The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1905-07-21
THE MASTER OF APPLEBY|
.-- BY Francis Lynde. --<
BY Francis Lynde.


iNSASS vi IHe Wy ttiiQ dp"i WIKI d
sniff for my foreign-cut coat. another
for my queue. and Il third for the Ger
man ritter-bootS | Wore.
lymph" said he. Nov if here Amt
that there dad-blame Turkey-fighter
again! What almighty curtis things
the good Lord do let loose on n stiff
necked and rebellious gineration!" Then
to me. most pointedly: Say. Cap'n; the
big woods ain. no fitting place for
such as You. ez l allow. We mought
be getting them purity boots o your'n
all tore up on the briars."
He ended with a dry little laugh not
unlike Mr.. Gilbert Stairs parchment
cackle: and, being his guest for the
nonce. l laughed With him.
Have your Joke and welcome. Mr..
feates," said /. Il am too near fam
ished to quarrel With my chance of
breakfast"
Much to my astoundment he flung
his ~raccoon-skin cap into the air. spat
upon his hands and began that insane
w~ar-da:ce of his.
"Whoop!" he yelled. n handbook
dandy from the settlements ever sot
out TO call me Mister and got away
alive TO braE ont, Ketch hold. you in
forgotten. Turkey-fghting. silver-but-
toned jack-a-danGy TIL | dip We IL the
creek and soak a ilour-ration r two out
n that there pig-tail ,op-knot o.
yoHr'n, Yip-pee!"
ny tnlS Jenflifer was trying. as We'll
as a man bent double with laughter
might, to interpose in the interest of
peace and amity; and wen the sto!cal
Catawba was all a-grin. So. seeing I
was like to lose countenance with all of
them. | watched my chance. T. clos
ing with my capering ancient. gave him
a hearty wrestler's hug.
For all he was so gaunt and thin. and
full twenty years or more my senior,
he was a pretty handful. Twas much
like trying to catch n fall out of some
piece of steel-wired mechanism. None
the less, after some wild stampings and
strlvinss in which the old man all but
made good his promise to put me in the
creek. / took him unawares with a Cor
n~lshtnan's trick-a croSs-buttock shift
ed suddenly to a shoulder-lift-which
sent him flying overhead to LAND all
abroad in the soft clay of the land
slide.
The effect Of this little triumpb was
magical and wholly unlocked for. When
he had gathered himself and set his
limbs in order. Ephriam Yeates sat up
n thrust out 81 claw-like hand.
Put it there. stranger" he said. "I
reckon ez how that settles it. Old Eph
1eates I'll share fair. powder and lead.
parched corn and pan-meat with the
man that can flop him hathaway.
Whilst ye're a-needing a friend in the
big WoodS-a misunderstanding Injun-
skinner that can jest %or'narily whop
his weight in ~wildcats-why, old Eph's
your man; from now on, If not ooner."
And in this wise began an alliance the
like of which. for true-blue loyalty on
this old borderer's part. these colder
hearted times of yours. my dears. will
never see.
AS you would guess, 1 gripped the
hand of pledsing most heartily, pulling
the old man TO his feet and protesting
IT WAS hnt q trick ha would NC
let another play on him. And then we
four fell upon the deer's meat which
was by this time-not cooked, to be
sure. but scared a little on the outside
in true hunter fashion.
While we ate, Richard spoke freely
of our ~intendings: and in return
Ephriam 9eates was able to confirm
Mr.. Gilbert Stairs war news to the let
ter. Fo all his tory bias and prejudice
it seemed that Margery's father had
spoken by the book. Gates army was
crushed and scattered to the four
winds; Thomas Sumter's free-lances
had been attacked. worsted and driven.
with the leader himself so soreiy
wounded that he was carried from the
field in a blanke slung between the
horses of two of his men: and, as was
to be expected, the tories We're up and
arming in all the north country. Truly.
the prospect was gloomy and the out
look for the patriot cause was to the
full as desperate as King George him
self could wish.
But you, Ephriam. and the chief.
here; are you two running away like
all the others"" Richard would ask.
The old hunter growled his denial be-
tween the mouthfuls of scarce-warmed
meat. Il reckon ez how tits t'other way
round: We're sort o camping on the
%redcoats' trail. ez l allow. Amt we
Chief, hey?"
NH ~, = - rs, No -. 1-,2ss -.
tural "Wah!" and Ephriam Yeates
went on to explain.
"Ye sec. it's this-away. You took a
laugh out'n me. Cap'n Dick, for spying
round on that there Brit;sher boss
captain and his redskins: but long
to'ards thel last l met up with a thing
r two wo'th knowing. Twas a powder
and lead cargo they was awaiting for:
n they're allowing to sneak 1t
through the mountings to the overhill
Cherokees."
"Well??" says Dick.
The OLD man cut another slice of ven->
the forked. toasting stick.
We'll, h l says to the chief, here,
says 1. Chief, this here's our A-num-
ber-one chance to spite the Egyptians:
get heap gun. heap powder. heap lead.
heap scalp The chief. he says. 'Wah!'
which is good %Injun-talk FOR any
til1AA6 ye lihC-aLu 81 lctc we dIe, QOl-
foot on the trail o. hat there hoss-
captain n his powder varmints."
Alone" said I. in sheer amaze
ment at the brazen e%ffrontery Of this
chase Of half a hundred well-armed
men by two.
The old hunter chuckled his little dry
laugh. We amt SIGH tarnation big
fools ez we look. Cap'n John. There's
a good plenty of 'em to waliop us. ez
I allow. If 1t come to fighting EN- fair
and square. But there'll be some dark
night r other whenst we can slip up
on 'em and raise a scalp r two and
lift what plumber we can tote: hey.
chief?"
But now Richard would inquire what
time in the night the powder convoy
left Appleby Hundred. and II Gilbert
stairs York district guests had trav-
eled with 1t. no these askings Yeates
made answer that F%alconnet and his
troop. with the Cherokee contingent.
had taken the road at midnight, or
t~hereabouts: and hat the Wltherbys.
with Mistress Margery riding her own
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