through the hole"
lie bent again to his cooking, and I
went to look about our fortress, which
now began to assume, in my eyes, the
aspect or a trap. I blamed myself
again ana again for my carelessness
IN sleeping SO long and leaving Ieuan
IN management Of matters when he
could not grasp. the full import Of
thln5s. 10 him, everything seemed
just as 1T should be. Our enemies were
OUTSIDE and We're not molesting US: we
We're inside with plenty to eat and
drink and If we had not escaped the
one night we should the next, and at
any rate the quarters were comfortable
for the present. But in all this Ieuan
WAS VGiphjno thi,,oC ~ tI@ n
Nant-y-Bryn.
There you enemies were, in the
main, a fixed quantity. You had to
reckon with the band before you and
no more, and If they left you easy In
your mind you might remain safely
SO: But this moorland, although, to
tax a glance round the ~ale-house, it
looked as lonely as the hills about
Nant-y-Bryn, was yet within easv
reach Of powerful reinforcements, and
l dreaded the arrival Of a strength to
which we could offer no resistance
worthy Of the name. I observed that
the main body Of Sir Johns men
seemed posted at a small house some
sixty yards away, the only dwelling
IN sight, and that sentinels were set on
both sides of the house we occupied.
leuan announced that his cooking
was finished, and we ate our breakfast.
When 1T waseover l tool the watch, and
the Red Men Of the Dusk lay down to
sleep. The besiegers left us entirely
alone save for their watchfulness, and
this regarded as a very bad sign.
Some hou passed, and I kept my eyes
about me steadily, but for every glance
l gave to the people at hand I directed
two to a low, healthy hill a mile and a
half to the. west.
l knew that troops were stationed in
a small town In that direction, and the
road ran clean over the crest of the
hill. The house was perfectly quiet.
for Ieuan had bundled the landlord, his
family and the prisoner out of doors
before l awoke, and I aid my plans In
case Of need.
1t was about an hour after midday
when the sight I had been expecting all
the morning caught my eye. Tiny
points Of light, SHINING like Jewels,
crowned the hill for a few moments,
then disappeared. I called Ieuan, and
he and his companion were afoot In a
moment.
"a band Of soldiers will be here in
a short time" said I, and we must be
clear of this place before they come"
How do you know" asked Ieuan.
II have seen the sunlight flashing on
their harness and steel caps in the dis
lance"
w car keep them out the same as
the Others"
"They will come provided in different
fashion," I answered. They will blow
in the door with a petard and make
short work of us. 1t Is their trade, and
the party is numerous"
"Well?" said Ieuan.
concluded Next Week.)