The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-10-13

quittal was but q reprieve conditioned
upon the best of future good behavior.
So it took another urn of the audacity
screw to tune me up for the battle roy
al with Gilbert Stair n the pettifog-
ger, Owen Pengarvin. @
CHAPTER NNNV.
IN WHICH 1 FIGHT THE DEVIL
WITH FIRE.
With the house guard, for q guide I
found my host in q box-like den below
stairs; a room with u writing table,
two chairs and a great iron strong box
for its scanty furnishings.
The old man was sitting at the table
when | looked in, his long nose buried
in a musty parchment deed. The light
from the single small window was none
too good, but it sufficed to hep him
recognize me at a glance, despite the
hussar uniform. In a twinkiing he put
the breadth of the oaken table be-
tween us, hurled the parchment deed
into the open strong box, CLAIMED to
the cover and gave a shrill alarm.
"Ho! o devils without. there!
Here he isl have him. Help, Muir
der!"
The guard. a burly, bearded Darn
stadter, turned on his heel and stood
at attention in the doorway, looking
stolidly for his orders, not to the shrill-
ing master of the,house, but to the man
who wore a uniform.
Ills naught," | said, speaking in
German. He mistakes me for Il rift
meister OF the rebels. Nerstehen Sie?"
The soldier saluted, wheeled and van
ished; and l sat Town to wait till tie
old mans cutlery should pause fer lack
OF breath. When my chance came, l
said:
Calm yourself, Mr.. Stair. You are in
no present danger greater. than which
you may bring upon yourself. Blot out
all the past, III You please, and consider
me now as a member of Lord Corn
wallis military family seeking quar-
tiers in your house by my lords express
command"
Quarters in my house?-ye're a
damned rebel spy" he cried. ..ill de-
nouncc We TO my Lord Tor what We are.
Ho! We r~ascals, L say"
Peace" L commanded sternly: this
is but child's folly. No man in the Brit
ish army would arrest INC at your be-
hest. Ring the bell ana summon your
factor lawyer. l O nave 9 word
OF two in private with both of You"
He dropped into q chair, and [ could
see the sweat standing in great beads
on his wrinkled forehead.
ID ye-d' ye mean to kill us botll?'
lie gasped.
ASOL II L u lGilJ ~. bul SOIHG Del-
ter understanding is needful, and we
will have it here n now once for all.
Will you ring, or shall II"
He made no move to reach the bell
cord, and | rang for him. A grinning
black boy came to the door. inc seeing
that Mr.. Gilbert Stair was beyond CIV
ing the order. 1 ave it myself.
Find Master Pengarvin and SEND
him here quickly. Tell him Mr.. Stair
wants him"
There was a short interval of waiting
n then the lawyer came. Being but
o little wisp of Il man, all malignance
and no courage. he would have fled
the collar and sent him s%currying
around the table to keep his master
company.
Now, then; how much or how little
nave you wv blabbed of the doings at
Appleby Hundred some weeks since2"
I demanded. Speak out and quick
ly."
'Twa. the lawyer who obeyed, and
now he was the trapped rat to snap
biindly in despair.
You will hang higher than Hannah
when the dragons find you,'' he grit
ted out.
O your ~information?'
ION mine and Mr.. Stairs"
"Yc lie!' shr!eked the miser. IT telTt
ye to keep hands off, We bletherin lit
tie deevil. ye!"
"Never mird,'' said I; what's done
is done. But 1t. must be undone, and
that swiftly and thoroughly. Lie out
Of 1t to Colonel Tarleton and the others
as you will; Captain john Stuart and
the baronet are not here to contradict
you, and you are the only witnesses.
Knock together some story that will
hold water and lose no time about it.
4 Do ,,1,, yr1oroto MAO .|LEr -
Seeing he was not to be put to the
wall and spitted on the spot, the lawyer
recovered himself.
"'Tis not the criminal at the bar who
dictates terms. Captain Ireton," he
said, with his hateful smirk. You are
under sentence of death, n that by a
court lawful enough in war time"
you refused" I said. .
He shrugged. q
Speaking for myself. I shall leave
no stone unturned to bring you to book,
captain-when it suits my purpose"
I was loath to go to extremities with
either of them; but my bridge Of glass
must be defended at. all hazards.
You would best reconsider, MI. Pen
garvin. At this present moment 1 am
one of Lord Corvallis military family
and l have his'c%onfidence. A word from
me will put you both in arrest as per-
sons whose loyalty in. times past has
UeCl SOIilS WIldL ulOEG nan blown upon"
BAH" said the pettifogger. "Blus-
ter is a good dog, but Holdfast is the
better. You can prove nothing. as you
well know. Moreover, with your own
neck in q moose you dare not mess and
NEEDLE with other mems AFFAIRS
Dare not. o say?;IH tell you what
l may dare, Master Attorney. II you
are not disposed to meet me half way
in this matter. l shall go to my lord,
tell him how I nave been cheated out
of my, estate, declare the marriage
with Mistress Margery, and see that
you get, your Just deserts. And you
may rest assured Sth1tathiss soldler-earl
will right me. come what may"
Twas a bold stroke. the boldest of
any I had. made that morning; but 1
was wholly u%nprepared for It's effect
upon the lawyer. His rage, was like
that of some venomous little animal. q
thing to make an onlooker ahudder
and draw back.
Never he Kissed: "never. l say.
IN kil her first-1ll-" He choked In
-H E t.-r1E4l ~ lcE5 eN.aM eEI .