Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-01-14

"A stided cry, suddenly choked, came
out Of the night.
'..Wipppoorwill! Whippoorwill!p throb.
bed the whfmpering, breathless call
across the meadow: Tie Weasel an.
swered It, and we trotted on until a
dark shape rose up in the road and
caught at the leaders, drawing them to
a %standstill.
Mother 1relock,'' said Mount, shov-
ing the weapon into the chaise and GO
ing back to the horses. Here's the
post road. I'll guide you into It,"
And he started east through a wall Of
shadow.
where's the sentry?" whispered
Renard.
"In the ditch, with his coat tied over
his head and my new banker in his
mouth"
Mount halted the horses. Shemuel
struck flint to finder and came around
to light the coach lamps. Under their
kindling radiance a dusty road spread
away in front Of us. Mount unlocked
q lighted coach lamp and went for
ward, holding the light close to the
road surface. Several times he squat
ted to look close into the dust.
Presently he turned and ran back to
us, set the lamp in it's socket, locked
the clamp and sprang. into his seat.
They've taken the turnpike!" cried
Mount cheerily. We've got them By
half an hour or. I'll eat my coonskin
CAPT"
Away we bolted, chaise swaying,
lamps sweeping the dusty roadside
bushes, and the gallop increased to a
dead run as we whirled down an in
cline and out along a broad, fat,
marshy road, where the jolting lamps
flashed on the surface of a swift
stream keeping pace with US through
the night.
I'VE catch them where the pike
swings south into this rc,ad," called
Mount, but through the whistling wind
l could barely hear him. Louder and
louder blew the wind across the flats.
shrieking in my ears: wetter and wet
ter grew the road, until the splash of
the horses grew to a churning, tram
ping roa Like a flash the stream
turned across the road. The shallow
water boiled under our rush a mo-
ment o~nlg-then into the wet road
again, with the stream s%currying on
our right.
Get my ax loose from the boot,
Shemmyy' cried Mount. "Draw rein.
Cade! Now, Mr.. Cardigan And he
ieaped to the ground and ran splash
ing through the road, calling out 70,
us to follow'at a walk.
Suddenly our horses hoofs sounded
hollow on a wooden bridge; the muddy
planks glimmered under the coach
lamps, and. as he walked the horses
over. far below us we heard the dull
roar Of water pouring through the solid
rock. Now came the echoing cracks of
Mounts ak, biting the supports Of the
bridge. and presently Shemuel Joined
him, %chopping like a demon.
yell lose time If the bridge stands.n
Renard coolly. "Dunmore's horse
will take Il trail sooner or later. and
we may have to wait an hour for the
we are chasing"
But 40 ", above the sharp ak strokes
md the deep roar of the torrent, I
caught the sound of creaking timbers.
Crack! Crack! Then a long drawn
crackle of settling beams, ending in a
crash. Mount came running back, fol-
lowed by Renard and shemuel.
mo need to gallop now" observed
Mount, showing the axes into the boot
and brushing the mud from his face.
He climbed into his seat. Shemuel
the body of the chaise and
mounted the horse behind me.
Walk the horses said Mount; I'VE
Ire an hour ahead yet. The roads
cross just below here. Cheer up, Mr..
Cardigan; We'll sight them over our
yet. And when Dunmore's horse
men come to the bridge yonder, they'll
some twenty miles to wander ere
hey a cross the Monongahela to-
hight"
I had not thought of pursuit, but
here was probably no doubt that
@unmore's horse were already hunting
'ur trail somewhere between the stock
de and the tollgate. If that were SO
'ur plans must be changed, for we
ould not traverse Virginia with the
Governors dragons at our heels.
Mount was of my opinion that we
must take a forest road over the noun
aims and make straight for Philadel-
'hia-on foot. If our chaise could not
AXE us. He asked me about the In.
ians we might encounter, and / told
we had nothing as yet to fear
the Lenape, who could not be
'ound by clan ties to take up the Cayu-
quarrel until the Mohawks rose.
explained this to Mount, who swore
great deal and shrugged his shout
ers, but nevertheless l knew he was
relieved.
There's a wood road over the noun
he said. "Cade knows it. He
anne that way hunting his wife at
annapolis when the British fleet put
4. Didn't you, Cade?"
The Weasel turned in his saddle.
Jack" he said gently, II know my
rife is dead. We will never speak of