Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-10-13
CHAPTER xXxIv.-contlnued.


rescue at the last ONE by a band
of these border braves? But stay; let
us have the colonePs story at first
hands. Have the goodness to ring the
bell for me. will you. Captain
The crisis was come. A pull at the
bell cord would summon the guard, and
the guard would. be sent after Colonel
Tarleton. Well, said the demon Despair,
tits time you were gone to make room
for Richard Jennifer; and | laid a
hand pom the tasseled rope. But when
/ would have rung, all the man pride,
of race and of soldier training, rose up
to bid me fight for space to strike one
good blow in freedoms cause by way
of leaVe-taking.
So, as 1t had been an afterthought,
said: "A word further with you first,
my Lord, n then, IL you please, l Will
call the guard. All you remember is
true, save as to the principal fact. So
far from being a spy in intent, or even
a partisan of either side, i was at the
time but newly come INTO the province,
knowing little of the cause of quarrel
n caring still less. But Captain Fail
comet and Colonel Tarleton did their
earnest best to make a rebel of me out
of hand"
"Ah? But the proof of all this, Cap
tain Ireton."
NA~ 10 Il Nbit IN I'D IN NSN'
fact of my coming to place myself at
your Lordship's disposal, being moved
thereto by your Lordship's desire
expressed in an order sent some weeks
since to Sir Francis F~alconnet."
"So?-then you knew of hat order?"
Captain Falconnet showed it TO me
after i was condemned and the firing
squad was drawn up to snuff me out"
My Lord Charles gave me the cour-
finP emilia that 60 nn1nn rod him IN hlG
soldiers-as he was well loved of his
men-and bade me sit.
The plot thickens, as Mr.. Richard
son would say. Let me have your
story, Captain Ireton. / would rejoice
TO know why Captain Sir Francis Fall
comet saw fit to disobey his orders"
! was clear of the lee shore and the
breakers at last, but / was fain to be-
lieve that not Machiavelli himself could
hope to weather the storm in the open.
How much or how little did Lord Corn
wallis remember of Colonel Tarleton's
report? How explicit had that re-
port been?-was there In mention in
it of my eavesdropping at the confer
ence between Captain John Stuart n
the baronet; of my attempt to warn
the o"Ver-mountain men against the In
dian-arming? Could I hope to tell his
Lordship a tale so near the truth as
10 ne uHdSSdlldDle Dy IaTleIOU ana Ills
officers, by Gilbert Stair and the spite
full little pettifogger, and yet so deftly
garbled as to keep my neck out of the
halter for the time being.
All these questions thronged upon me
as a mob to pull cool reason from her
seat, and l could only play the part
of the trapped rat and snap back at
them. Yet my Lord CORVALLIS was
waiting for his answer, and a single
moments hesitation might breed sus-
picion.
You must forgive me, dears, if /
confess it beyond me to set down here
in measured words the tale / told his
Lordship. A lie is a lie, be it told in
never so good a cause; a thing deplor-
able and not to be glazed ove or boast
ed of after the, fact. So / beg you to
let these quibblings to which / was
driven rest in oblivion, figuring to
yourselves that l used all the truth 1
dared, and that 1 strove through it all
not wholly to sink the gentleman and
the man of honor in the spy.
Twas but a bridge of glass when all
was said; a bridge that carried me
safely over for the moment into my
Lords confidence, yet one which a
pebble flung by any one of a dozen
hands might shiver in the dropping OF
an eyelid.
Truly, you have had a most ro-
mantle experience" said his Lordship,
when / had made an end. Then he lay
back in his chair and laughed till the
stout body of him shook again. And
all about a little wench of the provin-
Gals. Well, well; Sir Francis was al
ways a sad dog with the ome But
all this was in the early summer, you
say; where nave you been since?"
Here was q chance for romancing,
this time of a sort less dangerous. So
/ drew breath and plunged again, tell
ing how l had been carried off by my
captor-rescuers: how l had fallen into
the hands Of the Indians-not all OF
whom I would remind his Lordship,
were friendly TO the king; and lastly
how / had but lately escaped from the
mountain Businesses back of Major
Ferguson's camp at Gilbert Town. AT
this point my Lord interrupted the
tale-telling.
so you know of the major and his
doings? / would you had brought me
late news OF him. IT'S a week since his
last courier reached u.s."
This was the moment for the playing
of my trump card-the only one I held.
/ rose, bowed, tool from my pocket
that other letter given me by Colonel
Davie and handed 1t to his Lordship.
Twas Major Ferguson's last report
intercepted by one OF Davies vigilant
scouting parties.
."Ah!" said my Lord; and / strolled to
the window whilst he read the letter.
When l turned to front him again he
was all affability; n / knew / was
/ safe-for the time, at least.
THE major comInends you highly as
a good man and a true. Captain Ire
tom he said. and truly the letter die
contain a warm-hearted commendatior
OF "the bearer" whose name, fol
safety's sake. was omitted; and moi
only this, but the writer desired tt
have his man back again. Then my
Lord added: You are here to take
your old service again. I assurne?'
/ hesitated. There be things that ever
a spy may balk at; and the taking O.
the oath of allegiance TO the other sid
1 conceived to be one of them. So
said:
II have worn many uniforms since
DOTTED that of King George. my Lord
and"
He laughed cheerily. But me n,
butts Captain Ireton; once an English
man. always an Englishman, yol
my own family"
AT this i made a bold stroke. lie
IL be then as an officer of her Apostolic
Maiesty's service, and your Lordship'
guest for the time. Believe me, it i
thus I may best serve y~our-ah-th
cause."
eAs how?" he would ask.
I smiled and touched the braide'
I jacket OF my hussar uniform.
AS an Austrian officer on a tour o
observation In the campaign l may g
and come where others may not. an
see and near things which your Lord
ship may wish to know. Does you
Iordship take nle? ~