Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-06-30
XVI.
HOW JENNIFER THREW A MAIN
WITH DEATH.

HOW JENNIFER THREW A MAIN
WITH DEATH.
IT'S a sure mark of healthful sleep that
II never makes account of time. No odds
how long the night, tits but a moment
from the lapse of consciousness to its re-
covery in the morning. But this deep
sleep that crept upon me as / lay In the
pirogue, listening TO the tinkling drip
from Jennifer's paddle, was not OF health
full WEAKNESS: and when l came awake
from II there was a dim and troubled
vista of vague and broken dreams 10
measure off the longest night l could ever
remember.
The place of this awakening was a bur-
row in the earth. My bed Of bearskins
over fragrant pine tufts was spread upon
the ground, and by the pickering light OF
a handful of fire / could see the earth
walls OF the burrow, which were worn
smooth as II the place had been the we'll
used den of some wild creature. But over
head there was the mark of human oc-
cupancy, since the earth-arch was sooted
and blackened with the reek of many
fires.
When / stirred there was another stir
beyond the handful of fire, and Jennifer
came to kneel beside me, taking my hand
and chatting IL as a tender-hearted woman
might, and asking If j knew him.
Know you? Why should l not?' ]
said. wondering why the words took so
many breaths between.
80 Jack!' was all l had in answer; but
when he had found a tong to babble out
his Joy, / learned the why and where
fore. Once more grim death had reached
for me, lying await In the twirled toma-
hawk hat set me dreaming of my moth
er's lap and lullaby. For a week ! had
lain here upon the bed Of pine tufts, poised
upon the brink of the death pit with only
my dear lad to hold and draw me back.
"A week?" / queried, when he had
named the interval. And you have been
here all the timer"
i've never left you, save to forage for
the pot he admitted. II dared not leave
you, Jack"
Blu where are WEI" I would ask.
I'm a den on the rivers edge, a mile or
more above your sacked cabin. IT'S some
d~odge-hole followed out by the Catawbas
long ago and shared since by them and the
bears, Judging from the sinking reek of
it. Uncanoola steered me hither the night
Of the raid"
Then the chief came off safely?" /
said, falling into a dumb and impotent
rage that the saying Of two words should
scant me so of strength to say a third.
Right as a trivet-scalps and all, !"
laughed Jennifer. Hell be the n of
every warrior In the tribe when he vaunts
himself at the Catawbas' counci fire."
l let IL rest a while at that, casting about
for words to shape a hungrier question.
Have you no news?" j asked, at length.
Little or none" he answered shortly.
Blu you have had some word-some
~news-from Applcby Hundred?' l stam-
mered feebly.
Nothing you'd care to hear he re-
Joined, evasively, l thought. TITS as you
left it, save that Tarleton whipped away
to the south again as suddenly as he
came, and our cursing baronet has made
the manor house his headquarters in fact,
lodging himself and all his troop on Mr..
Stair. From his lying quiet and keeping
the Cherokees in tow, there will be some
deviitry afoot, I'll warrant"
/ knew that Falconnet was waiting for
the powde. cargo, but another matter
crowded this aside.
"But-but Margery?" / queried, or
sharpest tenter-hooks to know how much
or little he had heard.
/ thought his brow darkened at the ques-
ton. but mayhap 1t was only a shadow
cast by the pickering fire. At any rate,
he laughed hardly.
Ssh is well-and well content, / dare
swear. Twas only yesterday I saw her
taking the air on the river road, with
Falconnet for an escort. You told me ono.
he had a sure hand with the women and
1t made me mad; but, truly, / have come
to think you drew ii mild, Jack"
Now though / could ply a decent ready
blade, or keep a firing line from lurching
at a pinch, / had not learned 10 put q
snaffe on a laundering tongue, as l have
Damn him as O please, Dick. and
he'll warrant Ii. But you must not Judge
the lady over harshly. nor always by APP.
p~earances. She may have fouted you al
a boyish lover, and yet ] think
I stopped In sheer bewilderment, shot
through and through with keenest agon'
les of remorseful recollection. For at thu
moment / had clean forgot the gulf i'm
passable / had set between these two
SO l would hav lapsed into shamed 81
lence. but Jennifer would not suffer 1t.
well, What is IL that you think e. III
demanded.
II th.nk-nay, / may say i know tina
she thinks well OF you, Dick" ] blundcret
on, seeing no way 10 put him on.
He gripped my hand, and In his eyes
there was the light Of the old love re
awakening.
Dom lift me up to fling me dow
again, Jack! How can you know wha
she thinks OF me?' he broke In, eagerly.
i should have told him then all Their,
was TO tell. He had been trice my savior
and his heart was soft and malleable Oh
the side of friendship. I knew it-knev
that the pregnant moment for full comics
sion had arrived; and yet / could not force
my tongue 10 shape the words. indeed
/ saw more clearly than before that rsve
any word Of mine could make him ufQer
stand that i was not a faithless traitcg II
intention. So / paltered with the truth
like any wretched coward OF them all.
You forget that ! have come 10 know
her wel," I said. II was a month O