The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1905-08-24
! THE MASTER OF APPLEBY|
BY Francis Lynde. :
Observation-Disclosures
CHAPTER xxv,-Continued.


CHAPTER XxV.-Continued.
Richard swore g%rievously. but the old
backwoodsman took the checkmate
placidly, and began to set the pieces
for the second game in which the
horses We're the stake, hiding his use
less rifle in a hollow tree--his powder
had been soaked and spoiled in The
early morning plunge for life-and
drawing his hunting knife to feel its
edge and point.
'Ez 1 allow, tina fotches us to the
hoss-lifting," he said, in his slow drawl,
Then he laid his commands upon us.
"Ord'ly, and in s~ojer-fashion now; no
whooping and yelling. If the hoss-cap-
tain's got scouts out a-s'arching for us,
one good screech from these here VAR
minis We're a-going to put out'n misty
u'd fix our flints for kingdom come. I
amt non afeard o. your nerve,"-this
to Richard and me-.ieastwise. not
when it comes to fair II square soier-
fighting. But this here onfall has got
to be like the shifting O. the Male
kites-root IN branch; and if ye're
tempted to be anywise marciful, jest
ricollect that for the SAX O. them VIM
men-folks We've got to have these
hosses!"
You are not to suppose that he was
holding us inactive While he thu ex-
horted US. On the contrary, he was
posting us skilfully beside the trace
like the shrewd old Indian fighter that
he was, With a rare n practiced eye
to the maximum of cover with the min
mum of thicket tangie to impede the
rush or to shorten the sword-swing.
But when all was done we We're at
this disadvantage; that since the enc
uy was close at hand we dared not
cross the path to give u trap a jaw
on ither side To offset this the Car
tawba dropped out of line and disap-
peared; and when the Cherokees We're
no more than a hundred yards away,
Uncanoola came in sight like a dis
lance in the opposite direction, run
ming easily down the path to meet the
%upcoming riders.
Richard let slip an acknowledgements
under his breath There's a fine bit Of
strategy for you!" he whispered. That
willy Jack-at-a-pinch of ours will be-
fool them into believing that he is a
runner from the Cowee Towns. Ills
our cue to lie close; he will halt them
Just here, and there will be rowing eyes
N the heads Of the two who have not
to talk"
We had not long to wait. Our cum
ning ally timed his hating of the ennis
saries to a nicely, and hen the three
cherokees drew rein they were with
IN easy blades reach. The poWWow,
enlightened by Uncanoola till we We're
near bursting with impatience. was
Epun out worldly, and presently we
saw the pointing of it. The Catawba
Vas affecting to doubt the protests OF
the emissaries and would have them
iisrnount and prove their good faith
by smoking the peace pipe with him..
l give you fair warning, my dears,
that you may turn down the page here
and skip what follows if o are fain
20 be tender-hearted on the score of
these avage enemies Of ours. It was
n the very summer solstice of the year
of violence, n time when he who tool
he sword was like to perish with the
sword, and we thought of little saw
that Margery and her h~andmaiden We're
n deadliest peril, and that these In
2ians had five horses which we must
nave.
AS for my own part in the fray, when
recognized in the five-feathered chief
Jain of the three that co~pper-hued imp
IF Satan who had been the merciless
master of ceremonies at the torturing
Of my poor black Tomas, the decent
need of mercy which even a seasoned
,oldier may cherish died within me.
IND I made sure the steel would find
is mark.
So, when Uncaloonla drew forth his
tobacco pipe and made the three
doomed ones sit with him in the path
to smoke the peace-whiff all around,
we picked out each his man n smote
20 Stay. The sckthe-like sweep Of Jen-
%uifer's mighty claymore left the five
~!eathered chieftain the shorter by a
head in the same pulSe-beat that the
Ferara scanted a second of the breath
TO yell with; though now 1 recall it.
The gurgling death-cry of the poor
wretch with the steel in his throat vas
more terrible to hear than any war
whoop. AS for the old borderer, he
was more deliberate. Being fair behind
and within arms reach of his man, he
seized him by the scalp-lock, bent the
lead backward across the knee-but
faugh! these are the merest butcher
"details, and l would spare you-and
myself, as well.
While vet this most merciless deed
was adding, the Catawba bounded tc
his feet and made sure of the horses
which We're rearing and snorting with
alright. That done, he must needs
gloat, Indian-wise, over his fallen adj
sersary, turning the headless body with
his foot and gliding at it.
"Wahi Call hisself the Great Bear
hey? Heap lie; heap no bear; hear
nothing now. PapooSe bear no let his
self be trap that way. No smoke peace
pipe"
But now Ephraim Yeates, standing
.ar a-cock and motionless, like some
grim old statue done in leather, cut
him short with a sudden, Hist, will
vel" and a twinkling instant later we
mad other work to do.
"Onto the bosses with this here In,
,un-meat, ez quick ez the loving Lord'l
let ye!" was the sharp command
There's a whole clanjamfrey O. the
varmints a-coming down the trace, anc
/ reckon ez how we'd better scratct
gravel immejity, if not sooner!"
CHAPTER XXVI.
WE TAKE THE CHARRED STICK
FOR A GUIDE.
Luckily for us the new danger wa!
approaching from the westward. So
by dint of the maddest hurryings W.
got the bodies of the three Cherokee:
hoist upon the horses, and were abb
20 efface in part the signs of the late
encounter before the band Of rider!
coming down the Irdian path was upo,
us. But there was no time to maxi
an orderly retreat. At most we coult
only withdraw a little way into thu
wood, hating when we were well il
cover, and hastily stripping coats ant
WaiStCOatS to muf1e the heads of tn,