Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-06-16
THE MASTER OF APPLEBY|
BY Francis Lynde.


hunting shirt and r"accoOn-Skln cap OF
the free borderers.
Yet these were a handful of the men
who had fought so stoutly against the
Tory odds at Ramsour's Mill, their cap
tain being that Abram Forney of whom
you may have read In the histories.
and though they made no military
show, they lacked neither hardihood
nor courage, Of a certain persevering
sort.
Ever come any closter to your Amen
than this, Stranger" dreTted n OF
them, a grizzled borderer. lank, lean
n weather-tanned, with a face that
might have been a leathern mask for
any hint Ii gave of what went on be-
hind IL. I'll swear that little whip
snap officer cub had the word Fire
sticking in his teeth when / ave him
old Sukey's mouthful O lead to chaw
on
L said i had come as near my exit a
time or two before, though always in
fair fight; and therupon was whelmed
in an avalanche of questions such as
only simple-hearted folk know how to
ask.
When / had sufficiently accounted for
myself, Captain Forney-he was the
limber-backed young fellow / had rid
den behind-gripped my hand and gave
me a hearty welcome and congra ella-
ton.
My father and yours were handfast
friends, Captain Ireton. More than that
I've heard my father say he owed yours
somewhat on the score of good turns.
I'm master glad I've had a chance to
even up a little; though as for that. we
should both thank the Indian" At
which he looked around as one who
Ing man. Where is the chief. Eph-
raim?'-this to the grizzled hunter who
was ~methodically reloading his long
rifle.
HES back yonder, gathering in the
hair-crop. / reckon. Never you mind
about him, Cap'n. He'll turn up when
he smells the meat a-cooking. imme-
jitiy, II not sooner"
Here, as l Imagine, l looked all the
questions that lacked answers; for
Captain Forney took 1t in hand to ft
them out with applications.
"'Ti Uncanoola, the Catawba," he
said; ION OF the friendlies, He was
out ~a-scouting last night and came in
an hou before daybrek with the news
that Colonel Tarleton was set upon
hanging a spy of ours. From that ~
u little adjustment
II see," said /, wanting space to
turn the memory leaves. This Cataw-
ba; is he n mar about my age?" Cap
tain Forney laughed. God He only
knows an Indians age. But Uncanoola
has been a mar grown these fifteen
years or more. / "a recall his coming
to my fathers house when l was blu a
little codger."
AT that, / remembered, too: remem-
bered a tall, straight young savage, as
handsome as a figure done in bronze,
who used sometimes to meet me in the
lonelier forest wilds when / vas afraid
of him; how once / would have shot
him in a fit Of boyish race antipathy
and sudden fright had he not flung
away his firelock and stood before me
defenseless.
Also, / recalled a little incident of the
terrible scourge in 80 when the black
pox bade fair to blot out this tribe of
the Catawbas; Low when my father
had found this young savage lying in
the forest, plague-stricken and deserted
by all his tribesmen, he had saved his
life and earned an Indian friendship.
II know this ~Uncanoola," i said.
MY father befriended him in the
plague of 80, and was sorry for
1t, as l believe" Then l would ask IL
these Catawbas had ranged themselves
on the patriot side, a question which
led the young militia captain TO give
me the new at large while his border
ers We're breaking camp n making
tklCAI NASTY PIGPdA dtAOAAS lOA NtC ooJ .
march.
IT'S liberty or death with US now
we've burnt our bridges behind us"
he said, when he had confirmed the
tidings / had the day before from
Father Matthew. "And since here in
Carolina we have to fight each man
against his neighbor, tbs like TO go hard
with us. lacking help from h North"
Measured by this mornings work,
r--&At. - kAarN frrAerYtl nc nf
yours seem well able to give a good
account of themselves 1 yentured.
He shook his head d~oubtfully. He
was but a boy in years. but war - a
shrewd schoolmaster, n this youth,
like many another on the fighting from
tier. had matricnlatad aarly
You've seen US at our best he
amended. I'VE a ambush like the
Indians, fire a volley. yell. charge-and
run away"
What's that ye're saying, young
ster?' The grizzled hunter had An
ished reloading his rifle. and. lounging
in earshot with all the freedom of the
border. would take the captain up
sharply on this last.
you heard me. Eph Yeates," replied
my young captain. CURLY.
The Did man leaned his rifle against
a tree, spat on his hands. cut a clumsy
oaper In air, n gave tongue In a yell
that should ave been heard by Tarie-
on's men at Appleby.
by the eternal 'coonskinsl / can
gouge the eye out of airy man that says
Eph Yeates carn't stand up fair and
square and whop his weight In Wild
cats: and l can do 1t now, IL not soon
err he shrilled. Come on. you
pap &c .sS sS.ss ssssa, French
daddied-"
Where The blast OF vituperatiye insult
would have spent itself in natural
course we were not 20 know. for In the
midst another OF the borderers. a wiry
behind the capering ancient, whipped
an arm o his neck. and In a
trice the two went down, kicking,
scratching. buffeting and mauling. as
like a pair OF battling bobcats as were
ever seen.
For a moment I thought my young
ster would let them have IL to the
finish, but ne did not. AT his order
some OF the others pulled the twain
apart. reluctantly, l fancied: and when
the thing was done the old man caught
up his rifle ard strobe away In black
est wrath without a look behind him.
Captain Forney shrugged and spread
his hands as his French father might
hay done.
Nov you know wherein his weak
ness lies, Captain Ireton,' he said.
There goes as true "A mar and as keen
a shot as ever pulled trigger. Let him
fight his own way. and he'll take cover
and name his man for every bullet In
his pouch. But as for yielding TO de-
cent authority, or standing against
trained troops In open field" He
| ShruNced again turned to ffrhfen