The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-08-11

I The old man chuckled his dry little
laugh, though what food for merriment
he could find In the hopeless prospect
was more than I could understand.
"Ho! no! Cap'n John: I reckon ex
how ye're a-taking that word from
Walt spell till ye're exs old ez I be;
then you'll never say die till ye're
plumb dead"
Now. truly. though I was dismally
disheartened, i could reassure him IN
the point Of perseverance,. IT'S an
Ireton falling to lose heart and hope
when the skies are dark; but this il
counterbalanced in some OF US by a
certain quality OF unreasoning persist
ence which will go on running long aft
err the race is we'll lost. MY father had
this stubborn virtue to the full; and SC
had that old Ironside Ireton from whom
we are descended.
That's the kind o. talk" was the old
mans comment. Nov we'll set to
work in ~sure-enough arnest Ez I said
a spell back, my stummtck Is crying
cupboard till I can't max out to hear
my brain a-sizzling. Maybe you took
notice o. me a-praying down yonder
us sScalps and proyender. For u on
faithfulness He's seed AT to withhold
the me-: but maybe We'll f1no a raven
|'r two, or a widder's mite r meal-barl,
somewheres in this bowling wilderness,
yit."
So saying, he summoned the Cataw-
ba with a low whistle, and when I'm
canoola Joined us. told him to stay
with Jennifer whilst we should make
another effort to find the ford.
There's nobody like an tInjun for a
nuss when a mans chin-deep into
AaNSxH1N.t " o,x~%t~ Att, wvl-n IL ~,~@l--.--
when we were feeling u way eau
tiously along he margin Of the swift
little river. EFF Cap'n Dick rips and
tears and pulls the grass up by the
roots. the chief'll only say. .Wah!' II
he sits up and cusses till he's black in
the face. the chief'll say, 'Ugh!' And
that's just about all a man hankers
for when his sores a-running in the
night season, and all Thy waters have
gone over his head. Selah!"
Now you are to remember the sky
was overcast and the night was pitchy
dark, n how the old borderer could
read a sign of any sort was far beyond
gone q 'scant half-mile along the river
brink he stopped short, shifted the air
and stopped to feel and grope on the
ground like a blind man seeking for
something he had lost.
Right about here-away is where
tAAC a. AkAkO SAO06p 4AS IA
'the whole enduring passed. of 'em, ez
I reckon-our eve varmints and the
hoss-captatn's powder train. Give me
h heft o your shoulder till we take
the water and projec' round a spell
IN t'other SIDE"
We squaredsourselves, wholly by the
sense of touch, with the rivers edge,
locked arms for the better bracing
against the swift current, and SO es-
sayed the ford. It was no more than
thigh deep. and though the water
dashed and foamed over the shoal like
a torrent In flood. there was a clean
se1 : Me tg gooss f0 ouT fae 9aes so safe
stream, and In a little time came to the
deserted glade with the embers of the
kidnapers' fire glowing duly in the
midst.
Here a sign Of some later v%isitants
than F~alconnet's horsemen set US war
lily on our guard. The te~pee-lodge Of
dressed skins. which had been left un-
vanished.
back to make sure 8 what they left be-
hind said Yeates, in a whisper. II
.jing! that's Jest the n thing I was
a-hoping they'd forget to do. I reckon
iez how that spiles our last living
chance o. finding anything that mought
help slack or IN the belly-pinch."
So he said, but for this once his wis
dom was at fault and tricky fortune
favored ne. When we had found the
covert In the bushes where the two
horses had been concealed we lighted
upon q precious prize. Twas a bag
share OF the provision Of the captive
party overlooked by those who had
returned to gather up the ~leavings.
:s With this treasure-trove we made all
haste to rejoin our companions. And
now behold what a miracle of reanima-
Ifuls Of bread grain! In thrice the
ECatawba had fOund a water-worn
stone to serve for a mortar. and an
other for a pestle. These and the bag
OF corn were carried back to a shell
tered ravine which we had crossed on
our late advance; and here the Indian
fell to work to grind the corn into
coarse meal, whilst Yeates and I kim
died a fire to heat the baking-stones.
In these preparations for the break
ing OF long fast even Richard be-
stirred himself to help. and when the
cakes were baked and eaten-with
what zestful sharp-sauce OF appetite
none but the famished may ever know
were all in better heart, and bet
ter able to face the new and far more
desperate plight in which our lack OF
common foresight had entangled us.
FOL now, since we knew the fulli
measure of the peril menacing our dear
lady. there was need for swift deter
mination and a blow as swift and sure;
a coup de main which should atone in
one shrewd push for the sleeveless
failure of the night. So we would grip
hands around, even to the stolid Indian.
and swear a solemn oath to cut the
women out or else leave bur bones to
whiten in the forest wilderness.
You'll laugh at all these vowings and
handstrikings. / dare say. and protest
there was a deal of such fustian he
rofcs In your doddering old chronicler's
day.
Mayhap there was. But, my dears.
I would you might remember as you,
laugh that we of that simple hearted
elder time lived by some half-century
nearer to that age Of chivalry you dote
on-in the story books. Also, I would
you might mingle with your merriment
a little Of the saving grace of char
ity; letting 1t hint that, perchance.
these % call "heroics' were but the
free, untrammeled folk-speech of that
%sincerer natural heart which. you have
Learned to silence and suppress. For
r. -