The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-07-07
to me. and SO | crept back into the

to me. and SO l crept back into the
burrow.
See here" he said. excitedly. What
a devil will you make Of this?"
He had drawn the scattered embers
together. tanning them ablaz agin. and
had sought and found the arrow. 1t
was a blunt-head reed and no war
shaft. And around the middle Of 1t.
tightly wrapped and tied with silken
threads. was a little scroll OF parch-
ment.
Ills the Catawba's arrow" aid Jen-
infer. though how he knew l could not
guess; and then he cut the threads to
free the scroll.
ENROLLED and spread at large. the
parchment proved to be that map OF
Captain Stuart's that 1 had found and
lost again. And on the margin OF 1t
was my note to %Jennifer. written in
that trying moment when the bribed
sentry waited at the door and my sweet
lady stood trembling beside me, MUIR
muring her Holy Marys."
Read it," said l.. 1T explains itself.
walt for the hangman. and l would
lave passed the word about the In
dian arming on to you. But my mes
senger was overhauled. and"
Yes, yes" he broke in: I've spelled
1t out. But this line added at the bot
tom-surely. that is never your grabbed
fist. BY heaven! tbs in Madge's hand!'
He knelt to hold it closer to the flick
ertng freight. and we deciphered 1t to-
gether. 1t was but a line. as he had
said. with neither greeting nor leave
taking. address nor signature.
III this should come into the hands
of any t~rue-hearted gentleman'-here
was a blot as If the pen had slipped
from the fingers holding 1t: and then.
In French. the very wording of the In
articulate cry that had come to me out
of the darkness and silence "a moi!
pou Tamour de Dieu!"
We fell apart, each to his own side
of the handful Of embers.
You mak it out?" said I, after a
moment Of strained silence
He nodded. She has prattled tho
parlez-vous to me ever since we were
boy and maid together"
A full minute more of the threatening
silence. and at the end Of 1t we were
:laring at each other like two wild
creatures crouching for the spring. :
1t was Jennifer who spoke first.
Twas meant for me- he said; and
his voice had the warning of a mas
tlff's growl in 1t.
NO." said I CURLY.
Il say it was!"
Then you say the thing which is
not"
l. q DSVil - 4 hhic"
not bitter %reproach l should have
found to hurl at the mar who had
thrice owed his life to me. But he
said no word of what had gone be-
fore.
You may give me the lie. If you like.
John Ireton; l shall not strike you. He
said 1t slowly, but his face was gray
with anger. Then he added,
hotly: You knew we'll that word was
meant for mel"
At this-God forgive me!-my jealous
wrath broke bounds and I cursed him
for a beardless Coxcomb who must
needs think he stood alone in the eye
Of every woman ne should meet. "she
needs a mani" l ragged. lost now to
every sense of decent justice. "a man.
I say! And to whom would she send
If not to her"
I hoked upon the word. He had
risen with ne. and we stood face to
face in that grim earth-womb, snarl-
ing fercely at each other across the
every tie to knit us close together. and
yet-God save us ALA pair Of wild
beasts strung up to the killing pitch
} because, forsooth. we must needs front
each other across a deadline drawn by
the finger of a. woman!
3 God knows what would have come OF
all this had my dear lad been as fierce
t a fool as l. Twas his good common
| sense tina saved US both, 1 think. fol
when the savage rival madness was a
it's height he turned away. swearing W
were the very pick and choice Of 6
. world of asses to stand thus feeling fol
l each others threats when, mayhap, thu
:. lady needed both Of us.
This brought me to my senses at :
. gallop. as o would guess: to then
8 and to the lighting OF the conscience
: fire within wherein to grill the wicked
heart hat but now had thirsted for
t brothers blood.
9 Now God have mercy on us BOTH
1 groaned. Forgive me. Dick, If yo'
o can; / was as mad as any Berlamite
If l have any claim on her, tits not o
s her good will, you may be sure. Yo'
e have the baronet to fear-not me-"
r He shook his head and pointed t
the parchment-to the line in French.
o Francis F%alconnet was under tn
t same roof with her-or at least in cas-
o call-when she wrote that. Jack. He !
h no longer my rival-nor yours"
n His word set me thinking. and
would fall to picking out the strand
!; that jealous wrath had woven for m
: into the weA Of happenings. Settin
aside the story brought by Ephriar
a Yeates, there was no certain proof tina
she had ever favored the Englishman
a nay, more, till I had come to be madl
II Jealous Of Falconnet, I had made sur
It that Jennifer was the favored one.
e Continued Next Weekly