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

CHAPTER neutrality-suspicious..

Ell
Enough, man! tits as good as g
feast." he cried, when / had him fast
pinioned; and thereupon / let him have
breath and freedom to sit up. In the
act he had his first good sight of me,
as / had mine of him. Twas Tybee
and no other.
Cad! my captain" he said, feeling
his throat. IF you have a grip like
that for our friends, I'm damned glad
I'm not your enemy"
But you are" / rejoined, rather
shamefacedly, yet thankful to the
finger tips hat I had not consented to
a massacre. II am for the Congress
and the Commonwealth, Lieutenant,
and you are my prisoner. May /
trouble you for the dispatches you
carry?'
He looked up az me with a queer
grimace on his boyish face.
The DEVIL but you're a cool hand,
Captain Treton; Whatever you were
I'm that coil at Appleby, you've led the
spy's long suit this time. And Tn not
sure whether l like you any the worse
for Ii. IL so be you must be a rebel"
And with that, he ave me the sealed
packet and asked what | would do with
him.
His query set me thinking. AS for
the two stunned troopers, l mean to
turn them over TO the old man for safe
keeping; but / was loath TO make IL
harder than need be for this good-na-
tured youngster. So | put him upon his
honor.
do you know what his packet con-
tains?" / asked.
He laughed. MY Lord did not honor
me with his confidence. / was TO fol-
low you in to Major F~erguson's camp,
deliver the dispatches, and vanish"
Good; Their you need tell no lies.
When the indian has fetched my horse
/ shall ride to Ferguson's camp, and
you may ride with me. 1 shall ask no
more than this; hat you do not fight
again until you are exchanged: and
that you win not tell Major Ferguson
whose prisoner you are. Do you ac-
cept the terms?"
Cad! I'd be a fool not TO. But
what's in the wind, captain? Surely
you can tell me, now h a l am safely
out of the running"
You viii know in a day or two; and
the meantime ignorance is your best
safety. You can tell Major Ferguson
that you were waylaid on the road by
a party OF the enemy, and that you
were paroled and fell in with me-"
He looked a little rueful, as a good
soldier would, but was disposed to
make the best of a bad bargain,
Here's my hand on IT," he said; and
a little later we had dragged the two
troopers 10 the cabin. where the old
man became surety for their safe keep
ing, and were feeling our way cautious
ly westward at the heels of the Ca
tawba who had taken his directions
from Il patriarch.
We pressed forward In silence
through the shadowy labyrinth OF the
wood for a time, but at the crossing
OF a small runlet where we would stop
10 let the horses drink, Tybee burst o u
a-laughing.
"'Tis as good as a play" he said.
Three several times I've had to change
my mind about you Captain Ireton,
and I'm not cock-sure l have, your
measure yet. But I'll say this IL
you've strung my lord successfully,
you'll be the first 10 do 1t and coine off
alive in the end"
THE end is not yet, M good friend;
and / may not come off better than the
others j rejoined. And with that we
Jared on again till we could see the
camp-fires of Ferguson's little army
twinkling between the tree trunks.