The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1905-07-20
THE MASTER OF AppLEBY|
BY Francis Lynde.


man ritter-boots I wore.
"Umph!" said he. Now if here amt
that there dad-blame Turkey-fghter
again! What almighty curtis things
the good Lord do let loose on q stiff
necked and rebelious gineration," Then
to me, most pointedly: Say, Cap'n; the
big woods amt no fitting place for
such as you, ez l allow. Yc mought
be getting them purity boots O your'n
all tore up on the briars."
He ended with a dry little laugh not
unlike Mir. Gilbert Stairs parchment
cackle; and, being his guest for the
nonce, l laughed with him.
Have our joke and welcome. Mr..
Yeates," said I. II am too near fam
sshed 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-danCc of his.
"Whoop"' he yelled. mo band-box
dandy from the settlements ever sot
out to call me Mister and got away
alive to brag ont! Ketch hold, you in
forgotten, Turkey-fighting. silver-but-
toned jack-a-dandy till I dip We In the
creek and soak a l~our-rarion r two out
n that there pig-tail top-knot O.
your'n! Yip-pee!"
BY this Jennifer was trying, as we'll
po Il iildl Dtltl hOuDle with I1uPNIef
might, to interpose in Mhe interest of
peace and amity; and even the stoical
CataWba was all a-grin. So, seeing I
was like to lose countenance with all Of
them, | watched my chance, and clos
Ing with my capering ancient, gave him
a hearty Wrestler's hug.
For all he was so gaun and thin, and
full twenty years or more my senior.
he was a pretty handful. Twas much
ike irving tn catch a fall n,,t nF nr,
piece of steel-wired mechanism. None
the less, after some wild stampings and
strivings in which the old man all but
made good his promise to put me in the
creek, I took him unawares with a Cor
nishman'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 triumph was
magical and wholly unlocked for. When
he had gathered himself and set his
limbs in order, Ephriam Yeates sat up
and thrust out u claw-like hand.
Put 1t there, stranger he said. IT
reckon ez how that settles 1t. Old Eph
Yeates II 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 primarily whop
his weight in wildcats-why, old Eph's
your man; from'now OF, if lot sooner"
And in this wise began an alliance the
like of which, for true-blue loyalty IN
this old borderer's part, these colder
hearted times Of yours, my dears, will
never see.
AS you would guess, I gripped the
hand of pledging most heartily, pulling
the old mar to his feet n protesting
1T was but o trick he would never
let another play on him. And Their 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 Yeates was able to confirm
Mr.. Gilbert Stairs war news to the let
ter. For all his tory bias and prejudice
1t seemed that Margery's father had
spoken by the book. Gates army was
crushed and scattered to the four
winds: Thomas Suniter's free-lances
had been attacked, worsted and driven,
with the leader himself so sorely
wounded that he was carried from the
field IN g blanket 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 r~eckon,ez how it's t'other way
round; We're sort O camping on the
redcoats' trail, ez I allow. Amt we
Chief, hey?"
The Catawba's assent was a gut
tural "Wah!" m Ephriam Yeates
went on to explain.
"Ye see, tbs this-away. You took a
laugh out'n me, Cap'n Dick, for spying
round on that there Brftisher boss
captain and his redskins; but long
to'ards the last / met UP with a thing
r two woth knowing. Twas a powder
and lead cargo they was awaiting for:
and they're allowing to sneak 1t
through the mountings to the overhill
Cherokees."
"Well?" says Dick.
The old man cut another slice of ven
ison and took his time to impale 1t on
the forked toasting stick.
We'll, then / says to the chief. here.
says I, Chief, this here's our A-num-
ber-one lance to Epile the Egyptians;
get heap gun, heap powder, heap lead.
uedp SCdlp. IHe CuleI. ne says, 'Wah!'
which Is good Injun-talk for any
thing We like-and SO here we are, hot
foot on the trail o. that there boss
captain and his powder varmints.'
"Alone?" said /. 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. I'VE amt SIGH tarnation big
fools ez we look, Cap'n John. There's
a good plenty of EN- to wallop us, ez
allow, If 1t come to fighting 'em fair
and quare But there'n be some dark
night Y other whenst we can slip up
on 'em n raise q 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 If Gilbert
stairs York district guests had trav-
eled with it. To these askings Yeates
made. answer that F%alconnet and his
troop, with the Cherokee contingent.
had taken the road at midnight. or
thereabouts; and that the Witherbys,
with Mistress Margery riding her own
black mare. and her maid on a pillion
behind a negro groom, had passed some
two hours later.
This was as we had hoped 1t might
be; but When Dicks satisfaction would