The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-12-29
CHAPTER xLIx.-conlinued.

with the sorrel tagging at his heels.
A moment later, when the up-coming
troop was hidden by a turn in the
avenue we had the pair OF them in the
hall with the door shut and barred be-
hind them.
Sc far, so good" quoth Dick. Then
to the old black, who had stood by,
saucer-eyed and speechless. the While:
Anthony, do you be as big "a numb
skull as you were born to be. and hold
these redcoat gentlemen In p~alaver till
we can win out ut the back.
The old m%ajordomo nodded his good
Will, but now my slow wit came in
play. We've lone 1t now said L.
The horses will go out AS they came
in or not at all. Had you forgotten the
stair at the back?"
Judge for yourselves. my dears, if
this were the time, place or crisi:; for
a man to fling himself upon the hall
settle. grip his ribs and laugh like any
lack-wit. Yet this is what Richard
Jennifer did.
IT was in the very midst IF his gust of
were nosing nifty al their strange sur
roundtngs, n the hoof strokes of the
redcoat troop could be plainly heard on
the gravel of the that 1
CHANGED to lift my eyes to the stair.
There, looking down upon us with
speeches. establishment in the blue
ray eyes. stood our dear lady.
Another instant and she was with us,
stamping her foot and crying: Mon
Dieu! what. is this? Are you gone
mad. o of you?"
Dicks answer was another burst of
laughter, loud enough, you would
think, to be heard by those beyond the
door.
Behold four witless brute beasts,
Mistress Madge-two horses and two
asses" he said. And then to old An
thony: open the door, Tony, and in
vite the gentlemen in.'
But Margery was before him. All,
my dears, a mans wit is like a match
lock. f1zzing and suffering It's way
noisily to find the powder whilst the
enemy hath time to ride up and saber
the musketeer; but a woman's Is like
the spark In a finder box-a quick
snip of flint and steel and you have
your fire. In q flash my lady had torn
down the heavy curtains from an inner
doorway and was carpeting u horse
path for us to the rear.
Quick" she cried: lead them gent
iy. for the o Of %heaven!"
She went before us, padding the way
with whatever came first to hand. rugs,
curtains. table coverings, and | know
not what besides; and by the time the
British troopers were hammering at the
outer door, We were deep within the old
mansion n had made shift to drag
the unwilling horses by one n two
step d%escents to a room half under and
half out of ground. which served as a
sort OF ante-dungeon to the wine Gel
lar.
Here 1 thought we might be safe for
the moment, but not so my lady. Call
ing Dick to help her--in all the nrece
haste of 1t l marked that she called to
DICK n not to me--she unlocked and
IN a trtce we two and the luckless
horses We're safely jailed in pitchy
darkness, with the stout oaken door
slammed behind us, the bolt shot in the
lock, and the key withdrawn, as we
could see by the spot Of light which
came through the keyhole.
Richard was the first to break the
grave-like silence of our dungeon.
Lord" said he; did ever you see
such sharp wit work in all your adj
ventures? What u soldiers wife she'd
make!'
I smiled at that, being safe to smile
In the darkness. For was she no a
soldiers wife? I Rugged that saving
az we cling to the thing that ia Slipping
from us. True, I was here to give her
freely over to another and a better
eSViNlCh , Out Willie sic WAS mine i would
claim her, In my heart, at least.
The excitement OF the narrow escape
somewhat Noverpast, we sat long on the
edge of a wine bin, specializing In whis-
pers as to what would befaii. and lis
tening yainly for the footsteps which
would forecast our release or our cap
ture by the enemy. But when no
sounds, threatening or encouraging,
came from the upperworld, we groped
"a hn1f FIJI uvn fNttns7 t1,.N n11I. -. ~
lighted 1t with flint and steel and tin
der-box. and took a survey of our iail.
Twas he same old %cavernous wine
vault of my youthful remembrance.
such an n as has not its mate in ali
Carolina to this good day, as I firmly
believe. My fathers hobby was to
build for all eternity: and this stone
arched cellarage was % like a@ca-
thedral crypt than a store room for a
country gentleman's table stock Of
wines.
Dick held the candle aloft ana
scanned the bottle racks, none SO great
ly depleted as they might haye%been.
had any hand but that close listed n
of Gilbert Stairs taken the key in
charge after my father.
There is no lack Of potables,'' says
my candle bearer, but, unhappily.
there Is SO much az a dry crust
to soak in them. And as for the
horses. I,llventure they'd give it ali,
pint for pint. for COED feeding Of
OATS Se8aN
IL TRULY said u; and then we fell TO
stripping the straw castings from the
s~bottlesxsof madeira Ito give the moor
.gbeastsaa feed of rye-stalks which had
SgrownSand ripened their grain many a
syears3befOre either the sorrel or the
graySwassf oaled.
Having no time save ~,
own patience. 1t seemed q weary while
before we heard the key rasping in h
lock Of 0ur prisonsdoor.
18TH Madge.R said Dick, with a=stsue
lovers Gift OF second sight; and twas
he Who went to help her swing the
thick-slnbbed oak.
What passed between them u did not
aear, norswant to- hear. But when the
door was swung to and locked again I
knew we were not free to go abroad.
Richard came backbone in the inner
vault bearing gifts: the better part OF
sa boiled ham, with bread to match. a
jug Of water from the well, and more
candies.
W. are not to starve. but thaf ii our
best pesss.athus fAr.s,sihe said. all
the AonseA or our side az the river.
Lord COrMwallis must needs pitch
upon this manor OF :Appleby for his
sr1llyingS headqMnrters. Madge can not
sglesg when he and the army&wilE b
zone. and abe n 1rightened stir for
u sakes.." 50.
Til. was sober news, indeed, hut we
could do naught hut nah the best OF
M.AAaaf0r me. 4 wesamost anxious to