The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-07-21
THE MASTER OF APPLEBY
BY Francis Lyndo.

FOR my queue, and a third Tor the Ger
man r1tter-bOOts |. wore:
"Umph!" said he. Nov II here amt
that there dad-blame, Turkey-hghter
again! What, almighty curtis things
the good Lord do let loose on a stiff
necked and rebellious gineration!' Then
to me. most pointedly: Say. Cap'n: the
big woods amt no fitting place for
such as you. ez | allow. Ye mought
be getting them purity boots O. your'n
all tore up on the briars."
He ended with a. dry little laugh not
unlike Mr.. Gilbert Stairs parchment
cackle: and. being, his guest for the
nonce, I laughed with him.
Have your joke and welcome. Mr..
Yeates.' said L. "r am too near fam
lshed to quarrel with my chance OF
breakfast"
Much to my astoundment he flung
his raccoon-skin cap into the air. spat
upon his hands and Logan that insane
w~ar-dance Of his.
"Whoop!' he yelled. mo handbook
dandy from the settlements ever sot
out to, cali RE Mister and got away
alive, to brnk ont! Ketch hold. you In
forgotten. Turkey fighting. sllver-but-
toned jack-e-danGy till I dip we In. the
creek and o a hour-ration r two out
m that there pig-tail toprknos O.
your'n! Yip-pee!"
BY this Jennifer was trying, as well
as a man Der double with laughter
might, to interpose In the Interest OF
peace n amity; and even The stoical
Catawba was all a-grin. So, seeing l
was like to lose countenance with all Of
them. / watched my chance. and clos
ing with my capering ancient, gave him
a hearty wrestler's hug.
For all he was so gaunt and thin, and
full twenty years or more my senior.
he was q pretty handful. Twas much
11ka trVinu tn catch a Poll ont IF uNrra
piece Of steel wired mechanism. None
the less. after some wild stampings and
strivings In which the old man all but
made good his promise to put me in the
creek. 1 took him unawares with a Cor
nishman's tricks cross-buttock shift
ed suddenly to a shoulder-lift-which
sent him flying overhead to land all
abroad In the soft clay OF the land
slide.
The effect Of this little triumph was
magical and wholly unlocked for. When
he had gathered himself and set his
limbs in order, Ephriam Yeates sat up
and thrust out a claw-like hand.
Put 1t there, stranger" he said. IT
reckon ed how that settles 1t. Old Eph
Yeates II share fair. powder and lead.
parched corn and pan-meat with the
man that can flop him hathaway.
Whilst ye're %a-needing a friend in the
big woods-a demonstrating 1njun-
skinner that can jest or'narily whop
his weight in wildcats-why, old Eph's
your man: from now on. If not sooner"
And in this wise began an alliance the
like Of which, for true-blue loyalty on
this old borderer's part. these colder
hearted times of yours, my dears, will
never see.
AS you would guess, l gripped the
hand Of pledglng most heartily. pulling
the old man to his feet and protesting
4 = tt,r 1,.t ~ -I- l~ ~-Il $3.50,
let another play on him. And then we
four fell upon the deer's meat which,
was by this time-not cooked, to be
sure. but scared a little on the outside
In true hunter fashion.
While we ate, Richard spoke freely
Of our i~ntendings; and in return
Ephriam Yeates was able to confirm
Mr.. Gilbert Stairs val news to the let
ter. For all his tory bias and prejudice
it seemed that Margery's father had
spoken by the book. Gates army was
crushed and scattered to the fou;
winds: Thomas Sumter's free-lances
had been attacked, worsted n driven
with the leader himself so sorely
wounded that he was carried from the
field in a blanket slung between thu
horses Of two Of his men: and. as wa.
to be expected. the tories were up ant
arming in all the north country. Truly
the prospect was gloomy and the out
look for the patriot cause was to tn
full as desperate as King George him
self could wish.
But you. Ephriam. and the chief
here; are you two running away Xix,
all the others?" Richard would ask.
The old hunter growled his denial be
tween the mouthfuls of scarce-warmet
meat. Il reckon ez how tits t'other wa,
round: we're sort O. camping on tn
redcoats' trail. ez l allow. Amt W
) Chief. hey?"
> The Catawba's assent was a gut
! tural "Wah!" and Ephriam Yeate
; went on to explain.
. "Ye see. tits this-away. You took
. laugh out'n me Cap'n Dick. for spyinI
round on that there Britlsher boss
captain and his redskins: but Ion,
to'ards the last I met up with a thin
: and e cargo they was awaiting for
7 and they're allowing to sneak
! through the mountings to the overhi
Cherokees."
"well?" says Dick.
/; The old man cut another slice Of ven
ison and took his time to impale 1t o
4 the forked toasting stick.
r We'll. then T says to the chief, here
says /. Chief. his here's our A-num
: ber-one chance to spile the egyptians
get heap gun. heap powder. heap lead
heap scalp The chief, he says, 'Wah.
t which Is good Injun-talk for any
thing We like-and so here we are. hot
!, foot on the trail o. that there boss
t captain and his powder varmints."
Y "Alone?"' a I. In sheer amaze
ment at the brazen effrontery Of thi
chase of half a hundred well-arme,
men by two.
8 The old hunter chuckled his little DIR,
laugh. I'VE ain't sich tarnation BIZ
fools ez we look. Cap'n John. There
t q good plenty of 'em to wallop us, 9
I allow, II 1t come to fighting 'em fai
and quare But there'n be some dar,
night r other whenst we can slip u
on EN- and raise a scalp r two an
lift what plumber we can tote: hey
, chief?"
But now Richard would inquire VIVA
time in the night the powder convo
left Appleby Hundred. and II Gilber
: stairs York district guests had trav
eled with 1t. To these askings Yeate
made answer hat Falconnet and hi
troop. with the Cherokee contingent
had AIKEN the road at midnight, Q
thereabouts; and that the Witherby'
with Mistress Margery riding her ow
black mare. and her maid on a pillio
/! behind a negro groom had passed som
two hours later.
: This was as we had hoped 1t Nigh
8 be; but when Dicks satisfaction woul
have set itself In words. the old hunt
: err made q sudden sign for silence an
e quickly lung himself full length to la
"A Iii r. orE !. %hA - w -~N~ -,~ -