The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1905-10-12
CHAPTER XNNN.
IN WHICH / FIGHT THE DEVIL
WITH RIPE

;
! IN WHICH I FIGHT THE DEVIL
WITH FIRE.
With the house guard for a guide I
found my host in a box-like den below
stairs; a room with Il writing table.
two chairs and a great iron strong box
Tor Its scanty furnishings.
The old man was sitting at the table
when | looked in, his long nose buried
IN a musty parchment deed. The light
from the single small window was none
TOO good, but it sufficed to help him
recognize me at a glance, despite the
hussar uniform. In a twinlling he put
the breadth of the oallen table be
tween us, hurled the parchment deed
into the open strong box, CLAIMED TO
the cover and save a shrill alarm.
"Ho! you devils without, there,
Here he Isl have him.! Help. Muir
der!"
The guard, a burly, bearded Darn
stadter, turned on his heel and stood
at attention in the doorway, looking
stolldly Tor his orders, not TO the shrill-
ing master of the house, but to the man
who wore a uniform.
lis ~naught," l said, speaking in
German. He mistakes me for a rift
meister of the rebels. verstehen Sie?''
Inc soldier saluted. wheeled and van
lshed; and sat down to wait till the
StN '"i otl, solIpulu Dd use lDr lack
OF breath. When my chance came, L
said:
Calm yourself, Mr.. Stair. You are in
no present danger greater tina which
you may bring upon yourself. Blot out
all the past, if You please, and consider
me now as a member of Lord Corn
wallis military family seeking quar-
ters III your house by my lords express
command"
Quarters in my housc?-ye're a
damned rebel spy he cried. I'll de-
noUncc We to my Lord for What ye are.
Ho! We l~ascals, l say!"
"Peace:' l commanded sternly; this
is but chiEd's folly. No man in the Brit
ish army would arrest me at your be
hest. Ring the bell and ummon your
factor lawyer. | would nave a word
or two in private with both OF you"
lie dropped into a chair, and / could
see the sweat standing III great beads
on his Wrinkled forehead.
- ye-d ye mean to kill US both?"
he gasped.
mot if ] car help it. But some bet
ter understanding is needful, and we
Will have it here and now, once for all.
VIII you ring, or shall I?'
He made no move to reach the bell
cord. and | rang for him. A grinning
black boy came to the door, and seeing
that Mr.. Gilbert Stair was beyond Civ
ing the order, | gave it myself.
Find Master Pengaryin and send
him here quickly. Tell him MI. Stair
wants him"
There was a short interval of waiting
and then the lawyer came. Being but
a little Wisp of a man, all malignance
and no courage, he would have fled
when he saw me. But I caught him by
the collar and sent him scurrying
around the table to keep his master
company.
Now, then; how much or how little
have you two blabbed of the doings at
Appleby Hundred some weeks since?'
I demanded. Speak out, and quick
ly.'
Twas the lawyer who obeyed, and
now he was the trapped rat to snap
biindiy in despair.
You will hang higher than Haman
when the dragons find you,' he grit
ted out.
"On your infornation?"
ION mine and Mr.. Stairs"
Y le.' shrieked the miser. ST tell't
ye to keep lands off, We bletherin lit
tie deevil. vel"
Never mind" said L; whats done
is done. But it must be undone, and
that swiftly and thoroughly. Lie out
Of it to Colonel Tarleton and the others
as you will; Captain John Stuart and
the baronet are not here to contradict
you, and you are the only witnesses.
Knock together some story that will
hold water and lose no time about it.
Do o understand?
Seeing he was not to be put to the
wall and sp1tted on the spot, the lawyer
cover himself.
"'Tis not the criminal at the bar who
dictates terms, Captain Ireton,' he
said, with his hateful smirk. you are
under sentence ~of.death, n that by a
court Ia 1yf11l pnnI1uh%i in yvor tina - a.9H
You refuse?" I said.
He shrugged.
Speaking for myself, I shall leave
no stone unturned to bring you to book,
captain-when it suits my purpose"
I was loath'to go to -extremities with
either of them; but my bridge of glass
must be defended at all hazards.
you would best reconsider, Mr.. Pen
garNin. At this present moment I am
one of Lord CORVALLIS military family
n I have his confidence. A word from
me Will put YOU both in arrest as per-
sons whose loyalty in times past has
been somewhat more than blown upon"
BAH" said the pettifogger. "Blus-
ter is a good dog, but Holdfast is the
better. You a prove nothing, as you
well know. Moreover, with your own
neck in a moose you dare not mess and
NEEDLE With other mems affairs,
Dare not, you say? III tell you what
I ma dare, Master Attorney. If you
are not disposed to meet me half way
in this matter, 1 shall go to my lord,
tell him how / have been cheated out
of my estate, declare the marriage
with Mistress Margerv, and see that
YOU get your just deserts. And you.
may rest assured that this soldier-earl
will right me. come what may,
Twas a bold stroke, the holdest OF
any I had made thatalnorning; but
was wholly u~nprepared for its effect
upon the lawyer. His rage was like
that of some %venornous little Animal. a
thing to make an onlooker shudder
and draw back.
"Never!" he Kissed: never, / say,
III Kill her frst-Ill-' He choked ii