The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1905-08-31
CHAPTER XVIII.
IN WHICH I SADDLE THE BLACK
MARE.

Having SO good a disguise, the thing
I had set myself to do would seem to
ask for little more than peaceful bold
ness held in check by common caution.
The point where 1 had broker cover
to step into the circle of fire light was
nearly equidistant from the English
mems camp on the right and the horse
meadow on the left, so I bad not to
pass within recognition range of the
great fife; indeed, l might have skulked
in the laurel cover all the way, thus
coming to the horses unseen by any,
but that I was afraid F~aiconnet might
miss his trooper. So I thought it best
to show myself discreetly.
Copying u c%aptive's %lounging
stride, I first held a sauntering course
down to the streams edge, keeping the
great campfire and the droning Indian
hive well to the right and far enough
aloof to battle any over-curious eye at
either. Coming to the stream without
mishap, I stopped and made a feint Of
drinking; after which l crossed ard
climbed slowly toward the makeshift
powder magazine.
AS I have said, the camp was pitched
in q mail savanna or natural clear
ing on the right bank of the
little river. This clearing was hedged
about by the forest on three sides, and
backed by the densely wooded sleeps
ollu CldSS VI lHS "SSlSIl GILL. L
guessed the compass of it to be some
thing more than an acre; not greatly
more since the fire at the troop camp
lighted all it's boundaries.
On the left or opposite bank of the
stream there was no i%ntervale at all.
The ground rose sharply from the wa
ter's edge in a rough hillside thickly
studded and bestrewn with boulders
| great and small; fallen cleavings and
hewings from the crags Of the eastern
cliff. Twas at the foot of one of the
boulders, a huge overhanging mass Of
weatherriven rock facing the camp,
that the powder cargo was sheltered;
SO isolated to be out Of danger from the
camp fires.
From the hillside just below this pow
der rock I could look back upon the
camp en- enf1lade, as an artilleryman
would say. Nearest at hand was the
half moon Of Indian lodges with the
hollow of the crescent facing the
stream, and a caldron fire burning in
the midst. Around the fire a ring of
warriors naked to the breech clout
kept time in a slow shutting dance to
a m~onotonous chanting; and for on
lockers there was an outer ring of
squatting figures-the visiting Tucka-
seges, as I supposed.
Beyond the indian lodges, and a 1T
tie higher up the gentle slope Of the
savanna, were the troop shelters; and
beyond these, half concealed in the
fringing of the boundary forest, was
the tepee lodge of the women.
On the bare hillside beneath the
powder magazine I made no doubt
was in plainest view from the great
fire, and the proof Of this conclusion
came shortly in a believing hail from
Falconnet.
"Ho, Jack Warden!" he called, max
ing a speaking trumpet of his hands
to lift the hail above the chanting OF
the Indian dancers. Have a look al
that shelter whilst you are over there
and make sure twill shed rain If the
weather shifts"
Now some such long range marking
down as this was what I had been ang-
ling for. So I came to attention and
saluted In soldierly fashion, thereby
raising a great laugh among my pseudo
comrades around the trooper fre-a
laugh that pointed shrewdly to the
baronet-captafn's lack OF proper dis
y E##NH.