The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1905-07-14

tle NARROW passage 10 tue Oieit, 'ioiA-
ing the ancient br~oadsword and the
bearskin from his bed: and was fain
to follow quickly. leaving the protest
all unfinished.
CHAPTER NNIlT.
IN WHICH WE HEAR NEWS FROM
THE SOUTH.
AS near as might be guessed, it
wanted Yet an hour or t@o of daybreak
when we made n landing Within the
boundaries of -Appleby Hundred. and
beached and hid TIE pirogue i'll the
bushes.
or the downstream nitting through
the small hours of the warm ulidsunl-
mer night there is no sharp-etched pic
ture on the emo page. AS | recall
1t, no spoken word of Jenniter's or mine
came in to break the rhythm of the
hastinS voyage. Our paddles rose and
fell. dipping and sweeping in unison
as if We two. kneeling in bow and stern.
We're separate halves of some relentless
mechanism driven by n single %rlnu'se
Overhead the starlit dome circled sol
emily to the right or left to match the
winnings of the stream. on each hand
the tree-fringed shores sped backward
In the gloom: II beneath the light
shell Of poplar wood hat barely kissed
the ripples in passing, the river Tapped
and surgled. chuckling weirdly at the
paddle plunSings, and swirling aft in
the longer reaches to point at us down
the lengthening walk with q wavering
finger silyer-tipped in the wan star
light.
With the canoe safely hidden at the
landing place. which was some little
distance from that oak grove where 1
had twice kept tryst with death. we set
out for the manor house. Skulking In
dian fashion through the wood; and.
when we reached h intields, looking
momently to come upon a sentry.
Thinking the approaches from the
road and river would be better guarded
han that from The wood. we skirted a
widespread thicket tangle, spared by
my father twenty years before to be a
grouse and pheasant cover, n fetch
ing a compass of half q mile or more
across the maize fields. came in among
the oaks and hickories of the manor
grounds.
Still there was no sight nor sound
of any enemy; no light of candles at
the house. or OF camp-fires beneath the
trees.
A little way within the grove. where
the interlacing tree tops made the
went on all tours to feel o as ii
in search Of something on the sward,
Whereat 1 called softly to know what
he would be at.
He rose, muttering. half as to him
self: II thought I'd never be SO ia,
few hours since, the Cherokees Were
encamped just here. You are standing
in the ashes of their fire
"So?" said 1. Then they have
gomez"
Gone from this safely enough. to be
sure. They have been gone som
hours; the cinders are cold and dew
wet"
80 much h better" would say
thinking only tina now there would b.
the fewer enemies to fight.
He clipt my arm suddenly, putting
the value of an oath into his grippins
OF it.
Come awake, man: this is no tim,
to be a-daze!" His whisper was
sharp behest. with a shake of tn
gripped arm for emphasis. If the In
dams are gone, it means that the pow
der train has come II gone. too
.sWell?" said L.
clod's wit, thai his would sen tn
baronet captain about his master
business, and so Margery would hay
surcease of him for a time, at leas
But Jennifer fetched me awake wit
another whip-lash word or two.
Jack! has the nights work gone I
your head? II Falconnet has got h
marching orders you may be sure he
tried by nook OF crook to play sal
bind, safe find with Madge. BY cay
eni twas tina she was afeard of, al
we are here too late! Come on"
With tina he faced about and RAJ
and forgetting to loose his grip on n
arm, took me with him till l brol
away to have may sword hand fire
So running, we came presently to tt
open space before the house, and, trul
it was we'll for us that the place ";
clean deserted, for by this we had DO
forgot the very name CT prudence.
Jennifer outran me to the door
half Il length, and fell to hammeril
i, fiercely on the panel with the pomn
of his broaIsWord.
Z "Open: Mr.. Stair: openi" lie shou
ed, between the gatherings: but it W
+ five full minutes before the fan-lis
overhead began to show some fai
glimmerings of a candle coming fire
8 the rooms beyond.
Richard rested at that, n in t
pause a thin voice shrilled from With
BE off, you runagates! Off, l So
l or I fire upon We through the door,
g Giving no heed to the threat, d
a set up his clamor again, calling out
Z name, and bidding the old man open
n a friend. In some n%otching OF the hu
g hub I heard the unmistakable click o
- gun-nint on steel. There was bar
- time to trip my reckless batterer 4
Il to fall fiat with him on the door-stt
e when a gun went off within. and
e handful Of slugs, preaching the oal
panel at the height of a mans midt
3 went sc%reeching over US.
1 Before l knew what he would be
e. Richard was up with an oath. back
a off to hurl himself, shoulder on. agai
the door. 1t CAV with n splinter
crash, letting him in headlong. L I
= lowed less hastily. 1t was as black
r. a settlers mouth within, the u
having snuffed the old mans can
W out. But we had flint and steel
y Undertook, and when the punk '
nlight Jennifer found the candle un
foot II gave it me. 1t ook fire "
fizZing like q rocket fuse, and was y
10 hlackened with %gunpowder. Whe:>