Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1905-08-31

AS had hoped to find them, the sad
dies were hung upon the branches of
the nearest trees. Margery's horse fur
nishings among them. at first the
black mare was shy of me, but gen
thing word or two won her over, and
she let me take her by the forelock and
lead her deeper into the herd where I
could saddle and bride her in greater
safety.
My plan to cut her out was simple
enough. Trusting to the darkness
the horse meadow was far enough from
the fires TO make a murky twilight of
| the rudy glow--1 thought to lead the
mare quietly away up the stream and
| thus on to the foot of that ravine by
| which we hoped to climb to the old
horderer's rendezvous on the plateau.
| But when all was ready and | sought
| To set this plan In action. an unfore-
seen obstacle barred the way. To keep
| the horses from straying up the val
ley an Indian sentry line vas strung
above the grazing meadow. and into
this | Numbered like any unlocked
| knaNe of a raw recruit.
! Had l been armed. the warrior who
rose before me phantom-like in the
! laurel edging of the meadow would
/ have had most sharp pointed answer
to his challenge. AS II waS-l had left
my sword With Jennifer because the
| captured trooper whose unders.udy I
was had left his sword In campI tried
/ to pal'leS With the sentry. He knew
no word of English. nor of Cherokee:
a cultural call summoned others of the
! horse keepers. and among them one
who spoke a little English.
Ugh. What for take white squaw
horse he demanded.
''rs the capta!n's order" replied,
lying boldly to fit the crisis.
Az that they gave me room: and had
I FASTENED, l had doubtless gone at
/ large without more ado. Rut at this
very apex point of hazard must
/ needs play out the part of unalarm ia
the mares fetlock under the headstall
and looking leiSurely to the lacings of
+ the saddle girth.
This foolhardy delay cost me ALL and
more than all. | was still fiddle fad
ding with the sirth strap. the better
To impose upon my Indian horse guards,
when suddenly there arose a yelling
hubbub of laughter in the camp be-
hind. turned to look and beheld a
thing laughahle enough. no doubt. and
yet it broke no bubble of Inirth i'm me
i Half way from the nearest forest
! fringe to the great fire a man. white
of skin and clothed only in Il pair of
trooper boots, was running swiftly for
cover To the nearest pine bough shelter
shouting like AN escaped Retllamite as
he fed. 1t asked for no second glance
this apparition of the yelling mailman:
twas our captive soldier. foot loose and
racing in 10 raise the hue and cry.
Now you may always count upon this
failing i'm cautious man. that at q
crisis he is likely to do the unwisesl
thing that offers. This cutting out OF
Margery's mare was none so vital a
matter that i should have risked the
marring of Ephraim Yeates's plan upor
III. Yet having done this Very thing
j must needs ruake a bad matter in
| tinitely worse.
Instead of mounting to ride a charge
through the camp, and So to draw the
pursuit after Snc toward the cavern en-
trance as l should ! slapped the mare
To send he; bounding through the guarG
line. Snatcfed a saddle from it's OAK
branch reg to hurl ii i'm the faces o1
the sentry group, and darting aside
plunged INTO the laurel ihcket To come
by running where ! could and creeping
where ! must to that place where
had left Richard Iennifer.
All hot ana c%aSptraieG as i was
Twas something inSs ,ilan cooling IL
find Dick a-double on the ground. hold.
ing his sides and laughing like Il yoke
il, his first paniomilne.
+ Continued Next Weekl