The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-09-15
The MASTER OF APPLEBY|
By Francis Lynde.


stained figures ~stiffeninS against their
log took shapes less horrifyins.
Twas Dicks voice, coming, as it
seemed, from "a mighty distance, that
broke the spell and brought me back to
%qui"kened agonies. He spoke In pant
ing gasps. as the smoke gould let him.
"One word, Jack, before we so-go 10
our own place. He said-he said .shs
would be free toto marry him. 1eil
me q, God in Iieaven'"
His agony was Il lash To cut ms deep
or than ANY ficking demon whip OF
flame. yet | must needs add to it.
Ave. Richard. | have Wronged you,
wronged you desperately. can you hear
me yet? l say | have w'onged you.
/ and | shall die the easier if you Will
forgive
once more the smoke, rising again
in denser clouds, cut IN" off, and
through the binding blue haze of it |
saw the Indians rlnninS up Win green
branches to beat it down lest II should
spell their sport oNersoon by smolh-
| ering us out of hand.
, With the chance to gasp a!d breathe
again, | would have confessed in fun to
Richard Jennifer and :lad him shriNe
me if he would Hu when | called, he
did not nswer His head Was rolling
from side to side, and his hanisome
| young face WAS all drawn and distorted
as i'm the awful grimaces of IN. death
49, - '''N 49, 49,
throe.
You viii not wonder that | could not
look at him. that | looked ava for
very PHYS sake, praying That ! might
quickly breathe the tianics, as ] made
sure he had, and So be the sooner past
the anguish crisis.
There WAS good hope that the prayer
would have II speedy answer. The fires
We're burning clearer now, leapins up in
broad dragons tGnSueS Of ilaine FROM
the outer edges of the fagot piles TO
curtain off all that lay beyond. Through
! the luminous name-veil the capering
SaVages took on shapes the most weird
and grotesIue; and when ! had a
giimIs,. Of the dead mems row. each
hideous face in it seemed TO Wear Il
grin of !eerins triumph.
Thus far there had been never 4 pun
/ of wind to fan the breeze. But now
above the shrilling of the Indian chant
and the cracking of his flames a low
growl of thunder trcmbled in the upper
air, and a gentle breeze swept through
the tree tops.
SO now | would commend my soul to
God, making sure that the breath He
gave would so out on the wings of the
| first gust that should come to drive the
fiery veil inward. But when the gus.
came 1t was from behind; a sweep
ing bosom to beat down the
leaping dragons tongues Il pouring
flood Of blessed Coolness To turn the
ebbing life tide and to set the dulled
| senses once more keenly alert.
With the wind came the ram, a pass
ing summer nights shower of great
drops spattering on the leaves above
and dripping thenc 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 it, calne a
sudden rafting fire of musketry from
the camp in the saVanna-this. II The
sharp skirling of the troop captains
whistle shrilling the assembly.
While yet the flames lay tlattened in
the wind, | saw the Indians wheel and
bound away to the rescue Of their camp
like a pack of hounds in fun cry. In
a trice they were wallowing through
the stream at the foot of the powder
boulder: and then, as the flames leaped
up again. a dark form burs. through
the fiery barrier, my bonds We're cut,
and a strong hand plucked me out OF
the s%corching hell pit.
If l did aught to help it was all me-
chanical. | 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
Catawba hacking at Dicks lashings
and dragging him also free of the fire.
And you may believe the welcome tears
came to ease the pain of my scared
eyes when my poor lad-l had thought
him gone past human help-took two
staggering steps and flung his arms
about my neck.
Uncanoola gave us no time to come
by easy stages TO full-wit sanity. In a
twinkling he had pounced upon us tc
crush us one upon the other behind the
larger tree. And now l come upon an
other Of those fitting instants Sc
crowded With happenings that the
swiftest pen must seem to make then
lag. Twas all in a heart beat. as i
were: the Catawba's freeing of us: his
ninging us to earth behind the tree; 6
squirt of binding yellow flame from the
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 thu
base Of the great powder rock wa!
thick with flying missiles: and on higl
the very cliff itself was lettering ant
crumbling. SO much ! Jaw: then tn,
Catawba sprang up to haul us afoot b,
main strength, and to rush us, with al
arm for each. headlong through tin
wood toward the valley head.
But Dick hung back, II when tn
dull thunder of the falling rocks. tn,
crash of the tumbling cliff and the shril
death yelis of the doomed ones came I,
our ears. he fought loose from the In
dian and flung himself down, crying a
If his heart would break.
20 God! she's lost. she's lost!-and
have missed the chance to die with he
or for her!"