The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-06-16

the Tree b0rdererS.
Yet these were a handful! of the men
who had fought so stoNtly 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 p~ersevering
sort.
Ever come any closter to your Amen
than this, stranger?" dra1ted one OF
them, a grizzled borderer. lank, lean
and weather-tanned, with a face that
might nave been a leathern mask for
any hint it gave OF what went on be-
hind 1t. "Ill swear that little whip
snap officer cub had the word Fire
sticking in his teeth when I gave him
bic Sukey's mouthful o. lead to chaw
on
1 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
Y stmple-hearted folk know how to
ask.
When I had sufficiently accounted for
myself, Captain sForney-he was the
\ Itmber-backed young fellow / had rid
den behind-gripped my hand and gave
.seFa hearty welcome and c~ongratula-
ton.
MY father and yours were handfast
. ASAtA0S SdRldlkl AN1OIo IIIdAr lIdI
I've heard my father say he owed yours
somewhat on the score OF good turns.
I'm master glad I've nae a chance to
even up a little; though as for that, we
should both thank the Indian" At
which he looked around ID one who
calls an eye-muster n marks a miss
ing man. Where is the chief, Eph-
rain ?"-this to the grizzled hunter who
was methodically reloading his Ions
rife.
Hes back yonder, gathering in the
hair-crop. I reckon. Never you mind
about him, Cap'n. He'll turn up when
he smells h meat a-cooking. imme-
jitly, II not
Here, as I imagine. I looked all the
questions that lacked answers; for
Captain Forney look 1t in hand to At
them out with applications.
IT'S Uncanoola, the Catawba," he
said: one OF the friendlies. He was
out %a-scouting last night n came in
an hour before daybrek with the news
hanging a spy of ours. From that to
u little ambushment-'
i see." said I, wanting space to
turn the memory leaves. This Cataw-
ba; is he a man about my age?" Cap
tain F'orney laughed. Goo He only
knows an Indians age But Uncanoola
has been q man grown these fifteen
$3.50 = SoAA ASSoA1 AlA6 SO11lAlA6
to my fathers house when I was but 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 I was afraid
OF him; how ono I would have shot
him in a fit of boyish race antipathy
and sudden fright had he not flung
away his f1relock and stood before me
defenseiess.
Also, I 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 triEesmen, he had saved his
life and earned all Indian friendship.
II know this Uncanoola," 1 said.
My father befriended him in the
plague of go, n was never sorry for
1t. as I believe" Then 1 would ask If
these Catawbas had ranged themselves
on n patriot side, a question which
led the young militia captain to give
me the news at large while his border
ers We're breaking camp and making
their hasty preparations for h days
march.
liberty or death with us now;
we've burnt u bridges behind US"
LAG SdAO, WIleu lie udO COHllTIHGQ the
tidings / had the day before from
Father Matthew. "And since her. in
Carolina we have to fight each man
against his neighbor, tits like to go hard
with us, lacking help from the North"
Measured by this mornings work,
Captain Forney, these irregulars Of
yours seem we'll able to give a good
account of Themselves" I ventured.
He shook his head doubtfully. He
but a boy In years. but raj s a
shrewd schoolmaster. and this youth,
like many another on the fighting FROM
tier. had matriculated early.
seen US at U best" he
amended. I'VE can ambush like the
Indians, fire a volley, yell. charge-and
U away"
What's that ye're saying. young
ster?" The grizzled hunter had An
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, EDh Yeates," replied
young captain, curtly.
The old man leaned his rifle against
a tree. spat on his hands, cut a clumsy
caper in air, and gave tongue in a yell
that should have been heard by Tarle-
tons men at Appleby.
BY the eternal '%coonskins! / can
gouge the eye out of airy man thai says
Eph Yeates carn't stand up fair and
square and whop his weight in Wild
cats; and I can do it now. II not SOON
err" he shrilled. Come on, you
apron-stringed. French
daddied-'
Where the blast of vituperative insult
would have spent itself in natural
course we were not to know. for in the
midst, another of the borderers, q why
little man in greasy deerskin. came up
behind h capering ancient. whipped
arm around 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 1t out to the
finish. but ne did not. At his order
of he others pulled the twain
apart. reluctantly. l fancied; and when
the thing was done the old ma caught
up his rifle n strobe away in black
est wrath without a look behind him.
Captain Forney shrugged and spread
his hands as his French father might
have done.
Now you know wherein his weak