Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1905-08-03
THE MASTER OF AppLEbY !
By Francis Lynd.. -

. kynde.
will he the next oldest head, and I
reckon 1t haint been turned plumb +
foolish rampag.ng crazy by t'as here
purity gal o. Gilbert Stairs"
Now you have read thus iar IN my
poor tale to little purpose IL you have !
not vet discovered the MAYOR weakness
of an old campaigner. Which is TO weigh /
and measure all the chances, holding it
TO the full as culpahle to strike too
soon as too late. This weakness was 4
mine. and in that evil moment gave
my vote for further waiting. arguing
sapiently that my old field marshal
would never set Il night assault afoo,
till we'll on toward The dawn.
Lennifer heard me through and yield
ed, perforce, though with little good
will.
Il cannot compass it alone. or, ny the
gods. I'd go.' he asserted, angriiy-
Mark you, i,ohn Ireton, this della, is
thing YOUTH rue whilst you liNe Your
cold-cut pros and cons mouth Well
enough, and I'm no soldier-lawSer to
argue them down. But something bet
ter than your damnable reasons tells
these very present seconds are price
less" Whereupon he flung himself
face down in the grass and would not
speak again until the waiting time was
fully over and Yeates gave the word TO
fall In line for the advance.
Having learned the lay of the land
in mis- earlier reconnaissance. the old
borderer shortened the distance for us
by guiding us across the neck of
horseshoe bend in the stream, and
half hours blind cropping through the
forest fetched us out upon the river
bank again. this time precisely oppo-
site the Indians lodge fire on the other
side.
Here there was little pause for
three of us, while Ephraim Yeates
crept down the bank to try with his
sounding pole what chance we had of
crossing.
Measured by what could be seen
from our covert, the narrow Width OF
quick water seemed the last Of the
many obstacles.
LulIed to security, as we guessed, by
I the apparent success of their ruse to
throw us off the scent six of the Cher
okees We're lying feet to FIRE like the
spokes of a wheel for which the ftful
blaze was the hub. The seventh man
/ was squatted before small tepee-
! lodge of dressed skins, which, as We
/ look IL, WOMB DE tUe stepping Gtistl lcis
of the captires. Whilst all the others
Law stiff and stark as if wrapped in
soundest sleep, this sentry guard, too.
IL seemed, WAS scarcely more than half
awake. for as we looked. his gun was
1 slipping from the hollow of his arm
and he was nodding to forgetfuness.
Richard was a-crouch beside inc in
/ this peeping reconnaissance. and i
could feel him trembling in impatient
eagevness.
1T should be easy enough what
think YOU, he Mhspered; and then.
with sudden grasp upon my wrist:
\ you are cool and steady nervetl. John
Ireton; l swear you do not love her as
l do"
may, 1 grant you that. Dick said l,
/ making sure that his excitement would
obscure the double meaning in the add
mission. And then ADDED, sincerely
enough "She has never given NE the
right To love her at ALL
God help her at this pass, n" said,
more 10 himself than \" me and 'hen
he would go in a breath from blessing
Margery To cuIsing Ephrfim Yeaies
for this fresh delay.
ii MAS vncanoela who broke in upon
the muuered maledc,inn.
"Wah, e,sptlin Jennif' cuss plenty
heap like missionary medicine man
Look ee Uncanoola no can END white
SdilaW horse NbnItT. .NtlpIDt y Il ljIiil
.Iennif' see AIM. hey
Al n!, word We both looked for IL,
horses, marking nov That they We're
,.owhere To be seen within the Girclt
lighted by the lodge fire. The Ca-
itawba grunted his doubt that the en-
envy was as inalert AS he appeared Il
be- then ne set the doubt in words
Fl "Chelakee heap slick. Steep only one
eye, mebbe, hey lniun warrior nc
l,;,l md go
warpath.'
Here our scout came gliding back. SC
noiselessly that he was within arm S
reach before we heard HIM Dick naG
said WAS over cool, but the old mans
ghostlike temperance gave me sucl
a start as made me prinkle to my fin-
gers ends.
How win it be. Eph?" Dick queried
holly eager to be at work. we ca,
snake IL across? Never say we can't
pass that bit Of still water, MAN.
Hut Ephraim Yeates Old say so In
set terms.
but not jest here Away, G'apn Dick
She amt n,akink amy fuss about il
but she's Slipping along ike CREASED
ilightning, deep and mighty powerful
amt saying we mought nj swim he!
and come out somewhercs this side o
DAM Boone's country, but We'll max,
il a heap quicker by projec ing 'rculn
iii we find the ford where them var
mints made out to cross
Cod said DICK, deep in his throat
more time To be killed. Ply
The ola man was parting the hushe.
10 have a better sight of the encanp-
,nent opposite. bat nj Dicks outbreal
;ie fell back quickly aud clapped a hHnt
ON the lips of cussing
Hist. I.oul<ee over yotder viii ye,'
, he cut in. Ard then in "A whisper
meant for no e;IE hut mine: The Lore
be nlarciful TO that h,tle gal. Capi
John; we've fooled our chance away
the games afoot, and ". ;iint in it,
. looked and saw nothing save thai
the sentry guard had risen Ia throw
handful of dry branches on the dying
fire. But on the instant the dry Woo
blaZed up and in the wider circle o
. freight saw what the keener eyes
of Ephraiin Yeates had decred the
sooner In the shadowy background u
the surrounding forest a dozen horse
men We're converging In orderly array
upon the encampnent, and at the blaz
ing up of the dry branches their leader
gave the command to charge.
What sham battle there was, or was
meant to be, was over in the hriefes
space. The troopers galloped In with
shouts and aimless pistolings, raising
a clanor that was Instantly doubled by
the yells of the Indians. AS for re-
. sistance the charging troop met viii
nothing worse than the ceilings aud /
scattering f,lsilade In air. Then the
ring of horSemen narrowed ia TO closer
. quarters and there was some flashing
/, of bare steel in the freight. at WiCl
the Cherokee kidnapers melted AVA,
aud vanished as If by magic.
~ I,a cb Raj,