The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-06-23

swamped the crazy shallop. In a fash
he jerked me fiat between his knees and
sent the piroRue with a mighty thrust be-
You'd the zone of fire light.
At that. though al the sense was beat
en- cut Of me. l was alive enough to hear
the savage yelIs Of disappointed rage be-
hind us; these and the splitting crackle
of a dozen rifles fired at random in the
darkness. But a~fterWard all sounds, save
the rhythmic dip and drip of Jennifer's
paddle, faded on the sense of hearing till,
as It would seem, this gentle monody OF
dipping blade and tinkling drops became
a grooming lullaby to blot out all the
years that lay between, and make me
once again a little child sinking asleep in
my young mothers arms.
HOW JENNIFER THREW A AIN
WITH DEATH.
IT'S a sure mark Of healthful sleep that
1t never makes account of time. No odds
how long the night, It's but a moment
from the lapse of consciousness to its re-
covery In the morning. But this deep
sleep that crept upon me as ! lay In the
p%irogue. listening to the tinkling drip
from Jennifer's paddle. was not of health
full WEAKNESS: and when l came awake
from 1t there was a dim and troubled
vista of vague and broken dreams to
measure OH lle longest night l COulu ever
remember.
The place of this awakening was a bur-
row in the earth. My bed of bea rskins
over fragrant pine tufts was spread upon
the ground, and by the pickering light OF
a handful of fire l could see the earth
walls of the burrow, which were worn
smooth as If the place had been the we'll
used den of some wild creature. But over
head there was the mark of human oc-
rt,r - M n. ctp1r tI1. on ~tL "a ~ol y,ac cd
and blackened with the reek Of many
fires.
When I stirred there was another stir
beyond the handful of fire. Snd Jennifer
came TO kneel beside me. taking my hand
and chatting it as a tender-hearted woman
might, and asking if l knew him.
Know you? Why should ] not?' I
said, wondering why the words took so
many breaths between
20 jack was all had In answer: but
when he had found a tongue to babble out
his JOY, l learned the why and where
fore. Once more grim death had reached
for me. lying await in the twirled toma-
hawk that set me dreaming OF my moth
er's lap and lullaby. For a week l had
lain here upon the bed Of pine tufts. poised
upon the brink Of the death pit with only
my dear lad to hold and draw me back.
"A week." I queried, when he had
named the interval. And you have beer
here all the time?'
'I've never left you, saw to forage fol-
the pot" he admitted. Il dared not leave
you, Jack"
But where are WEI" I would ask.
I'm a den on the rivers edge, a mile OIL
more above your sacked cabin. IT'S somt
dodge-hole followed out by the Catawbas
long ago and shared since by them and thu
bears, judging from the sinking reek o
1t. Uncanoola steered me hither the nigh
Of the raid"
Then the chief came off safely?'
said, falling into a dumb and impoten
rage that the saying of two words should
scant me SO of strength to say a third.
Right as a trivet-scalps and all,
laughed Jennifer. He'll be the envy Q
every warrior in the tribe when he vaunt
himself at the Catawhas' council fire"
l let it rest a while at that, casting abou
for words to shape a hungrier question.
Have you no news" l asked, at length
F Little or none he answered shortly.
but you have had some word-som
news-from Appleby Hundred?' l STAN
mered feebly.
Nothing you'd care to hear" he re
. joined, evasive!y, I thought. Ills as 70
left it, save that Tarleton whipped ava
to the south again as suddenly as h
, came, and our cursing baronet has mad
the manor house his headquarters In fac
Z ioi llE lllsc anu All NE Twp VII VA
Stair. From his lying quiet and keepin
+ the Cherokees in tow, there will be som
deviltry afoot, III warrant"
q l knew that Falconnet was waiting fc
the powde: cargo, but another matte
crowded his aside.
"But-but Margery?" queried, Q
sharpest tenter-hooks to know how muc
. or little he had heard.
/ thought his brow darkened at the que
' ton, but mayhap 1t was only a shade
cast by the Pickering fire. At any rat
he laughed hardly.
"She is well-and well content, / dal
g swear. Twas only yesterday I saw h,
taking the air on the river road. wit
q Falconnet for an escort. You told me one
q he had a sure hand with the women ar
: 1t made me mad; but. truly, l have con
to think you drew It mild, Jack"
Now though l could ply a decent reat
u blade, or keep a firing line from lurchir
a at a pinch, l had not learned to put
snafhe on a laundering tongue. as l ha'
n said before.
Damn him as you please, Dick, al
70 he'll warrant it. But you must not JUDI
the lady over harshly, nor always by a
= pearanccs. she may have flouted you
:, a boyish lover, and yet l think"
'. l stopped in sheer bewilderment, sh
. through and through with keenest ago
les of remorseful recollection. For at Il
$ moment l had clean forgot the gulf II
= passable / had set between these tW
III So l would ave lapsed into shamed
'e lence, but Jennifer would not suffer it.
well, what is it that you think ?"
demanded.
&c Il think-nay, l may say I know tn
~ she thinks well Of you, Dick" I blundcr
IS on, seeing no way to put him off.
T. He gripped my hand, and in his ey
e there was the light Of the old love !
w awakening.
10 Don't lift me up to fling me do,
again, Jack! How can you know VIII
"a she thinks Of me?' he broke in, eagerly
l should have told him then all the
was to tell. He had been trice my savi'
ne and his heart was soft and malleable
the side OF friendship. l knew it-kn'
that the pregnant moment for full conf
We sion had arrived; and yet l could not fol
my tongue to shape the words. Inde'
~ l saw more clearly than before that ne'
q any word Of mine could make him und'
q, stand that ! was not a faithless traitor
intention. So l paltered with the tru
a. like any wretched coward Of them all.
You forget that l nave come to KIN
v; her WELL" ! said. Il was a month
ch more under the same roof with her, a
We H. xha< elnn .Na spli ~ MANU-, xht1oe ~