The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-07-07
The MASTER OF APPLEBY)
,- BY Francis Lyndo. --{
BY Francis Lyndo.


he had been a OUNCE brother of my
own blood the common p~arentage
could not have made him tenderer.
Twas not the mere outgushing of a
nature open-armed to make a bosom
friend OF all the world; nor any femi-
nine softness on his part. II | nave
drawn him thus my pen Is but a clumsy
quill, for he was manly rough and
masterful, with all native strength and
vigor of the border-born.
But on the side of love and friend
ship no woman ever had a truer heart.
a keener eye or a lighter hand. And in
a service for friend or mistress he
would spend himself as recklessly as
those old knights you cad about who
made a business OF their chivalry.
With his daily offerings OF unselfsh-
ness to shame me. you may be sure
was flayed alive. self-fogged like a
miserable monk, with all the wound
ings OF the whip we'll sailed by remorse.
AS you have guessed. l had not yet
summoned up the courage to tell him
how I had staked his chanc Of happi-
ness upon a casting Of the die Of fate
staked and lost 1t. Now that 1t was
gone I saw how l had missed the golden
opportunity; how I had weakly hesi-
tated when delay could only make the
telling harder.
By tacit consent we never spoke OF
Margery. Richards silence hung upon
despair. 1 thought: and as for mine,
since the husbands road and the low
er's lay so far apart, could not bring
myself to speak of her. But she was
always first in my thoughts in that
time Of convalescence. as I made sure
she was in his; and at the last the
hidden thing W US was brought
to light.
1t was on a night some three weeks
or more after my fever turn. Our lar
IL, k~l r.- I-.,, -rl r~l Tow - p,t-
had spent the earlier hours of the night
abroad-to little purpose. as 1t CHANGED.
Twas midnight or whereabouts when
he came swearing In to tell me that the
Tories We're out again to harry our
side Of the river afresh. and to make a
refugees begging of a bag of meal a
thing of peril.
They'll starve us out in shortest
measure at this rate" he protested.
They have trampled down all the
standing corn for miles around. and
this morning they burned the mill. IT'S
our notice to quit, and we'd best take
It,. There has been fighting to the
south Of us-a plenty Of it-at Rocky
Mount and Hanging Rock. and else
where, and every man Is needed. II
you are strong enough to stand the
march, We'll run the gauntlet down the
river In the pirogue and cut across
from the slower ford to Join Major Da-
vie or Mr.. Gates"
I said I was fit enough, and would
do whatever he thought best. And then
I took u step upon the forbidden
ground.
"Falconnet is still at Appleby Hun
dred?" l said.
He nodded
And you will join the army at the
front and leave Margery to his tender
mercies?"
His laugh was bitter: SO bitter that
I scarce knew 1t for Richard Jennifer's
Mistress Margery Stair is well. and
well content. as l told you once before
She has no wish for you or me. unless
1t be to see us well hanged"
May, Richard; you Judge her over
harshly. I fear you do not love her as
her lover should"
Say you so? Listen: Tonight I go'
as far as the manor house, being foo
enough to risk my neck for anothel
sight Of her. God help me, jack!
had 1t. They have scraped together
all the Tory riff-raff this side of thu
river-Falconnet and the others-ant
are holding high revel at Appleby
Since 1t is still our true-blue border
land, they are scant enough Of womeI
Of their own kidney. and l saw Madg'
dancing like any light O. love with ev
cry ~jackanapes that offered"
I'm her ather's house she could no
we'll do less" l averred, cut to tn
heart, as he was and yet with
out his younger lovers jealousy t
make me unjust.
"Or more" he added. savagely. "Ti
, as say: she ack nothing we can Civ
! her. and we'd as we'll be off about on
, business"
!, I think he never had 1t In his heart t
leave her in any threat Of danger. Blu
7 from his point of view there was n
y danger threatening her save that whic,
I she seemed willing enough to rush upo;
!, "a life Of titled misery as Lady Fal
comet, 1 saw how he would see 1t
r saw, too, that his vas the saner uIn
: ming of 1t up. And yet
He broke into my musings with
pointed question. "What say you
Jack? IT'S but a little whiffet Of
n Tory Jade who cares not the snap c
t her finger for either of as. The nigh
I Is fine and dark. Shall we foat tn
h canoe and give them all the slip?"
e This was how 1t came to turn upo
y a yes" or no" of mine. l h%esitatet
I know not why. In the little paus
r the fire burned low between us. an
e the shadows deepened In the burro'
cavern until they strangled the ey
t as mephitic vapors scant a man
breath. The silence. too. was Sitting
There was no sound to breach it say
me RurSlNB IEuFLiuE Ol Tie IlNeT, al
this was subdued and intermittent liz
the death-rattle in the throat of tt
T dying.
= I'VE always made a .scoff Of super
stition, and yet. my dears. a thousan
8 questions in this life Of ours must han
If answerless to The crack Of doom If yo
1t deny 1t standing room. l knew no mo-
than l have set dow here Of Margery
i, besetment; nay, l had every reasc
Richard Jennifer had to believe tn,
! she was we'll and we'll content. lackir
nothing. save. mayhap. the freedom
y marry where she chose.
= And yet, out of the sitting silent
Is there came a sudden cry for help;
~ cry voiceless to the outward ear, b.
~ sharp and piercing to that finer inwal
Is sense: a cry SO real hat I ould sta
= and listen. marveling that Jennif
y. made no sign of having heard it.
-. In the hardening instant there was
&c faint twang like the drumming of
distant harp string. and then the gra'
10 like silence was rent smartly by e
whistling hiss of an arrow the sha
"a passing evenly between us and seattle
: ing the handful OF fire where 1t struc
10 Jennifer came alive with q sta
leaping up with q malediction betwe'
lie his teeth upon. our dallying.
I'd 'Too late. by God!" he cried. ''Th'
err have trapped us like a pair Of bill
lie moles!" And with that he caught
i'd the ancient broadsword. only tc, swe
again lei he found no room to swtl
sh 1t in.
an Having the handler weapon. I slipp