The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-07-21
hoss-salloper at the ford ana ma out
whnt-al he's = rtpA8norhng thAt-away

hoss-Ealloper at the ford and ma out
what-ail he's = r~ip-unortng that-away
for"
The road crossing OF the stream vas
but q little way above our breakfast
camp; and we were out of thicket In
time to see the horseman. a negro cling
Ing with locked arms to the neck of his
mount, come tearing down to the ford.
AT sight of us. or else because he would
not take the water Mt full speed. the
horse reared, paved the air. and fell
clumsily, carrying his skiiiess rider
with him.
We picked the black UP and soused
him in the stream till he found his
tongue; and the first wagginE Of that
useful member gave us. news. to fire the
blood in. our veins-in Jennffer,s and
mine, at any rate.
YAH" he screamed. choking out thu
muddy creek water that had well-nigh
stranged him. "Yah! red debb!l Injins
KIN ebberybody and tote off Mistis
Marcy and dat Jeanne 'oomanl OATS
what dey done!"
IN WHICH WE STRIVE AS MEN TO
RUN A RACE.
1t was some time before tho ~afrr,ghted
black could give us any connected account
OF what had befallen: and when at length
the story was told, all save the principal
i6ct OF the carrying off Of Mistress Mar
gerry and her maid was hazy enough,
Pruned down to the simple statement Of
the fact, and with all the foolish terror
gatherings weeded out, his news cana to
this: the party OF homing jewellers had
been ambushed and waylaid at the ford
ing OF a creek some miles to the souti-
ward, and in the nellay the young mis-
tress and her t!rewoman had been cap
tured.
So far as any actual witness of the eye
went. the negro had seen nothing. There
mad been a volley fire from the thickat.
oeiiy or black darkness. a swarming at
tack to a chorus of Indian yells, shouts
from the men, sh1ieks from tho women,
confusion worse COMPOUNDED In which the
newsbearer himself a been endorsed
and trodden under foot. After which he
knew no more till some one-his master, as
ne thought-kicked him alive and JADE him
mount and ride post haste on the back
ward track to Appleby Hundred, crying
the news as he went that Mistress Mar
gerry Stair and her maid had been kid
mapped by the Indians.
Pinned to the mark and questioned
afresh. the slave could not affirm of his
own knowledge that any one had been
killed outright Pinned again, 1t proved
to be only a guess of his that the one
who had given him his orders was his
master. In the kne and confusion he
could make sure of nothing: he'd made
sure of nothing save his own frenzy of
terror and the wording of the message he
carried.
When we had quizzed him empty We
nolsted him upon his beast and. sent him
once more a-gallop on the road to Appleby
Hundred. That done, a hurried council OF
war was held in which we four fell apart.
three against one. Jennifer was for In
slant pursuit. afoot and at top speed; and
Ephraim Yeates and the Catawba, aban-
donlng their own emprise apparently
without a second thought. sided indirfer-
emily with him. For my part, I was for
going back to prepare In decent order for
a campaign which should promise somes
thing more hopeful than the probability
OF speedy exhaustion, starvation and
failure.
We grew hot upon 1T, Richard and I; he
with a young lovers unrecking rashness,
and with an old campaigner's foresight
to make me stubborn; and EphraiA1
Yeates and the Catawba drew aside and
let us have it out. Dick argued angraly
that time was the ~all-important item,
and was not above haunting me bitterly,
finging the reproach of cold blooded eYe
In my face and swearing hotly that I
knew not so much as the alphabet of love.
The taunts were passed in silence, since
I would set them over against the irrevoc-
able wrong I had lone him, saying in my
heart that nothing he could say or do
should again tempt me to give place to
the devil of Jealous wrath.
Blu when he wou give me space I eet
the hopelessness of pursuit, all unprepared.
as we were, in p~lainest speech. The chase
might we'll be a long one. and we we've
but scantily armed and without pro
visions. The hunters rife must be our
sole dependence for food, and in the SUM
mer heat we would be forced to kill daily.
On the other hand, with horses. a bag o.
corn apiece, firearms and ammunition. we
should be in some more hopeful case; and.
Notwithstanding tho delay in starting.
could make far better speed.
For all the good it did I might have
spared my pains and saved my breath.
Jennifer broke me in the midst, crying
out that I was even now killing the
precious minutes: and so our ill-starred
venture had Its launching In the fren1ed
haste that seldom makes for speed. One
small concession I wrung out of his inn
patience-this with the help of Yeates and
the Catawba. We went back to the break.
fast camp, rekindled the fire, and cooked
what We could keep and carry Of the VEN
ison.
In spite of this delay 1t was yet earlv IN
the forenoon Of that memorable Sunday.
the twentieth Of August, when we set our
faces southwark and took up the line al
march to the ford of the adjustment.
By now the sky was wholly overcast, and
the vino was blowing fresher in the tres
tops; but though as yet the storm held
off, the air was the cooler for the threat
ened rain and this was truly a blessing.
since the old hunter put US keen upon our
mettle to keep pace with him.
Continued Next Week.)
-
Shopping in Italy.
Harper's Bazar: An italian once pecaff,e
so tndlscreet as to be frank, and admitted
that there were three prices In Italy
one for the continental, one for the Eng
lish and one for the American. He did
not state which price was the highest. nor
need the humble scribe: the superfuous
is only for space writing.