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

CHAPTER NXNIv.-Continued.

bell for me. will you. Captain?"
Inc crisis was come. A pull at the
bell cord would summon the guard, anC
the guard would be sent after Colone
Tarleton. Well. said the demon Despair
us time you were gone to make roon
Tor Richard Jennifer; and / laid
nahd upon the tasseled rope. But wher
i would nave rung, all the man pride
OF race n of soldier training, rose ul
to bid me fight for space to strike one
good blow In freedoms cause by way
OF leave-taking.
so, as 1t had been an af~terthought,
said: "A word further with. you first
nas,Aord, and then, if You please, I will
call the guard. All you remember i.
true. save as to the principal fact. 81
1af from being a spy in intent. or ever
a partisan of either side, I was at the
time but newly come into the province
knowing little of the cause of quarre
n caring still less. But Captain Fal.
comet and Colonel Tarleton did theil
earnest best to make a rebel of me out
OF hand"
All? But the proof of all this, Cap.
tain %Ireton."
The best I can offer is the present
1act of my coming to place myself al
your L~ordship's disposal, being moved
thereto by. your Lordship's own desire
expressed in an order sem some weeks
since to Sir Francis Falconnet."
"So?-then you knew of that order?'
captain Falconnet showed it to me
alter L was condemned and the firing
squad was drawn up to snuff me out.
MY Lord Charles gave me the cour.
tier smile that SO endeared him to his
sold1ers-as he was we'll loved of his
men-and bade me sit.
The plot thicksns, as Mr.. Richard
son would say. Let me have your
story, Captain Ireton. I would rejoice
to know why Captain Sir Francis Fal-
comet saw fit to disobey his ORDERS"
l was clear of the lee shore and the
breakers at last. but I was fain to be-
l1eve that not Machiaveli himself could
hope to weather the storm in the open.
HOW much or how little did Lord Corn
wallis remember of Colonel Tarreton's
report? How explicit had that re-
port been?-was there any mention in
ence between Captain John Stuart and
the baronet; of my attempt to warn
the over-1nountain men against the In
dia~n-arming? Gould 1 hope to tell his
Lordship a tale so near the truth as
to be unassailable by Tarleton and his
officers. by Gilbert Stair and the spite
ful little pe~ttifogger, and yet so deftly
garbled as to keep my neck out of the
halter for the time being.
All these questions thronged upon me
as a mob to pull cool reason from her
seat, and L could only play the art
of the trapped rat and snap back at
them. Yet my Lord CORVALLIS was
waiting for his answer, and a single
moments hesitation might breed sus-
picion.
You must forgive me, dears, if
confess it beyond me to set down here
in measured words the tale 1 told his
Lordship. A lie is q lie, be it told i'm
never so good a cause; a thing deplor-
able and not to be glazed over or boast
ed of after the fact. So 1 beg you to
let these quibblings to which 1 was
driven rest in oblivion, figuring to
yourselves that I used all the truth
dared, and thai 1 strove through it all
not wholly to sink the gentleman and
the man Of honor in the spy.
Twas but a bridge of glass when all
was said; a bridge that carried me
safely over for the moment into my
Lords confidence. yet one which a
pebble flung by any one of a dozen
hands might shiver in the dropping of
an eyelid.
Truly, o have had a most ro-
mantle experience" said his Lordship,
when I had made an end. Then he lay
back in his chair and laughed till the
stout body of him shook again. "And
all about a little wench Of the provin-
Gals. Well, well; Sir Francis was al
ways a sad dog with the ONE But
all this was in the early summer, you
say; Where have you been since?"
Here was a chance for romancing,
this time Of a sort less dangerous. Sc
1 drew breath and plunged again, tell
ing how I had been carried off by my
captor-rescuers; how I had fallen into
the hands Of the Indians-not all OF
whom. l would remind his Lordship,
were friendly to the king; and lastly
how I had but lately escaped from the
mountain Businesses back Of Major
Ferguson's camp at Gilbert Town. "A,
this point my Lord Interrupted the
tale-telling.
$50 you know OF the major and his
doings? I would o had brought me
late news Of him. It's a week since his
last courier reached u.s." IS
This was the moment for the playing
I rose, bowed, took from my pocket
that other letter given me by Colonel
Davie and handed it to his Lordship,
Twas Major Ferguson's last report
Intercepted by one of Davies vigilant
scouting parties.
"Ah!" seid my Lord; and I strolled ia
the window whilst he cad the letter.
was all affability; and ] knew I was
safe-for the time. at least.
The major commends you highly as
q good man and a true, Captain ire
ton" he said. and truly the letter did
contain a warm-hearted commentator
of 1.-The bearer" whose name, for
safety's sake, vas omitted; and not
only this, but the. writer desired to
have his man back again. Then my
Lord added: you are here to take
your old service again, I assume?"
I hesitated. There be things that ever
a spy may balk at; and the taking OF
the oath of allegiance to the other side
1 conceived to be n Of them. So
said:
II have worn many uniforms since
doffed that of King George. my Lord
and"
He laughed cheerily. But me nc
butts Captain Ireton; once an English.
man, always an Englishman, YOU
know. 1 shall assign you to duty in
my own family"
AT this 1 made a bold stroke. lie,
1t be then as an officer Of her Apostolic
Majesty's service. and your Lordship's
guest for the time. Believe, me, 1t is
thus I may best serve your-ah-the
cause"
las howe" he would ask.
I smiled n touched the braided
&r ~ ~ -. -.----