The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-08-04

oaths in common Speech-aS, truly. he
did-he would fetch up the arrears and
wipe out the score in one fell blast apo
his knees. Be this as it may, he was a
have said: and his warlike sup
be as the sword of the Lord and OF
in the coming onfall was no
whit u of place.
1t wanted yet a full hour of midnight
when Richard began again to plead
piteously for instant action. Yea,es
it still over-early, but when
Jennifer pressed him hard the old Dor
derer left the casting vote to me.
What say We. Cap'n John? Your'n
will be the next oldest head, and l
reckon it hain't been turned plumb
foolish rampaging crazy by this here
purity gal o Gilbert Stairs"
Now you have read thus far in my
poor tale to little purpose If you have
yet discovered the major weakness
of an old campaigner, which is to weigh
and measure all the chances, holding 1t
to the full as culpable to strike too
soon as too late. This weakness was
mine, and in that evil olme l gave
vote for further waiting, arguing
sapiently that my old field marshal
would never set a night assault afoot
till well on toward the dawn.
%Jennifer heard me through and yield
ed, %perforce, though with little good
will.
Il annot compass it alone, or, by the
gods, I'd go!" he asserted, angrily.
Mark you, John lreton, this delay is a
thing you'll u whilst you live. Your
cold-cut pros n cons mouth well
enough, and I'm no soldier-lawyer to
argue them down. But something bet
ter than your damnable reasons tells
me that the hour has s~truck-that
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 his earlier reconnaissance. the old
bordere" shortened the distance for US
by guiding us across the neck of a
horseshoe bend in the stream, and a
half hours blind cropping through the
fpfest fetched us out upon the river
bank again, this time precisely oppo-
site the Indians lodge fire on the other
side. -
Here there was a 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 Il covert, the narrow width Of
quick water seemed the last of the
many obstacles.
Lulled to security, as we guessed, by
the apparent success of their ruse to
throw US off the scent, six of the Cher
okees were lying feet to fire like the
spokes Of a wheel for which the f1tful
blaze was the hub. The seventh man
was squatted before a small tepee-
lodge of dressed skins, which, as we
took it, would be the sleeping quarters
of the captives. Whilst all the others
lay stiff and stark as if wrapped in
%soundest sleep, this sentry guard, too.
1t seemed, was scarcely more thar half
awake, for as we looked, his u vas
slipping from the hollow of his arm
and he was nodding to forgetfulness.
Richard was a-crouch beside me in
this peeping reconnaissance. and l
could feel him trembling in impatient
eagernesS.
1T should be easy enough-what
think you?" he whispered; M then,
with a sudden grasp upon my wrist:
You are cool and steady-nerved, John
Ireton; l swear you do not owe her as
l do"
NAY. I grant you that, Dick aid I,
making sure hat his excitement would
obscure the double meaning in the adj
mission. And then I added. sincerely
enough: She has never given me the
right TO love hef at all.
God help her at this pass!" he said,
more TO himself than to me; n then
he would go in a breath from blessing
Margery to cursing Ephraim Yeates
for this fresh delay.
1t was Uncanoola who broke in upon
the muttered malediction.
"Wah! Captain Jennif' cuss plenty
heap, like missionary medicine man
Look-ee! Uncanoola no can find white
squaw horse yonder. Mebbe Captain
Jennif' see 'uln, hey?"
At his word we both ooked for the
horses, marking now that they were
nowhere to be seen within the circle
lighted by the lodge fire. The Ca
tawba grunted his doubt hat the en-
envy was ar inalert as he appeared to
be; then he set the doubt in words.
"Chelakee heap slick. Sleep only one
eye, mebbe, hey? 1njun warrior nc
hide horse and go sleep both eye on
warpath!"
Here our scout came gliding back, sc
noiselessly hat he was within arms
reach before we heard him.. Dick had
said l was over cool, but the old mans
ghostlike temperance gave me such
a start as made me prinlSle to my fin
gers ends.
How will it be. Eph?" Dick queried
holly eager TO be al work. I'VE car
make it across? Never say we can
pass that bit of still water, mani
But Ephcaim Teates did say SO ir
set terms.
Il reckon ez how we've got to cross
but not jest ~here-away, Cap'n Dick
She amt nakink any fuss about 1t
but she's slipping along ike CREASED
lightning. deep and mighty powerful
1 amt saying we mought MT swim hel
n come out someWheres this side o
Dan'l Boone's country, but We'll make
it a heap quicker by projecting round
till we find the ford where them var
minis made out to crosS.'
Cod" said Dick, deap in his throat
more time to be killed. By"
The OLD man was parting the bushes
to have a better sight OF the en9amp.
ment opposite, but at Dicks Outbreak
he fell back quickly and clapped a hanC
on the lips of cursing.
Hist! Lookee over yonder, will YET
he cut In. And then in a whisper
meant for no ear but nine: The Lore
be marciful to that little gal, Capri
John; we've fooled our chance away
the games aCCot, and we amt in Eit!'
looked and saw nothing save tina
the sentry guard had risen to throw {
handful of dry branches on the dyins
fire. But on the instant the dry Woo
blaZed up n in the wider circle o
freight l saw what the keener eye.
of Ephraim Yeates had decried tn,
sooner. In the shadoWy background o
the surrounding forest a dozen horse.
men We're conVerSing in orderly ARA.
upon the encampment, and at the b!aZ
ing up of the dry branches their leade
gave the command to charge.
- I -L.- l.