The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-09-08

CHAPTER EEVIII-Continued.

him, Jack" he gasped. saw you
ever such a mincing p~uss-in-boots since
the Lord made you? All! ha! ha!"
The devil take your ill-timed
humor," l cried. Up With you, man.
and let US vanish While we may
BY this the amp was in a pretty fer
ment, as you would guess-our late
captive having had space enough to
tell his tale. Drunk or sober. Falcon
net was afoot and alert, shouting his
orders to the Englishmen who We're
~scrambling for their arms. and TO the
Indians who came sw;trminS up from
the lodges.
Whilst we looked. the C~herokees
scattered like a company of trained gill
lies to beat US out of cover; and when
the hunt WAS fairly up. the baronet-
captain set his men in marching order
to surround the Wigwam of the cap
tives.
AS yet there was time for a swift re
treat up the valley, or at least for the
choosing of some battlefield of u own
where the enemy need not outnumber
US twenty to one: and again l urged
Richard to bestir himself. Blu it was
the sight of Falconnet's roopers de
ploying to surround the tepee lodge,
and not any word Of mine that broke
his merriment in the midst.
At a bound he was up and handing
me my sword.
"Goodby, Jack; go whilst you can.
You'll he like to meet Eph and the
Catawba coming in; turn them back
and tell them to bide their time
But you?" I could say.
My place is inside of that soldier
Gordon our friend is drawing about his
dove-cote. l shall be at hand when she
needs me, as l promised
aye, SO you may be: but not alone
said l: and with that we fel! TO running
d n ,,,,,, -. do. g, ..,-,.. loo, ,".,
the wood on the deep sloye behind the
lodge. striving with might and main
to gain the laurel thicket whence we
had made u first reconnaissance be-
fore the converging lines OF the redcoat
Gordon should close and shut us out.
We did it by the skin of our teeth, div
Ing to cover through the closing gap
not a second too soon. When We were
IN and huSging the bare ground under
the Scanty leafing of the laurel. ] take
no shame in saying that l would have
given a kings ransom to be at large
again. Had there been but one of us
the covert would nave been cramped
enough; and l was painfully conscious
that my borrowed coat of scarlet was
but a poor thing TO hide in.
To make it worse. Falconnet, who
had Jagged behind at the fire. was now
heaping fresh fuel on. and this reviving
$ of the blaze made the place as light as
r day. With the nearest links in the G d
Goa chain no more than a pixies length
at our backs, We dared not stir or
breathe a word: and, all in all. we
' might have been taken like rats in a
: tran had any one of the sentries on our
I side of the circle CHANGED to look be-
( hind him.
! Having repaired the fire to his liking.
= the troop-captain came up to pass a
? word or two with his lieutenant. The
: spoke guardedlv, but we could hear
could not help hearing.
you nave seen nothing. Gordon?"
"Nothing. as yet"
"Make the round again ard tel! the
t men twill he ten gold ices and a
l double allowance of liquor to the man
7 who first Chaps eyes on any one of the
four"
o The subaltern went to carry out the
S order, and Falcnnnet fell to pacing
0 back and forth before the little wig
: wan. | could see mis- face at the turn
0 where the twilight fell upon him; twas
t the face of :; villain at his worst. name
G ~. a Villain half in LIQUOR. There was a
6 lurking devil of passion peeriny out OF
L the sensuous ewes: and ever an mon he
stopped as if to listen for some sounG
within the captivc'S lodge.
When the lieutenant returned tc
make his report. he was given Hnothe,
Il order to cap the first.
u your line is too close-drawn and too