Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1905-08-31
CHAPTER NNV1I-continued.

CHAPTER NANII--Continued.
softly" he cautioned: here are
their vedettes.'
Just beyond the crooking elbow the
dull red glow from tiny fire gone to
Goals showed us two Indian sentries
set to- keep the pass. Dick drew his
claymore, but he was chilling again
and the hand that grasped the
great blade was shaking as with a
palsy. Yet he would mut'ter, as the
teeth chattering suffered him:
What say you. Jack? Shall we rush
them? There's naught else for it," And
then. With a gritting cath: "Oh. damn
this cursed chilling"
whispered back that we would wait
till he was better fit. He was lcath to
admit the necessity. but. as it CHANGED,
the momentary delay saved our lives
in that strait. While we paused. hug
ging tine shadows in the crooking ell
bow. the gloomy depths beyond the
sentries We're suddenly starred with
flaring famheauX lighting the way for
a hasting rabble of saNages: and had
we been entangled in the struggle with
takep ed handed.
AS fl was, we had to make the quick
est play to save ourselves. In the same
breath we both remembered the mar
row side passage Just behind In which
we were nigh to losing our way, and
INTO this we plunged reckless of pos
eible pitfalls. We We're no more than
safely out of the main corridor when
the runners, SOM, of them. rs we
guessed, trooped past our covert In fun
cry, leaving us half smothered in the
smoky trail of their pitch-pine fam
bcaX.
how what devil has set this nor
nets nest OF theirs abuzz SO suddenly?'
i whispered. when the slnoke-choke
gave us liberty to speak without
coughing to betray ourselves.
Our ponyr riding Tuckaseges. doubt
less" was Richards ready answer. by
all the chances. they Should have met
the Great Bear and his offering
out yonder on the trace-Which same
they did not. So when they bring this
tale to camp there is the devil To pay
and no pitch hot. God help our tough
old Ephriam and the Catawba If these
bloodhounds win out in time to over
take them
Aye" said /: and then we crept out
Of our dodge-hole and made ready to
go about ouc business with the SEN
tries.
but when we came to peer again
around the cracking elbow it would
seem that the hurrying search party
had fought our battle FOR US The
watch-fire was there to light "a little
circle in the gloom, but the watchers
We're gone. We CHANGED a guess that
they had joined the hue and CITY. and SO
We pressed forward, past the handful
of cmlters and into the pit black depths
beyond.
Twenty PAGES farther on it came to
playing blind mans fuff with The 10 ky
walls again. and measured bv the trip
pings and stulmbinss 1Mas Il long Sab
aath days Journey TO that tin:al turn in
the great earth-burrow whence We
could see the glirnmeling of the enemy S
campiiieS in the sunken valley.
Nov God be praised" qucth Rich
ard most fervently. Another hour in
this cursed kennel with the fever on me
and l MOULD he yammering loose
Wit" And l., too was glad enough 10
see the stars again, and to he at large
beneath them.
Emerging from the subterranean
way. we held 10 the camp side of the
stream, making an ample circuit to 1h-.
left to come down upon the enemy E
position from the wooded slope behind
the encampnent. We met 40 let OF
hiudrance in this approach. Secure IN
their stronghold, the Indians had nc
patrols out and as for the EMgllshmen
every mothers SON of them. il seemed
built before the pine bough shelters.
Favored by a dense thickeiing OF
laurel we made a near hand reconnais-
sance of the little WigWafn which held
our dear lady. As have said. this WAS
pitched i'll the thinning of the forest
" llich covered the sleep slope lt hind
the encampmen1. and so WAS the farth-
44si removed from the st1,ea IN, and from
the lncian lodges disposed in a half
moon at the waters edge Here All was
quiet as he grave, and the clanlor of
the Indian camp came softcned by the
distance TO a low monotoBous hum
ming like The huzZiIg OF a bee hive.
The flap OF tile iepee lodge waS closely
drawn, and the bit of fire before ii
had burned out to q heap OF white
q shed embefs
They are safe AS yet, thank God -
says Richard, heaYinE a most palpable
sigh of relief. Then. with the fever in
mis- VEINS tt. whip his natural ardor into
hasiy action; Twill be hours before
Eph and the Caiawha can come in by
Your upper ra,ii.e. Jack, and we shall
never have a letter chance than this.
Hold You quiet here. whilst u
But laid fast hold of him and would
not hear To amy such a toolhardy mar
ring of Epnri:im Ieates' plan.
Heavens boy, are you gone clean
nlad?" i would say Twill be risky
enough with midnight in our favor;
with Ihc camp We'll asleep. and that
great fire burned down to give US some
thing less than broad daylight to work
i'm
He turned upon me like "A pettish
child ON, 10 the deVll with your
stumbling blocks, John Ireton. You
are always for holding back. by
heaven! ~ swear you nave no drop
of lovers blood in your veins.
30 YOU nav sa'c De'oie. but let
~. i'n,a t,i' an,ue w oui ~ ON
!se ~ iea.es, Ml'ieii Mas no! 10 inter-
l lr, uh,ess Mareery 5000 u. present
perm. mo' W. sliouiu learh 'he
.as "i ny 'an'L W, "l'i'e We ia w Ne
lIie W IIeiP. w men tIIe IliIle TOT