The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1904-01-08

were twisted into a grin, ana In an In
slant he gave me In vivid pantomime
an account OF the manner in which he
was wounded. He clapped 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
1t 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 I turned
to seek Ieuan.
The merry hiss OF the frying pan
guided me to the main apartment, and
here l found Ieuan standing with his
n on his hips regarding a pan Of
rashers, which he had placed on a.
blazing fire.
He turned his head as + entered and
smiled cheerfully.
Well" said he, you have had a
good long sleep"
I Il should think I have" 1 replied;
why did 0 not wake me before?"
There Wass no need,"9he answered.
II thought we We're to attempt an es-
cape Just before daybreak." 1 re-
marked.
TT wass tried" said Ieuan, and
4 failed.'
"Tried?" I cried. IT made no try"
No said he. carefully setting the
pan straight ON the fire, nor me either.
q chance. II he had got away I would
have walked yeu, Z we would have
been off. But they were watching like
an old fox after lambs. I put him
through a little window at the back,
n before he was a yard from the
house a man ran out and shot at him.
he jumped back to the dor and I let
him in. and before shutting the door I
had a shot at the man with the little
gum. for he wass standing plain In the
freight
ibid you hit him Q"
Hit hilp!" cried Ieuan; Eyes, indeed.
I filled him with small pieces OF lead,
and two came to drag him away"
| Why did you send that poor little
fellow out frst?"
Because" said Ieuan, with his cruel
grin, 1T wass better for them to shoot
at him than at me-. 1t wass lucky TO.
have Dafydd to try with"
And he was hit in the hand?"
Yes" rejoined Ieuan, nodding his
fire. Right in the middle. You could
put a stick straight through the hole"
He bent again to his cooking, and I
went to look about our fortress, which
n~ow-begansto assume, in my eyes, the
aspect of a trap. I blamed myself
again and again for my carelessness
In sleeping SO long and leaving Ieuan
in management of matters when he
could not grasp the full import Of
things. To him. everything seemed
Just as it should be. Our enemies We're
outside and were not molesting US; we
We're inside with plenty to eat and
drink and If we had not escaped he
l ono NIGHT vu0 ch0,Jl1 Tho -4v$T o-5 -
n rate the quarters were comfortable
for the present. But in all this Ieuan
was weighing things In the balance of
Nant-y-Bryn.
There your 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
so. But this m%oorland, although, to
take a glance round the ale-house, It
looked as lonely as the hills about
Nant-y-Bryn, was yet within easy
reach OF powerful achievements, 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 JOINTS 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.
Ieuan announced that his cooking
was finished, and we ate our breakfast.
When 1t was over l took the watch, and
the Red Men of the Dusk lay down to
sleep. The besiegers left us entirely
alone save fer their watchfulness, and
this I regarded as a very bad sign.
Some hours passed, and I kept my eyes
about me steadily, out for every glance
I gave to the people at hand I directed
two to a low, healthy hill a mile and a
half to the west.
I knew that troops were stationed in
a small town In that direction, and the
road ran clean Owe the crest Of the
hill. The house was perfectly quiet.
for Ieuan had bundled the landlord, his
fsmily and the prisoner out Of doors
before I awoke, and I laid my plans in
case of need.
It was about an hour after midday
when the sight I had been expecting ali
points Of light, shining like Jewels
crowned the hill for a few moments
then disappeared. I called Ieuan, and
he and his companion We're afoot in 9
moment.
IA 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 or
their harness and steel caps in the dis
tancs."
the others
"They will come provided in different
fashion," / answered. They will blow
in the door with a petard and make
shert wark Of us. It Is their trade, and
the party Ia numerous"
"'Well?' said Ieuan.
Concluded Next Weekly
-