The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1905-11-02

their. usual stolidity, and WERE for the
time being, mad.
What does this mean?' roared Jetn-
roe. I'VE must stop those beasts. They
may come to a standstll when they see
us charging them. If they don't let them
pass, and then make.for the near leaders
head. I'll tackle the off side"
They had made hundred yards when
they knew that they were under fire, but
the bullets Kissed harmlessly at dis
lance.
pretty bad shooting" said Jethroe.
Nothing within thirty yards of us,
guess"
The mules came flying forward. wild
with sudden panic, and the horsemen
were forced to diverge before them. But,
wheeling swiftly round, they were on a
level with them in a minute, and a firm
hand on either side brought the fright
ened team back to reason before another
two hundred yards had been covered.
Jethroe turned to the half-breed, whose
face had taken that extraordinary blush
gray which is never seen except in people
of his complexion, and among them only
at moments of intense excitement. The
mans eyes bulged with terror. and he
could scarcely speak. By and by he re-
covered himself slightly, and was able to
point to two holes In the tilt cloth, which
plainly enough indicated the passage Of
bullet
What with the excitement of being
shot at for the first time in his life and
the hard spin of the last ten minutes
riding, Harvey was breathless, and his
emotions were all jumbled up in a curl
Gus kind of way unprecedented in his
knowledge of himself until then.
Il don't-quite understand" he said
pantingly. What has happened? What
Is the matter?'
"Oh," said Jethroe, ''it's plain enough.
Somebody has found Diamond river, and
good shelter, Ell? Let's have look
at things.
He called a halt so soon as he had
got fairly under cover, and began to
prospect. As a precaution against any
renewal of panic on the part of the
mules, he hobbled the leaders, but in such
fashion as to be prepared to cast off at
any moment. He passed the reins round
the forelegs of his own mount, and did
the same for Harvey's.
You can shoot, suppose?" he asked
his nephew.
"At target" answered Harvey, with
half hysterical laugh. I'm a dandy"
''Then take that" said Jethroe, hand
ing a magazine rifle from the cart, and
arming himself also, "and don't use it
without orders. Do you mind?'
'All right" said Harvey. "You tell
me what I've got to do, and III do my
best to DO it,
Jethroe snaked up to the top of the
hillock behind which he had taken shell
ter. He found n tuft of brushwood
there. and from behind it reconnoitred
through a powerful field glass.
We'll. III be hanged" he said, "if
this isn't the coolest thing I've ever
known. There are half dozen natives
over there in slop-shop togs They're
reckoning to boss this show, are they?
Well, we'll see."
He turned for his rife. looked it leis-
urely over, and then. having poked the
nose of the barrel through the brush
wood, took careful aim and fired twice.
Ace thrown" murmured Jethroe, and
fired again. mo loss of lead this time,
Harvey" he said quietly. 1--WE bagged
TWO or EN-.
The survivors of the party of natives
had taken cover, and showed no
disposition to make a fight. Harvey
crawled to Jethroe's side and got the
field glass on to the dead natives. They
were barely half mile away, and in the
clear and equable light he could make
them out with astonishing precision. One
lay quite still, but the other was with
ing like a worm. He could not bear to
look. The sight sickened him.
"It's fair warfare" said Jethroe.
watching him with that quaint, sidelong
look he had when he was at his keenest.
And they declared war. / didn't. It's
ike a native to think he's going to keep
place like this secret when once it's
had spade in it. You mark me. Har-
vey. I'll keep it secret when it's served
my turn; but I'm the only man that
would, if you search the wide world over
We're not going to have any trouble
with those fellows tonight. It's q full
moon, for one thing. and apart from
that, they've no appetite for more than
they've got already. Well unhitch here
and make camp. There's plenty of water
below there"
He turned to work to make ready for
the night with that air of commonplace
amid strangeness with which his years
of wandering had endowed him. At his
bidding the half-breed began to gather
brushwood and dead branches, and Har-
vey asked in alarm if he meant to build
a fire.
"a FIRE" said Jethroe, twinkling. "T'm
not going without my tea for those beg
gars. No. no. It's all right, lad. I'm
going tc light half dozen fires to per-
suade them that we're big party. And
tomorrow at daylight we'll be on the
move again. Half a dozen miles should
do it now; but it's likely to be bad trav-
cling between sunset and moonrise, and
we shall be better here"
1t CHANGED that there was firewood In
plenty near at hand, and Jethroe made
his driver build up a number of small
piles, on the top of which he had green
stuff laid to make smoke.
Its an old stratagem," he said. ''but
1t will be good enough for those fellows.
Well take watch and watch all the same.
of course; but we shan't be disturbed"
They made their evening meal, and the
night came down, and the fires were
stamped out before the darkness grew.
wait till tomorrow" said Lsthroe.
Tomorrow will have the last word to
say in this story"