The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-07-28

BY Francis Lynds.
CHAPTER W-Continued.

So
CHAPTER yx.-Continued.
Ws marched In Indian file. Ephrain
Hnses IN the lead. Uncanoola at his heels
- b two of US heavier-footed one.
A1axing up the rear. knowing the wood
- wilderness by length and breadth, the
80 man held Q through thick and thin,
o1xnaght ~ an arrow to The mark: and
- Ne had never q sight of the road again
~ We came out upon 1t suddenly at the
Y - Of violence.
Hefe Il should have been In despair for
- hack OF any Ineligible hint to point
80 way; and ! think o even %Jenniter,
WoaA Ill his woodcraft. could a read
- 1sccrd OF the onfall as Yates and the
Cn1awbA did. Blu for all the overlapping
A1AG1e OF smoccasfn and hoof prints neith-
= - these men Of the forest was at fault.
- ten mtnute later even their skill
- have been baffled. tnasmuch as the
- few splitting %raindrops were patter-
- IN the tree tops when we came upon
H. ground.
That's Jest about what was most
a1hafd Of. said the borderer, with a
10y glance skywards Down on your
1nnkers. chief. q help me read this sign
nGaFD the good Lord takes to sending his
49, On the Jest al the unjest." and
eAsEewitil these two fell to quartering all
~ ground like trained dogs nosing FOR a
Mmt.
~ stood aside and watched them, Rich
- . /, realizing tina we were of small
ane0ant and should be until. perchance,
8 aAonld come to the laying on of hearty
n1UBs After. the closest scrutiny which
1oek account Of every broken twig and
1npled blade of grass, this prolonged
Runta the rain was falling smartly to wash
- m the footprints In the dusty road,
HaAAeI and the Indian ave over and came
- 1otn us under the sheltering branches
- m oak.
IL 4 mighty cur'is sign; most mighty
Qucth the hunter, slinging the
- drops from his fur cap n emptying
1hoSpan of his rifle. not upon the ground,
- = soldier would, but saving every preci-
- grain. . I allow. I never heerd tell
- any S1nJuns a-doing that-away afore;
~ you. chief? hey?"
1ha!Catawna,s negative wa his gut
1xr11#sWah and Ephraim Yeates. hav-
- carefully restored the final grain of
- rEtmtng 70 his powder-horn, proceeded
1Ds0nhghten US at some length.
SsA1ighty scnr'is. ex I was a-saytng. Them
Nouns flxed up an adjustment. blazed in.
Asvoley At b closest sort o. range, n
1611Dwed It up with a tomahawk and knife
- daddled to tell n truth. what
Medsver And, spite of all this here
y1mpaging, they never drawed q single
- u blood In the whole enduring scrim-
0AOs! Mighty cur'is. that; amt 1t. now?
- that amt all: come o. them same
l40Wn1 or leaBtwtse one OF 'em. was a.
wearing boots with spurs onto ''em. What
-, chief ~
u~pcanoola held up all the fingers Of one
AAsd and two OF the other ..Sebben In
80 q pale face he said, In confirma-
y hooked at Richard, and he gave me
- The eye-shot. with = hearty curse to
ADeed Il.
s.FSlccnnet!'' said he, by way OF tall
Heeca#to the oath; and8I nodded.
TWas that there same hoss-captain,
Sofo enough, Sez / reckon" drawled Yeates.
"a 1ayhes one %, you two al tell what-aI
= mought Be arriving at"
1ennifer shook his head. and ], too, was
1snt. Twas out OF all reason TO suppose
TIT the baronet would resort to sheer
y3oaence and make a terrified captive OF
- woman he wantedAto marry. It was
asE1rions mystery. and the hunters next
n~pEdsinSolved II stu more.
And ytt that amt all. Whilst some o.
- Injlns was a~-whoopings 81 up acrost
NJ creek. ~a-chasing the folks that was
snnaking tracks for their city o. refuge.
tssthers run the Two gals Off into the big
woods at h side o. the road. Then
Mister Hoss-Captain picks up the Afri-
lin. chucks him. on q boss and sends him
sA-ktting with his hea In his ear; after
Wkich h climbs his boss n
Aaka tracks hisself-not to ketch
p With the gals. e you mought reckon.
= on yon way" pointing across the
@oskAnd%down the road to the south
n
I Jsnnifer heard him through. had him
- u al out again In plainest fashion,
Eand After al LIQUID only say: You are
Hsesyou have the straight Of It. Eph?'
The sborderer appealed to Uncanoola.
jedgment. Has the old Gray Wolf gone
1tun-blind? or did he read them sign like
aAsy.d ort to be read?"
ssWahl the Cray Wolf has sharp eye.
arp n0se--sharp tongue, sometime.
Mgn NO an lie when he read 'um.
Jennifer turned to me-. What say you.
1Ackf Ills ali far enough beyond me,
1Usconfess."
S1 was - much at sea touching the mys-
ny rs he was: yet the thing to do
Dcened plain enough.
Never mind the baronet's mystery; IT'S
Nk1sfress Margery's hazard that concerns
-" ! would say. And then to Ephraim
s1eates: "Wnl! this rain kill the trail.
Aa1ESkEEzou n,
1eH snrtain: twill make q heap o. differ
Hthey was anyways anxious to hide It.
- q starts out, with the women a-hos--
lesk. It's plain enough for a blind man
- nh on the run"
Then let US be at It." said I. ''We can
vay veil, afford to let the mystery untan-
gao ITSELF as we co.. And with this the
pursuit. began In relentless earnest.
The trail Of the two horses ridden by
0nrgery and her woman cut a right
AnEss With the road. turning northwest
along the left bank Of the stream; and,
despite the rain, which was now pouring
steadily even In the thick wood, the hoof-
Prints We're 50 plainly marked that we
eould follow at q smart dog-trot.
Ga this speeding the old hunter n the
Indian easily outwearied Jennifer and
0s- They both ran with a slow win
1ng leap. like the racking gait, half pace,
ali gallop, ptsa well-trained troop horse.
NILS after mile they put Behind them in
thess swinging bounds; and when, well
IN N the afternoon. we stopped to eat a
snack of.tle cold meat and to Stake our
aAhirst at n OF the many rain pools, I
Sa5 fam to follow Jcnr.fer's lead, throw
Rg myself fiat on the soaking mold to
pans and gasp and pay Off the arrears Of
areathlessness.
Thts breathing halt was Of the BRIEF
eat: hut before the race began again,
XUHArNfrn Yea taa Efoo1r f}r.o - -.,I-. <