The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-09-01
CHAPTER NNvll-conrinued.

Just beyond the %crooking elbow the
dull red glow from a tiny fire gone ,c
Goals showed us two Indian sentries
claymore. but he was chilling again
and the han that grasped the
great blade was shaking as with q
palsy. Yet he would mut1er. as the
Notwithstanding suffered him:
What say YOU, Jack" Shall we rush
them? There's nausht else for it," And
then, With a grit,iny oath: "Oh, damn
this cursed c%hiliing."
whispered back that We would Wal,
till he was better tit. He was loath 1c
admit the necessity, but, as il chanced
the momentaTy delay saved our lives
in that strait. While we paused. hug
Sing the shadows in the crooking ell
bow, the gloomy depths beyond the
sen,ries were suddenly starred with
flaring tlambeauX lighting the way 70,
a hastins rabble of savuges; and had
we been e~ntansied in the struggle with
the two Scntinels we would have beer
taken red-handed.
AS ii was. We had 10 make the quick
est play to save ourselves. In the same
breath we both remembered the mar
row side passage just behind in which
we We're nigh to losing our way. and
INTO this We plunged reckless of pos
rinle pitfalls. W. were no more thar
safely out Of the main corridor when
the runners, some of them. as we
guessed. trooped past our covert In fun
cry, leaving us half smothered in the
smoky trail of their pitch-pine fam
bcaX.
Nov what a-devil has set this hor-
nets nest OF theirs abuzZ so suddenly? %
! whispered, when the Smuke-choke
gave us liberty to speak without
coughing to betray ourselves.
"our pony-riding Tuckaseges. doubt
less, was Richards ready answer. by
n! ths chances, they should have met
the Great Bear and his peace-offeving
out yondcr on the trace-which same
they old not. so when they bring this
tale to camp there is the devil to pay
ana no pitch hot. Sod help our. tough
old Ephrihm and the Catawba if these
~hloodhounds win out in time to over
: take them!'
Aye said /; and then we crept out
of our ~dod2e-hole and made ready to
go about u business with the SEN
tries.
Rut when we came to peer again
around the crooking elbow it would
seem that the hurrying search party
had fought our battle for us. The
watch-fire was there to light Il little
circle in the gloom, but the watchers
We're gone. We CHANGED a guess hat
they had Joined the hue and cry, and so
we pressed forward. past the hAndful
of embers ana into the pit-black depths
beyond.
Twenty PAGES farther on it came to
playing blind mans Iuff With the r. Ky
walls again, and measured by the trip
pings anu Standings twas Il long SAB
bath days journey To thai final turn i'll
the great earlh-burroW whence we
could see the slimlnering of the enemy's
canlibilreS in he Sunken valley.
Now Go! be praised.' quoth Rich
ara most fcrvently. Another hour in
th!S cursed kennel with the fever OH me
and would be a vammerine loose
WIT. And !. too, was glad enough TO
see the stars again, and to be at large
beneath them.
emerging from the stbterranean
way, we held 10 the CAM side of the
stream, making an ample circuit to the
.eit TO come down upon the eneMnN's
position from the wooded slope behind
tne encainpment We met no let or
hlndrancc in this approach. Secure in
,liei! stronghold. the indian had no
DatlulS out, and as tor the l.nG!iShmen,
eNeII ih"thel,s son OF them, II seemed,
MaS nasElhs IN tHe lighi OF a great ire
p"li' pe'o'e 'he !liie-pouSh sileitefS.
:" OF" Ny d deilse ~'hickethiS OF
lau W. W, lL III = i'eSr-!ahu rGcol4iais,
n,n. ,3an,. Ia ~ w. " -! .ie''
pitched in tbe tbjrninr nr ~ ~ - 80
witch cn,e,.aJ no .,d ~ it,'i
t,a aan mn" t'e Sep slops oe.,tld
&c, rennoved f,nr, ~ y 9 "'n 80
~, Irlina 49, ~ ! ~ ." rom
moon at the waters edge. Here Am was