The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-05-26

l. NAAS iADoA LAAS SAAA vi q
dream.
- CHAPTER X.
HOW A FORLORN HOPE CAME TO
GRIEF.
Although 1 could not hope to know
the outcome Of this desperate cast to
speed the warning to the
tain settlements-could never live to
know 1t. as l thought screened the
candle and stood beside the open win
dow, not to see or hear, but rather
from the lack of sight or sound to
gather some encouragement. For sure.
l reasoned, If Margery's messenger
should fail to pass the sentries there
would be clamor enough to tell me OF
So while the minutes of this safety
silence multiplied and there was space
for sober after-thought, l fell to cast
Ing up the chances Of success. Now
that Margery was gone. and with her
all the fine nthusia that such de-
voted souls as hers do always radiate,
1t was plain enough that nothing less
than a miracle could bring success.
Tarleton's Legion was made up OF vet
Grams schoo!ed well in border warfare,
and though the bivouac seemed but q
camp of motionless figures fast man.
acled in s,eep-l could see them strewn
like dead men round the smoldering
fires-I made no doubt the sentries were
alert and wakeful. How then was any
messenger of Margery's to pass the
lines. or, passing them, to come at Jen-
infer. who by this time would be at
Jennifer House, a prisoner in all but
name?
Chewing such NORWOOD thoughts as
these. l watched and listened while
the measured minutes circling slow on
leaden wings, pecked at my heart in
passing. n despair. cold like a winter
fog, had chilled me to the bone. For
now it came to me that while l would
be saving life, mayhap l had been per-
ling it again. There was small doubt
that If the messenger were taken with
my letter his life would pay the forfeit.
And If the fear of death should make
him tell who sent him and to whom he
was sent-I had been careful so to
word the letter as to shield my corre-
s~pondent-both Margery and Dick
would be involved.
IT'S worthy Of remark how. building
on the simplest supposition, we seldom
prophesy Alright. For all my tine-spun
theories the manner Of the thing that
happened was all unlike the forecast.
Suddenly. and in silence. out Of the
ghostly shadows Of the trees and into
the wan moonlight Of the open space
beneath my window, with neither shot
nor crash of sentry gun to give warn
ing, came three figures riding abreast
a man in trooper trappings on either
hand. INC on the led horse sandwiched
in between, a woman.
You may believe my heart went cold
at the sight. 1 knew at once what she
had done-this fearless maid who would
be loyal to her friend at any cost. Hav-
ing no messenger she could trust-she
knew it we'll when she had promised me
she had taken the errand upon her
self, Drawing q hazard that would
W. daunted many a man.
l thought the worst had surely now
befallen, and wished a hundred times
that | had died before it come to this.
But there was worse in store. Her
captors passed the word While yet l
ooked and choked with rage and grief;
and Their the bivouac buZzed alive, and
men came running, some with arms
> and some with tor hes, these last to
flash the light upon her and to jeer
+ and laugh. At ~length-it seemed an
' age to mean officer appeared to fog
the rabble into order: then she was
taken from her horse and led into the
house.
Anon the windows Of the great fore
room flung bands Of yellow torchlight
out upon the lawn. and l knew thai
!; Tarleton's court was set again. AT that
l the pains Of hell gat hold upon me anc
I did pray as l had never prayed before
:, that God would grant me this one boor
. to stand beside her in this time Of
trial; to give me tongue of ~eloquence t.
! tell them all that she was innocent
to give me breath to swear she knew
. not why she went, or what the message
vas she carried.
:, Yours is a skeptic age, my dears
and you have learned to scott at thing
:, you do not understand. But. so lont
as I shall live. l must believe tina
u , rOrI1ipr Mao wo0 a nSurora6 Will
yet the anguish of it wrung my sou
= there came a hasty trampling In tn
= corridor, the sentry's challenge. ant
then "a quick unbarring Of the door.
% turned upon my heel to face a younl
ensign come with two men at his bacl
, to take me to the colonel.
a. Continued Next Weekly