Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-11-03

IA III IN Al W 81 oANSA 1AA~A|J
and the mountain men to set them
straight. / should have gone myself,
but
stay, my good friend said 1; you
go too fast for me. If Ferguson is still
out OF communication with the main at
Charlotte, We may halt him yet"
The old man mad a gesture OF i'm
patience.
Tits a thing done because 1t is as
good as done. The major will break
camp and march tomorrow morning,
and he can reach Charlotte at ease in
two days. What with their losing OF
his trail, the mountain men are those
same two days behind him."
None the less, we shall hit him."
said 1. Have you ever an inkhorn
and a quill in you cabin?"
Both; at your service, sir. But 1
cannot understand"
I'VE may call 1t the little maids
Judgment on those who have made her
fatherless. But for her stopping of me
/ should have come unprepared into the
camp Of the enemy. 1 am the bearer
Of a letter from Lord CORVALLIS TO
this same Major Ferguson"
"You?--a bearer OF Lord CORVALLIS
Dispatcher" The old man put a
blades length between US n held the
little one aloft as If he feared I
might 40 IeF u illbCillSL. 4 lduBu6o
and bade him be comforted.
"'Tis q long story, and / may not
take the time to tell 1t now. But a word
will suffice. Like yourself, 1 made my
submission-and for the same purpose.
My lord accepted 1t M made me his
dispatch bearer because he thought I
knew the way to Ferguson when no n
else knew 1t. But enough Of this; time
presses. Let me have ink and h
quill"
The old man led the way into the cab
in and put his writing tools at my dis
posal. Left to myself, I should have
broken the seal Of the packet; but my
wise old ally, cool and collected now
showed himself a man OF parts.
meath the wax Opened and spread be-
fore us on the rude slab table, the let
ter proved to be the briefest Of military
commands, a peremptory order to Fer
guson to retoin the main body at once,
proceeding by forced marches If need
full, and on no account to risk engage
ment with the oYer-mountain men.
How to chang such an order to re-
verse 1t in effect, I knew no more than
a yokel; but here again my ancient ally
shaowed himself q man Of parts.
Dressing the pen to a 1t the fellow
of hat used by my Lord CORVALLIS, he
scanned the handwriting OF the letter
closely, made a few practice pothooks
to get the initiative hang Of 1t, and
wrote this postscriptum at the bottom
of the sheet:
Aimee writing the foregoing / have
your courier and his dispatches. Lieu
tenant Colonel Tarleton, with 400 Of
the legion will take the road for you to-
night. II the battle Is forced upon you.
make a stand and hold the enemy in
check till reinforcements come.
Corvallis"
The old man sanded the wet pen
strokes and babe me say II 1t would
serve. Twas q most beautiful forgery.
My lords grabbed handwriting was
copied to a nicely, and OF the two sig
natures I doubt If the earl himsel
could have told which was his own;
twas the same circle &C." the same
printing r." the same heavy precision
throughout.
Capital said I. Now, If the light
ming would but strike those pursuers
Of mine, we would have the Scotsman
at bay in a hands turn"
How" said the patriarch; are you
followed?"
I told him I was; told him Of my
lords plot within a plot-that three
lighthouse riders, n OF them a lieu
tenant bearing duplicate dispatches,
had been hard upon my heels all the
way from Charlotte.
At this the Ole warhorse--I learned
afterward that he had fought through
the French and Indian wars-wagged
his beard and his eye flashed.
I'VE must stop them" he said.
Three Of them, do you say?"
Three white men and an Indian
trailer"
"Ha! If it were rot for the little
maid. Let me think"
He fell to pacing up and down before
the fire on the hearth, and l took the
small one on my knee to let her chat
ter to me. Twas five full minutes be-
fore my ancient gave me the worth of
his cogitations, but when he did speak
1t was much to the purpose
These marplot rear-guards Of yours
will spoil it all If they come to Fer
guson's lamp either before or after
you. Do they know the majors pres
ent whereabouts?
mo more than / did an 10 ago. AS
/ take 1t, they are depending on me to
show them the way"
well, then; dead men tell no tales"
But, my good friend, you forget
there are four OF them and only two OF
US! We should stan little chance with
them in a fair fight"
Again the old mans eyes snapped
oAAa Ao"SN a. IL co "ClC DS-
hind them.
WAS 1t a fair fight when T%arleton's
men rode In upon Tom Sumter's rest
camp at Fishing Creek and cut down
the little maids father whilst he was
naked and bathing In the stream? Was
1t a fair fight when King Georges In
dian devils came down in the dead of
night upon our defenseless house at
Northby? Never talk to me of fairness,
sir, whilst all this bloody tyranny is
afoot."
l thought upon Il for a little space.
Twas none SO easy to decide. On one
hand, stern loyalty to the cause I had
espoused passed instant sentence on
these four men whose lives stood in the
way; on the other common humanity
cried out and called it murder.
Never smile, my dears, and hint hat
/ a found me a new heart of mercy
since that ambush-killing OF the three
Cherokee peace-men In the lone valley
OF the western mountains. We did but
give the savages a dole OUT OF their own
store Of cruel cunning and ferocity. But
as for these my crackers, three OF
them, at least. were soldiers and men
Of my own race. I could not do II.
mo- said I firmly. These follow
ers OF mine must be stopped, as you
say, else there is no need Of my going
on. But there must De no butchers
work"
The patriarch frowned and wagged
his beard again.
"A true patriot should hold himself
ready to give his own life or take an
others" Quoth he.
beth heads. But we have had enough
nAd mora than Anns0h ~ vnf1Ny-hx