Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-07-28

on the march; and when that was spent
or spoiled we did as we could. being
never comfortably filed, I think. and
oftener haggaId n enfeebled for the
van OF food. Since we dared not stop
to go aside for game, the CatawDa
would set overnight snares for rab-
bits; and for another Shift we cut
knobbed sticks for throwing and ran
keen-eyed along the trace, alert to
der anything alive n fit to eat. In
this haphazard hunting nothing ever
fell to Jennifer's skilless clubbing, or to
mine; but the old borderer and the IN
dian were better marksmen, and now
and then some bird or squirrel or rap-
bit sitting on its form came TO the pot,
though never enough of all or any to
more than sharpen the famine edge Of
hunger.
For all the sharp privations Of the
forced march there was no hint on any
lip Of turning back. With Margery's
desperate need 10 key US TO the UNI
tinching pitch, Richard and | would
go on while there was strength to set
one foot before the other. But for the
old borderer and the, Indian there was
no such bellows TO blow the fire of
perseverance None the less, these two
did more than second us; they set the
strenuous pace and held us TO 1t; the
Catawba Spartan-proud and uncom-
planning; the old hunter no whit less
tireless and enduring. At this far-dis-
tant day / can close my eyes and see
the gaunt. leather-clad figure Of Eph-
rain Yeates, striding on always in the
lead and ever pressing forward, tough,
wiry, and iron to endure. and yet withal
so elastic that the shrewdest dlscour-
agement served only 10 make him re-
bound and strike the harder. Good
stuff and true there was in that old
man; and had Richard or l been less
determined. his fine II noble heroism
in a cause which was not his w would
have shamcd us into following where
he led.
We had been ten days in his starry
ing wilderness, driving onward at the
pace that Kills and making the most Of
every hour Of daylight. before Yeates
and the Indian began 50 give us hope
that we We're finally closing in upon
u quarry.
The dragging length of the chase
grew upon two conditions, From the
beginning the kidnappers were able to
increase their lead by stretching out the
days and Borrowing from the nights;
also, they were doubtless well proVis-
toned, and they had horses for the cap
tives and their impedimenta. But as.
for us, we could follow only while the
daylight let us see the trail; and though
we ran well at first, the lack Of proper
food soon took toll Of speed.
So now, though the hoof prints grew
hourly fresher, and we were at last so
close upon the heels Of the kidnappers.
that their night camp fires were scarce
ly cold when we came upon them, we
ran no longer-could hardly keep a
Inpro-aI foot papa fns, tho I,rnOpp Mains
that griped and bent us double.
The tenth day. as I we'll remember,
was furnace hot. as were all the fair
weather days OF that never-to-be-for-
gotten summer, with a still air in the
forest that hung thick and lifeless like
the atmosphere Of an oven: this though
we were well among the mountains and
rising higher with every added mile Of
westering.
The sun a passed the meridian,
and we were tOiling, sWeaty-Weak, up
a rock-strewn mountain side, when a
thing occurred 10 Gus us roughly from
the famine stupOr n set us watch
fully alert. In the steepest part OF the
ascent where the wood scanted of root
ing ground by the thiCkly sown strew-
ing of boulders, was open and free Of
underground, Ephraim Yeates halted
suddenly, signed To us with upflung
hand, and dropped behind a tree as one
shot; and in the same breath the Ca
tawba, running at Yeates' heels,
lurched aside and vanished as if the
earth had gaped and swallowed him.
A IN later the .twang
of a bow string buzZed
upon the GREATNESS noontide stiffness,
and Jennifer clutched and dragged me
down in good time to let h arrow
whistle harmless over us. Then, like
a distorted echo of the buzzing bow
string, the sharp crack of the old bor-
derer's rifle rang out smartly, setting
the cliff-crowned mountain side all
a-clamor with mocking repetitions.
Missed him, slick and clean, by the
eternal coon-skin!" growled the old
m~arksman, sitting up behind his tree
to reload. THAT there's what comes o.
being so ~dad-blame' hongry that We
can't squinch fair atween the gun
sights. / reckon ez how ye'd better
bunker down and lie clost, you two.
'Twouldn't s'prise me none if that red
skin had a wheen more O. them sharp
p'inted sticks in his The Lord be
praised for all His marcies! the chiefs
got him!"
But Uncanoola had not. He came in
presently, his black eyes swapping with
disappointment, saying in answer to
Yeates' question that the yell was his
own: that his tomahawk had sped no
than the old borderer's bullet.
"Chelakee snake heap slick; heap
quick dodge" was all we could get out
of him; and when that was said he
suuatted calmly on a fiat stone n fell
to work grinding the nick out of the
edge of the missped Ratchet.