The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-06-16

CHAPTER Xu.-Continued.

ton. If you had a hundred lives t.
thrust between me and the thing
rave. I'd take them all" So much h
said calmly; then a sudde1
gust of passion seized him
and for nee, | think he spoke tn
simple truth. God! I'd sink my sou
in Calvin's hell to have herr"
could not wholly mask the smile o
triumph that his words evoked. Thi:
fox OF maiden vineyards was entrappe,
at last. | saw the tire Of such a pas
sion as such a man may know burnint
in his eyes; and then | knew why h
was come upon this errand.
So" said 1. Then Mistress Mar
gerry sent you here to v me-" iva!
but a guess. but | made sure it hit tn,
truth.
He swo-e a sneerlng oath. 80 tn,
priest carried tales. did he? Well. make
the most of it; she would not have hel
fathers guest taken from his bed anC
hanged like n dog"
| smiled again. "'Twas more thar
that; She would even go so far as tc
beg her husbands life ii boo from tina,
same husbands mortal enemy
BAH" he scoffed. THAT lie of yours
imposed upon the colonel. but | haG
better information
"A lie. you say? True. twas n II,
when it was uttered. But afterward
some hour or 50 past midnight. by the
good help of Father Matthew, and with
you Lieutenant Tybee for one witness
and the lawyer for another, we made q
sober truth Of It,"
| hope, for your own peace of mind
my dears. that you may never see a fell
low human turn devil In a breath as
did then. His mans face fell away
from him like n vanishing mask, and
In the place of II a hideous demon,
malignant and murderous. glarcd upon
me. Twice his hand sought the sword
hilt, and once the blade was half un-
sheathed. Then he thrust his devil
face in mine and Kissed his parting
word at me so like a snake 1t made me
shudder with adherence.
You've signed you own death war
rant, you witless fool! You'd play the
spoil-sport here as you did once be-
fore, would you? Curse you! wish
you had a hundred lives that l might
take them one by one!" Then he
wheeled sharp upon his heel and gave
the order to the ensign. Belt him to
the tree, Fa%rquharson, and make an
end Of him. I've kept you waiting over
long"
They strapped me to a tree with 9TH
er belts. and When all was ready the
SiiolSI tcppEu dSlue W give the WOfu.
Just here there came a little pause pro-
longed beyond the moment of COM
pleted preparation. l knew not why
they waited, having other things to
think of. l saw the firing line drawn
up with muskets leveled. marked the
row of weather-beaten faces pillowed
on the gun-stocks with eyes asquint
to sight the pieces. l remember count
Ing up the pointing muzzles: remember
ynnHnrinr which wn,,1J ha.tha Hryt D.,
belch its fire at me, and If. at that short
range, a man might live to see the flash
and hear the roar before the bullets
killed the senses.
But while l screwed my courage to
the sticking place and sought to hold
1t there, the pause became q keen
edged agony. A glance aside-a glance
that cost a mightier effort than it takes
to break a observation-disclosures me the
ensign standing ear a-cock, as one who
listens.
W It he heard l know not, for all
the earth seemed hushed to silence
waiting on his word. But on the in
slant the early morning stiffness of the
forest crashed alive, and pandemonium
was come. A savage yell to set the
very leaves a-tremble; a cracking vol
ley from the underwood that left a heap
of writhing, dying men where but now
the firing squad had stood: then a
headlong charge of rough-clad horse
men-all this befell in less than any
time the written words can measure.
l sensed it all but vaguely at the
first. but when a passing horseman
slashed me free l came alive. and life
and all 1T meant to me was centered in
a single fierce desire. Falconnet had
escaped the fusilade; was making
swiftly for his horse. safe as yet from
any touch of lead or steel. So I might
reach INC pull him down, l cared no
! groat What followed after.
1t was not so to be. In the swift
dash across the glade I went too near
the shambles in the midst. The cor
poral of the firing squad. a bearded
Saxon giant. whose face, h%ideously dis
torted, will haunt me while I live, lay
fairly in the way, his heels drumming
in the agony of death, and his great
hands clutching at the empty air.
I leaped to clear him. In the act the
clutching hands laid hold Of me and
was tripped and thrown upon the heal
of dead and dying men. inc could no
free myself In time to stop the bar
onet.
I saw him gain his horse and mount.
saw the flash of his sword and the skill
full parry that in a single parade ward
ed death on either hand; saw him drive
ilOiIe TIE spurs anu vanish anon the
trees, with his horse-holding troope,
at his heels.
And then my or else m,
newer captors, picked me up hastily
n l was hoisted behind the saddle o,
the nearest, INC SO borne away In al
the hue and cry Of a most unsoldierl,
retreat. :
XIII.
IN WHICH A PILGRIMAGE BEGINS
AS o have guessed before yo,
turned this page the men who charged
so OPPORTUNITY to cut me out Of peri
We're my captors only In the sayin.
sense.
Their overnight blvouac vas no
above a mile beyond the glade OF am
bushment. 1t was in a little dell. Gun
ningly had: n the embers of tn
campf1res We're still alive when we O
the horse came first to his agreed-o
rallying point.
Here at this rendezvous in the for
est's heart I had my first sight of an
fighting fragment of that undlscipline
and yet uncomfortable patriot home
guard that even In defeat proved to
tough a morsel for British jaws I
masticate.
They promised little to the eye of
trained soldier. these border levies. l
fancy I could see my old field-marsha
he was the father OK all the mart
nets.-turn up his nose and dismis
them with a contemptuous "Ach! ME
Gott!' And, truly. there was littl
outward show among them Of the stel
ling metal underneath.
u TEnx 40 = - c1y,rI - - ~ l. -z..-1 =