The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-11-17
an get fair between us, But you ne&a
NOT fxht ma for Il. The love 4 n xnsan

| OOHt say tnat, Jacks Am eelf1Sh
| enough to wish 1T were true: az 1t IL
not. 1 know whereof I speak"
No." I denied, struggling to my feet;
ut has been yours from the first, Dick,
I am but a sorry interloper."
For a moment he was all solicitude to
know IL my head would let me stand; u
when / showed him I was no more thar,
c1ums.ly dizzy from the effects OF the
blow. he went on.
Il say l know, and I do, Jack. She has
refused me again."
I groaned in spirit. I knew 1t must have
come to that. Yet / would ask when and
where.
Twas on our last days riding" he
went on; after we had had your note
saying you would undertake a mission
for Colonel Davie."
l took two steps and CROPPED for the
horses bride rein.
Did she tell you why she must refuse
you?"
He help me find the rein for my hand
and the stirrup for my foot.
y There was no WY but the mesh
does not love me-
But I say she does, Dick: and I, too,
know whereof / speak"
He flung ME into the saddle as a strong
man might toss a boy, and 1 understood
how that, saying of mine had gone into his
blood.
Aueu lIlcEe LluSl De some BARRIER that
I know not Of" he said. Whereupon he
put hand to head as one who tries to re-
member Stay; did you not say there
was a barrier, ~Jack?-when we were
wrestling with death in the Indian fires?
Or did l dream it?"
You did. not dream It. But you were
telling me what she said" 2
"Oh. yes: twas little enough. She cut
me off at the first word as IL my speaking
were a mortal sin. And when I would
have tried again, she gave me a look to
make me vince and broke out crying as
II her heart would burst"
I steadied myself as I could by the sad
die horn and waited till he was up and We
We're moving on. Then I would say:
promise you thatI am going to Charlotte
to remove It once for all, will you trust
me and go about your affair with General
Gates?"
Trust you. Jack? Who am 1 that I
should do aught else? When 1 am cool
and sane. I'm one so cursed selfish: I
could even give her over to you with a
loves you as I woul nave her love me.
But when I am mad. . All, God only
knows the black blood there ia in the
heart at such times"
We rode on together in silence after
that, and We're come to the bank Of the
river before we spoke again. But here
Dick went back to my warning. saving.
whilst we let the horses drink; ".Tis pa.
trolled on the other bank. you say?"
ut was when I passed 1t a few DAYS
agone."
Then I will turn back and cross at
Beattie's. Twill make you a risk you
need not take-to have me with YOU"
But I thought now that the upper ford
might be guarded as we'll; and IL there
must hA q CNfffn0 nf a roo1 thR1,,-L 49,
enemy's outpost line for Dick, two could
do 1t better and one. So I said:
NO; we are here now. and II need be I
can lend you the weight Of a second
blade to see you safe through"
And you with your head humming like
a basket OF bees. as I make no coubt 1t
will?"
1 laughed. 'I should be but a sorry
soldier and a sorrier friend il I should let
a love-tap with she fiat Of a blade make
me fail you at the pinch"
He reached across the little gar that
parted us and grasped my hand.
by Cod" he swore. most feelingly.
You are as true as the steel you carry,
Jack Ireton."'
confess I was thinking less of my friend
than of the Importance Of the errand he
rides on,
But II there should be a fight. you will
spoil your chance OF coming peaceably to
Charlotte and my lords headquarters.,'
IF l an recosnized-yes. But the night
Is dark, and @ brush with the outpost
need not betray me-"
A, this he consented ~grudgingly, and we
pushed on to tho crossing. Now since this
fording place Of Master Macgowan's has
marched into our history, you will like
to know what the historians do not tell
YOU: namely. how it was but a make
shift wadtng place, armpit deep over a
muddy bottom from the western bank to
the bar above an island Al mid stream.
and DETECTING thence through rocky
shadows to Il point on the eastern bank
some distance below the island. Twas
here that Lord Co1nwall.s got entangled
scrne months later-but I must not an
t~icil,ate.
We made the crossing of the main cur
rent in safety and We're a-splash in the
rocky shadows beyond the island when
we sightead the camp fires of the outpost.
To ride straight upon the patrol was to
invite disaster, and though Jennifer was
for a charging dash, d hurly-burly with
the steel, and so on to freedom beyond.
he listened when ! pointed out that our
beasts were too nearly outworn to charge.
and that the noise we must make would
rouse the camp and draw the fire of everv
piece In it long before we could reach the
bank and come to blade work.
What for it, then?" h asked. impa.
tiently. MY courage is freezing whilst
we wait
There is nothing for 1T but to hold
straight on across I said.
Continued Next Week.l