The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-08-25

II. NiVS ll'ESVt lIG SllNllS IollitS
into line and rode on stolidly; and nus
in a little time that danger was over
past II the evening silence of the
mighty forest was ours to keep or
break as we chose.
The Old frontiersman was the first to
speak.
We'll. friends. I reckon ez how we
mought eZ We'll thank the good Lord
for all His marcieS afore we so any
his cap and did it forthwith.
1t was as grim a picture as any linn
ner of the weird QUO wish to look
upon. The twilight shadows We're en-
purping the mountains and gathering
in duSkN pools here and there where
the trees stood 1hickest in he valley.
The hush of natures mystic hour was
abroad. II even the swiftly flowing
river. rushing Sullenly along its rocky
bed no more than "a stones cas-, be-
You'd the Indian path, seemed to pre-
lermit its low thunaerings. There was
never Il breath of air aStir in all the
wood. and the leaves of the silver pop
lar that will twinkle and ripple in the
highest zephyr hung stark and notion
less.
Barring the old borderer, who had
gone upon his knees, We stood as we
We're: the Catawba holding the pack
horses. and Jenniter and ! the three
that bore the CHASTITY burdens of NOR
tally. The bodies of the slain had been
flung across the saddles to balance as
they might: and to the pommel of that
saddle which bore the trunk of the five
i~eathered chieftain. Cn%anoola had
knotted the grisly head by it's scalp
lock to dangle and ron about With
every restless movement Of the horse
a hideous deathInask that seemed to
mop and NOV and stare fearsomely at
us with its wide open CLASSY eyes.
With this background fit for the stag
ing of Il scene in Dante Alighieri's tlag-
ic comedy. the looming mountains. the
upper air CRAVING on to dusk. and the
solemn forest aiSieS fun of lurking
shadows, YOU are to picture the old
frontiersman, bareheaded and on his
knees, pouring forth his soul in all the
sonorous phrase of Holy Writ. now in
thanksgiving, and now in the most
terrible heseechings that all the Walls of
Heavens wrath mightsbe poured out
upon our enemies.
His face, commonly a leather mask
to hide the man behind it. was now
ablaZe with the fire of Zealotry; and
truly, in these his s%pasm-iits of sup
plication he stood for all that is most
awe-inspiring and u%nnerving. asking
but a little stretch of the imagination
to figure him as one of those old iron
hard prophets of denunciaiion come
back to earth to be the herald of the
wrath of God.
when the old man rose from his knees
and, With the rising. put off the beads
man and put on the shrewd old Indian
fighter. Followed some hurried coun-
settings as to how we should proceed.
and in these the hunter set the pace
for us as his age and vast experience in
woodcraft gave him leave.
His plan had all the merit of sim
plicity. Now that we had the horses,
Richards notion of an approach from
the head of the sunken valley became
at once the most hopeful of any. So
Ephraim Ieates proposed that we be-
take ourselves to the mountain top and
to the head of that raNine which the
Catawba and | had discovered. Here
we should leave the horses we'll hidden
secured. make our way down the
raNine, and, with the stream for a
guide, follow the sunken valley to the
camp at its lower esd. Once on the
ground Without having given the alarm.
we might hope 10 free the cap,ives
under cover of the darkness: and our
retreat up the valley would be far less
hazardous than any open. flight by way
of the uneNplored road the powder
train had used.
So said the old backwooIsnan; but
neither Dick nor l would agree to this
in toto. Dick argued hat while we
We're killing time in the roundabout adj
vance we should be leaving Margcry
wholly at the mercy of the baronet. and
that every hour of delay was full Of
hideous menace to her. Hence he pro-
posed that three of us should carry out
the hunters plan, leaving the fourth to
take the hint given by the charred stick
and the swimming ambush crew, and
so penetrating to the valley by the
stream cavern. be at hand to strike a
blow for our dear lady's honor in case
of need.
""Tis a thing to be done. and ! am
with YOU Dick" said l. SHOULD there
be need for any. two blades will he bet
ter than one If it comes to blows and
we are killed or taken, Yeates and the
chief must make the shift to do with
out our help"
AS you would guess. the old hunter
demurred to this halyirg 81 our slender
force, but we over-p.rsuaded him. If
all went we'll. we We're to rendezvous
on the scene of action to ca rry out the
plan of rescue. But if our adventure
should prove disastrous, Ycates and
Uncanoola We're to abide their time,
striking in when and how they might.
Touching this contingency. ! drew
the old mar aside for a word in private.
IF aught befalls us. Ephraim-if We
should be nabbed as we are like to be
you are not to let any hope of help
ing us lessen by a feathers weight the
rescue chanc of the women. You'll
promise me thiS?"
"Sartain sure; ye can rest easy on
that, Capt John. Blu don't We go for
to let that rampaging boy of our'n up
sot the fat in the fire with any o. his
foolishness. He's love-sick. and there
amt nothing in this world so ridiculous
foolish Ell a love-sick boy-less'n tbs a
love-slck gal"
] promised on my part and so we
went on separate ways in the gathering
darkness; though not until the lashings
of the packs had been cut and the pow
as Ephraim Yeates and Uncanoola
would reserve. had been spilled into the
river. AS for the bodies of the dead
Indians, the old hunter said he would
let them ride till he should come tC
some convenient chasm for a sepulcher;
but | mistrusted that he and the Ca
tawba would scalp and leave them once
we were safely out Of sight.
At the parting we took the rivers
edge for it, Richard and l.. keeping vel
under the bank and working our way
cautiously down the gorge until We
were stopped by the pouring cross-tor.
rent of the underground tributary
Here we turned short to the left alont
the marpip pf tho ha prior ctraar, ,rf