The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1905-07-13
CHAPTER XVIII.
IN WHICH WE HEAR NEWS FROM
TIE SOUTH

CHAPTER XVIII.
IN WHICH WE HEAR NEWS FROM
THE SOUTH.
AS near as might be guessed, IT
wanted yet an hour or two of daybreat
when we made a landing within the
boundaries of Appleby Hundred, and
beached and hid the pirogue in the
bushes.
or the downstream fitting through
the small hours of the warm midsum-
mer night there Is no sharp-etched pic
ture on the memory page. AS / recall
1t, no spoken word OF Jennifer's or mine
came In to break the rhythm of the
hastlng Voyage. Our paddles rose and
fell, dipping and sweeping in unison
as II we two, kneeling in bow and stern.
were separate halves Of some relentless
mechanism driven by a Gingle impulse.
overhead the starlit dome circled sol
EMMY to the right or left to match the
Wlndings of the stream On each hand
the tree-fringed shores sped backward
IN the gloom: and beneath the light
shell of poplar wood hat barely kissed
the ripples in passing, the river Tapped
and gurgled, chuckling weirdly at the
padhle ~plungings, and swirling aft in
the longer reaches to point at us down
the lengthening wake with a wavering
finger silver-tipped in the wan star
light.
With the n safely hidden at the
landing place, which was some little
distance from hat oak grove where
had twice kept tryst with death, we set
out for the mano house, skulking In
dian fashion through the wood; and,
when we reached the infelds, looking
momently to come pom a sentry.
Thinking the approaches from the
road and river would be better guarded
than that from the wood, we skirted a
widespread thicket tangle, spared by
my father twenty years before to be a
grouse and pheasant cover, and fetch
Ing a compass of half a mile or more
across the maize fields. came in among
the oaks and hickorles of the manor
grounds.
Still there was no sight nor sound
OF any enemy; no light of candles at
the house. or of camp-hres beneath the
trees.
A little way within the grove, where
the interlacing tree tops made the
darkness like Egyptian night, Jennifer
went on all tours to feel around as if
In search of something on the sward.
Whereat l called softly to know what
he would be at.
He rose, muttering. half as to him
self: Il thought I'd never be so far
out of reckoning" Then to me: "a
few hours since. the Cherokees were
encamped just here. You are standing
in h ashes of their fire"
So" said /. Then they have
gomez"
Gone from this safely enough, to be
sure. They have been gone some
hours; the cinders are cold and dew
wet"
80 much the better" I would say,
thinking only that now there would be
the fewer enemies to fight.
He clipt my arm suddenly, putting
the Nalue Of an oath into his gripping
of it.
Come awake. man; his is no time
to be a-daze!" His whisper was a
sharp behest, with a shake of the
gripped arm for emphasis. IF the In
dams are gone, 1t means that the pow
der train has come and gone, too"
''Well?" said I.
was still thinking, with less than a
clod's wit, that this would send the
baronet captain about his masters
business, and SO Margery would have
surcease of him for a time, at least.
But jennlfer fetched me awake with
another Whip-lash word or two.
Jack! has the nights work gone to
your head? II Falconnet has got his
marching orders 0 may be sure he's
tried by hook or crook to play safe
bind, safe find with Madge. BY heav-
en-! twas that she was afeard of, and
We are here too late! Come on!',
With that he faced about and ram.
and forgetting to loose his grip on my
arm, took me with him till I broke
away to have may sword hand free.
80 running, we came presently to the
open space before the house, and. truIy
1T was Well for us that the place was
clean deserted, for by this We had both
forgot the very name of prudence.
Jennifer outran me to the door BY
half q length, and fell to shammering
1ercely on the panel with the pommel
Of his broadsword.
Open! Mr.. Stair: OPEN" he shout
ed, between the gatherings: but it was
five full minutes before the fan-light
overhead began to show some faint
glimlmerings of a candle coming from
the rooms beyond.
Richard rested at that, and in the
pause a thin voice shrilled from within,
BE off, you runagates! Off, I say!
or I fire upo We through the door,"
Giving no heed to the threat, Dick
set up his clamor again, calling out his
name, and bidding the old man open to
a friend. In some notching Of the hub
bub I heard the unmistakable click of a
gun-f1int on steel. There was barely
time to trip my reckless batterer and
to fall fiat with him on the %door-stone
u Went or Within, and q
handful OF slugs. preaching the oaken
panel at the height of a mans middle
went screechtng over us.
Before I knew what he would be at
Richard was up with an oath, backing
off to urEhirnself, shoulder on, against
the door. 1t gave With a splinterine
crash, letting him in headlong. I fol-
lowed less hastily. 1T was as black as
9 settlers mouth within, the gun fire
having snuffed the old mans candle
out. But we had flint and steel and
tinder-box, and when the punk was
alight Jennifer found the candle under
foot and gave 1t me. It ook fire with
fixing Hkea rocket fuse, and was well
blackened with gunpowder. Whes the