The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1905-06-30
IN WHICH A RATCHET SINGS A
MAN no 81. CEp

MAN TO SLEEP.
In such a coil as this I'd Topped about
me there was nothing for II, as 1t seemed.
but to draw the steel and die as "a soldier
should. So l broke cover on the forest
side Of the holly thicket with a yell as
fierce as theirs, and picked a tree to set
my back against, and ran for 1t.
l never reached the tree. In mid career.
when all the Cherokee wolf pack was
bursting through the holly tangle at my
heels, two men. a white man and an In
dian, ran in ahead, as l supposed TO cut
me off. Just then the dry roof of the
hunting lodge roared ailame, reddentng the
forest far and near. The light was at my
back and on the faces of the two who ran
10 meet me. A great sob swelled In my
throat and choked me. but ! ran the fas-
ter. For these were my dear lad and the
friendly Catawba, charging CALAMITY to
cover my retreat.
1t was a ready help in time of need. They
ran in bravely. the chief ahead, :&irling
his tomahawk for the throw. with Dick a
pace to right and rear, his two great pls-
tolls brandished and the grandsire Of
all the b~roadswords dangling by a thong
at his wrist.
Follow the chief" he shouted in pass
ing; and at the word the Catawba stopped
short, sent his Ratchet whistling into the
!apping pack behind me, and swerved to
VA asiaS .-lo olIl XIX way IAS.
Left to myself, l hope l should have
had the grace to stand with Jennifer.
But at the turning point of indecision the
quick witted Indian read my thought, and
snatchsng the sword from my hand. gave
me no choice hut to follow him.
So l ran with him.: but as ! fed l looked
behind and saw a sight to put the ancient
hero tales to the blush. One man against
two-score my brave Dick stood, while
through the underwood the mounted SOL
diery came to make the odds still greater.
He never tinched for all the hurtling
missiles sent On ahead to cut him down,
nor gave a glance aside to where the
horsemen were dep.oying to surround
him. AS I looked, the two great pistols
belched in the very faces of the nearest
Cherokees: and in the mo,nentary checl.
the firearms made. the basket-hilted
ciaymore went to work, rising and falling
like a %eaNer's beam.
l saw no more; but some heart-bursting
minutes later. when Jcnnifcr came racing
on behind to share the fight his heroic
stand had made a possibility, the swelling
Sob choked ME once AGAR. and when
thought Of What this his d scue of me
meant to him, l could have ulubbered like
a boy.
But there was little time or space to
give remorse an inning. The Cherokees,
checked but for the momcnt were storm
Ing holly at our heels. And as we ran /
heard the shouted command OF Falconnct
to his mounted men: "A rescue! Right
oblique, and head them In the road: Gal
lop. you devils!"
We ran IN Indian file. I at the chiefs
heels and Jennifer at mine. l followed
the Catawba hlindly; and being as vet
little better than half a mar in breath
and muscle, was well-night spent before
we crashed down through a tangled briar
thicket into the river road.
We We're in time, but with no fraction
OF a minute to spare. We could hear the
pad-pad-pad Of the light-footed runners
close upon us. following now by the noise
we made; and on our left the ar was
trembling TO the thunder of the mounted
men coming at a break-neck gallop Town
the road.
THANK God!' says Richard. with a
quick eycshot to right and left in the
lesser gloom of the open. II was afeared
even the chief might miss the place in
the dark. Down the hank to the .iver!-
quick, man, and cautious! If they smell
us out now, we're no better t~han~huzzard-
meat" And when we reached the wa
ter's edge: You taught me how to pad
die a pirogue. Jack; l hope you haven't
lost the knack OF it yourself"
NO" said I; and the three of us slid
the followed log into the stream.
We were atioat IN shortest order, hold
ing the canoe against the current by
clinging to the over hanging trees that
fringed the bank; yet with paddles poised
for a second dash for freedom should the
need arise. ] should have dipped forth
with to save the precious minute, but Jen-
infer stayed me.
Hist he whispered. Hold steady
anu listen. They cannot see us from
above; mayhap we've thrown them off
the SCENT
l thought 1T most unlikely: but his guess
NO c RIGHT nd los. $40, i-.--1
any of these savages could lift a trail in
daylight. following 1t at top speed like
a trained bloodhound, yet now the dark
ness bafied them.
So there was some running to and fro
in the road above our heads. and Their the
troopers 2alloped down. Followed hastily
a labored confah through the linguister,
broken in the midst by a fury of hot
oaths from F~alconnet; and then the chase
swept on toward the plantations. and we
were left to make their losing Of us sure
by whatsoever means we chose.
We padded slowly up stream in silence.
keeping we'll within the blacker shadow of
the glowing ruins of the hunting lodge,
Jennifer backed upon his paddle.
You'll go ashofe?" said he.
said l would, adding: '"They have
slaughtered poor old Darius, and ] am
loath to leave his bones for the buzzards
to pick"
He made no other than to
swear in sympathy. When the pirogue
grounded. the Indian was out like a cat,
to vanish phantom-wise among the trees.
I followed In some clumsier fashion, leav-
ing Jennifer TO keep the canoe; but half
way up the hill he Joined me, and would
not turn back for all my urging. mo;
hang me If I'll let you out Of eye-grip
again. was all he would say: and SO we
went together. and were together at the
seeing Of what the glowing ember-heap
would show US.
Poor Tomas had his sepulture already.
His cord had burned in two and let him
down 80 close beside the cabin wall that
all the blazing debris from the o%verhanR-
ing caves had made his funeral pile. pa-
RUS lay as l had last seen him: and him
We buried In the maize clearing at the
back, with the ember glow for funeral
lights.
1t was a chanceful thing to do. Since
the Cherokees had left their dead and
wounded, and Falconnet the body Of his
trooper who had yielded me the musket.
there was small doubt they would re-
turn. Yet we had time to dig a shallow
grave for my old henchman; to dig and
fill it up again; and afterward to make a
circuit around the burning milo N re,cb