The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1905-07-27
CHAPTER XX.-Continued.

and the two of us heavIer-footed ones
bringing up the rear. Knowing the wood
ed wilderness by length and breadth, the
old man held on through thick and thin,
straight as an arrow to the mark: and
so we had never a sight Of the road again
till we came out Upon it suddenly at the
ford of violence.
Here I should have been in despair for
tho lack of any ineligible hint to point
the way: and l think not eve JenEiter.
with all his woodcraft. could have read
the record OF the onfall as Yates and the
Catawba did. But for all the overlapping
tangle Of moccasin and hoof prints Meth
err of these men of the forest was at fault,
though ten minutes later even their skill
must have been bafhed, inasmuch az the
first few splitting raindrops were patter-
ing In the tree tops when we came upon
the ground.
That's Jest about what 7 was most
afeard Of said the borderer, with a
hasty glance slyward. Down on your
hunkers, chief, and help me read this sign
afore the good Lord takes to sending his
rain on the jest and the u~njest," n
Herewith these two fell to quartering all
the ground like trained dogs nosing for a
scent.
We stood aside and watched them, Rich
ard and /, realizing that we were Of small
account and should be until, perchanCe,
1t should come to the laying on of hearty
blows. After the closest scrutiny which
took account of every broken twig and
trampled blade of grass, this prolonged
until the rain was falling smartly to wash
out all the footprints In the dusty road,
Yeates and the Indian gave over and came
to join us under the sheltering branches
Of an oak.
Ills a mighty curtis sign: most mighty
qucth the hunter, singing the
rain drops from his fur cap and emptying
the pan of his rife. not upon the ground,
as a soldier would. but saving every preci-
GUS grain. "Ez l allow. 1 never heerd tell
Of any Injuns adding hathaway afore;
LAY you, chief? hey?"
The Catawba's negative was his gut
tural "Wah," and Ephraim Yeates, nav
carefully restored the final grain of
the printing to his powder-horn. proceeded
10 enlighten us at some length.
Mighty curtis, eZ 1 was a-saying. Them
lnJuns fixed up an adjustment. blazed in
a volley at the closest sort O. range, and
folloWed 1t up with a tomahawk and knife
rush-lessen that there Afrikin was too
daddled to tell any truth, what
somedever. And, spite Of all this here
rampaging, they never drawed a single
drop O. blood in the whole enduring scrim-
mage! Mighty curtis. that; amt it. now?
And that amt all: some O. Athem same
Injuns, or leastwise one of 'em, was "a
wearing boots with spurs onto 'em. What
say, chief?"
Uncanoola held up all the fingers Of one
and two of the other. "Sebben IN
Jun; one pale face" he said, In contirma-
ton.
I looked at Richard, and he gave me
back the eye-shot, with a hearty curse to
speed it.
"~Falconnet.' said he, by way OF tall
piece to the oath: and I nodded.
Twas that there same ,hoss-captain,
sure enough, ez l reckon" drawled Yeates.
Maybe one o. you two can tell what-all
he mought be arriving at"
Jennifer shook his head, and I, too, was
silent. ; Twas out Of all reason to suppose
that the baronet would resort to sheer
violence and make a terrified captive of
the woman he wanted to marry. 1t was
a curious mystery, and the hunters next
word involved 1t still more.
And yit that amt all. Whilst some o.
the Injuns was a-whooping 1t up acrost
the creek, a-chasing the folks that was
making tracks for their city O. refuge,
t'others run the two gals off into the big
woods at the side o. the road. Then
Mister Hoss-Captain picks up the Afri-
kin, chucks him on a boss and sends him
a-kiting with his flea in his ear; after
which he climbs his boss and
tIliheS TRACKS ulSSelL-uOl 10 kelCI
up with the gals, ez you mought reckon,
off yon way" pointing across the
creek and down the road to the south
Jennifer heard him through, had him
set it all out again in plainest fashion,
and after all could only say: You are
you have the straight Of It. Eph%"
The borderer appealed to Uncanoola.
Come, chief; give US the wo'th OF your
iaH pp,apf IJoc r. fha olJ q ,.a ~ ySro1p o,,a
stun-blind? or did he read thera sign like
ort to be read?"
"Wah! the Gray Wolf has sharp eye
sharp nose-sharp tongue, sometime.
Sign no lie when he read 'um."
Jennifer turned to me. What say you,
1ack9 TITS all far enough beyond me,
I'll confess"
terry as he was; yet the thing to do
seemed plain enough.
Never mind the baronet's mystery; it's
Mistress Margery's hazard that concerns
u.s." / would say. And then to Ephraim
win this rain kill the trail,
hin your"
He shook his head dublously. IT dunno
Tor sartain: twill make a heap o. differ
u they was anyways anxious to hide 1t.
1t starts out, with the women a-hos--
back, tbs plain enough for a blind maj
lift on the rum,
Then let US be at it, said I. 1--WE can
very well afford to let the mystery untan-
glo itself as we CO., And with this the
pursuit began In relentless earnest.
The trail of the two horses ridden by
Margery and her woman cut q right
with the road, turning northwest
along the left bank of the stream; and,
despite the rain, which was now pouring
steadily even In the thick wood, the hoof.S
prints We're so plainly marked that we
could follow at a smart dog-trot.
In this speeding the old hunter and the
easily outwearied Jennifer and
me. They both ran with a slow swing
Ing leap, like the racsing gait, half pace,
half gallop, of a well-trained troop horse.
Mile after mile they put behind them in
these swinging bounds; and when. we'll
on IN the afternoon. we stopped to eat a
snack OF the cold meat and to Stake our
thirst at on OF the many rain pools. i
was fam to follow Jcnn.fer's lead, throw
Ing myself flat on this soaking mold TO
pant and gasp and pay off the arrears of
breathlessness.
This breathing halt was OF the briet-
est; but before the race began again.
Ephratm Yeates took time to make d
scrutiny of the trail, measuring
the stride of the horses, and looking
on the briars for some BIT Of
,loth or other token of assurance, When
We came up with him he was mumbling
70 himself.