The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-09-15
NJ
ny Francis Lynas.

IL Lynds. -1
STAINED figures stiffening against their
log took shapes less horrifying. !.
Twas Dick'a voiceacon1ing, as II
seemed, from mighty distance. that
br0keSthe spell and brought me backSt to
Qnickened agonies. He spoke In pant
ing gasps. as he smoke would let him.
One word, Jack, before we GOO to
our w place. He satd-he said she
would be free too marry him. Tell
me !. o, God in Heaven!"
Els agony was q lash to cut me deep.
er than any f1icking demon whip OF
flame. yet I must needs add to 1t.
Aye. Richard. I have wronged you,
wronEed you desperately; can you hear
me yet? I say I nave wronged you.
forgive1.
Once more the smoke. rising again
In denser clouds. cut me or. n
through the binding blue haze OF 1t I
saw the Indians running up with green
branches to beat 1t down lest 1t should
spoil their sport oversO0n by smoth-
ering us out Of hand.
With the chance to gasp and breathe
again, I would have confessed in full to
Richard Jennifer n had him shrtye
me if he would. But when I called. he
did not answer. His head was rolling
from side to side, and his handsome
young face was all drawn and distorted
as In the awful grimaceS OF the death
throe.
You will not wonder that I could not
look at him; that I looked away for
very PHYS sake, praying that I might
quickly breathe the flames, as I made
sure he had, and 8 be the sooner past
the anguish crisis.
There was good hope that the prayer
would have a speedy answer. The fires
were burning clearer now, leaping up In
broad dragons tongues OF fame from
the outer edges of the fagot piles to
curtain OFF all that lay beyond. Through
the luminous fiame-veil the capering
savages took on shapes h most weird
and grotesque; and when l had q
glimpse of the dead mems row each
hideous face in 1t seemed to wear a
grin OF leering triumph.
Thus far there had been never a pun
Of wind to fan the breeze. But now
above the shrilling Of h Indian chant
and the cracking of the flames a low
growlaof thunder trembled in the upper
air, and q gentle breeze swept through
the tree tops.
So now I would commend my soul to
God, making sure that the breath He
AoFS WOAANE kV OOk ok kkAS kA4e Va h1S
first gust that should come to drive the
fiery veil inward. But when the gust
came 1t was from behind; a sweep
ing bosom to beat down the
Eleaping dragons tongues: a pouring
Hood Of blessed GOODNESS to turn the
5ebbing. life tide and to set the dulled
senses once more keenly alert.
With the wind came the rain, a pass
ing summer nights shower of great
drops scattering on the leaves above
and dripping thence to fall kissing in
the fires. Then the thunder growled
again; and into the monotonous dron-
ing of the Indian chant, or rather ris-
ing sharp and clear above 1t, came a
sudden rafting fire Of musketry from
the camp In the savanna-this, and the
sharp skirling OF h troop captains
whistle shrilling the assembly.
While yet the flames lay f1attened in
the wind, I saw the Indians wheel and
bound away to h rescue of their camp
like q pack OF hounds in full cry. In
a trice they We're wallowing through
the stream at the foot Of the powder
houlder; and then, as the flames leaped
up again, a dark form burst through
the fiery barrier, my bonds were cut,
and q strong hand plucked me out Of
scorching he'll pit.
II I did aught to help 1t was all me-
chanical. I do remember dimly some
fierce struggle to free my legs from the
blazing tangle; this. and the swelling
sob Of Joy at the sight Of the faithful
sCatawbA hacking al Dicks lashings
and dragging him also free of the fire.
And you may believe the welcome tears
came to ease h pain of my scared
eyes when my poor lad had thought
him gone past human help-took two
staggering steps and flung his arms
aboutymy neck.
Uncanoola gave us no time to come
Eby easy stages to full-wit sanity. In a
Etwinkling he had pounced upon us to
crush us one upon the other behind the
larger tree. And nov I come upon an
other Of those fitting instants so
crowded with happenings that the
SWiftest pen must seem to make them
lag. Twas all In a heart beat. as 1t
were; the Catawba's freeing Of US; his
Efinging us to earth behind the tree; a
foot of the powder cliff, and a booming,
Earring shock like that of an earth
quake.
The momentary glare Of the yellow
flash lit up a scene most ~awe-inspiring.
The spouting fountain OF fire at the
base Of the great powder rock was
thick with flying missiles; and on high
the very cliff itself was tottering and
crumbling. So much ! saw; then the
Catawba sprang up to haul us afoot by
main strength. and to ush US. with an
arm for each. headlong through the
wood toward the valley head.
But Dick hung back, and when the
dull thunder OF the falling rocks, the
crash Of the turnbling cliff and the shrill
death yells of the doomed ones came to
our ears. he fought loose from the In
dian and flung himself down. crying as
IL his heart would break.
20 God! she's lost. she's lost!-and I
have missed the chance to die with her
or for her!"
CHAPTER Xxx.
HOW EPHRAIM YEATES PRAYED
FOR HIS ENEMIES.
However much or little the Catawba
understood OF Richard Jennifer's grief
or It's cause. the faithful Indian had a
thing to do and he did 1t, loosing his
grasp of me to turn and fall upon
Dick with pullings and haulings and
lhuHetfngs. At to bring a man alive out