The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-09-08
MIX.
IN WHICH, HAVING DANCED, WE
PAY THE PIPER.

S' Wy liz ll' :Nf
cognizance of pauses it seemed no
more than a nc between the
stamping ont Of breath and its 2aSping
recovery. But in the interval the scene
had shifted from the open savanna to
Il thinly set grove of oaks With the
stream brawling through the midst.
TO the biggest of the trees l was
tightly bound: and a little way apart
Il fire, newly kindled. smoked and
blaZed up titfully. by the light of the
fire a good score of the Cherokees We're
gathering dead-falls and dry branches
below, the Indian lodges of which We're
in plain view beyond the intervening
horse meadow, other sav:ges We're hur-
rying TO join the wood carriers.
So far as these hasting preliminaries
applied to me, their meaning was not
difficult to read. I was to he burned
at The stake in proper savage fashion.
But Richard Jennifer-what had be-
come of him. a sound. half sigh. half
groan. told ME where to look. Hard
by, bound 10 n tree as I was. and so
near that with a free hand ! could have
touched him. was my poor lad.
"Dicl<!"I cried.
He turned his head as the close
drawn thongs permitted and gave me a
smile as loving-tender as a woman's.
AYE. Jack; they have us marc and
fast this time. I have been praying
you'd never come alive enough to feel
the fire"
I'VE were taken together" So much
I dared ask.
IN the same onset. Twas but a
question of clock ticks in that back-to-
back business. But they paid scot and
lot this with an inching nod toward
q row of naked bodies proppad sitting
against a fallen tree: nine of them in
an. one with its severed head between
its knees. and three others showing
the gaping hacks and hewings of the
great brOadSWord.
They've fetched them here to see us
burn" he went on. But by the gods.
blades and Ephraim Yeates' hunting
knife hat the only fires they'll ever
see are those of hell
"Yeates?" ! queried. Then they
have taken him and the Catawba, as
weil?i
Not alive, you may he sure, else we
should have them for But
1t has a black ook for our friends that
the flying column we met in the stream
cave came back so soon. Moreover, the
bodies of the three peace-pipe smokers
We're found and brought in; that viii
be the Great Bear holding his head ir
his hands at the end of yonder bloody
masquerade
Il guessed as much. Sod rest GU,
poo cOHradeS.'
aye; and God help Madge? Ills nc
time for r~eproaches, but amongst US
: we have signed her death warrant Will
!! our OunglingS.'
, III it were only death!" 1 groaned
! "'Tis just that. Jack" said he; "nt
! better, mayhap, but no worse. Whcl
we We're downed by that screechint
mob, she was out and on her knees t,
f %Falconnet, beseeching hin to spare US
: He put her off smoothly at first, sayini
e | ~ ,,,-~ J., T11;.rc' "a efai-- fIat ~,
/ would not be baked of their vengeanc'
by any interference Of his. But whel
S she only begged the more piteously, h
S showed his true colOrs, ripping out tina
e we should have as swift a quittance a
we had meant to give him, and tina
within the hour she should be the mis-
tress of Appleby and free to marry a.
e English gentleman"
"Well?" said l, making sure tina
h now at last he must M all.