The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1905-03-29
CHAPTER XII.

than a chance couple OF Cornish troop
ers. But now seeing the glow of the
burning charcoal on my face, he fell TO
speaking calmly.
Good sirs, the game Is yours. with
care. Slid. but you hold a pretty hand
III only you know how 10 play it."
where is she?" / again asked.
For answer, he looked seaward, where
the sloop's lantern lay like a floating
star on the black waters.
What" cried /. Mistress Della in
that sloop! Ard who is with her, prayT'
"Why, Black Dick, 10 begin with-and
Reuben Gedges-and Jeremy Toy"
"All the knayes left in the pack
heaven help herr / muttered. as ! looked
toward the light, and my heart beat heav-
lily. Heaven help herr | said again,
and, turning, spied a grin on the cap
tain's face.
Under Providence" answered he,
'your unworthy servant may suffice. But
what is my reward to be-"
"Your neck" said /. iii / can ave it
when you are led before the Cornish cap
tains.''
That's fair enough. SO listen. These
few months the lady has been shut in
Bristol keep, whittier, by the advice of
our employer, we conveyed her back safe
and sound. This same employer
"A dirty rogue, whom you may as well
call by his name-Hanmibal Tingcomh.'
Right. young sir; a very dirty rogue
and Il niggardly-I hate a mean rascal.
Well, fearing her second escape from that
prison, and being hand in glove with the
Parliament men, he gets her on board a
slo0p bound for the Nirginias just at the
time when he knows the Earl of STAN
ford is to march and crush the Cornish
men. For escort she has the three com
radcs of mine that / named, and the
captain of the sloop has orders to cruise
along the coast hereabouts till he gets
news of the battle"
(which you were just about to give
him. cried /. suddenly enlightened.
Right again. Twas a pretty scheme;
for, dye see, if all went well with the
Earl of Stamford, the Kings law would
be wiped out in Cornwall, and Master
Tingcomb might snap his thumb thereat.
So, in that case, Mistress Della was to be
brought ashore here and taken to him to
serve as he fancied. But, il the day
should 20 against us--as it has-she was
TO sail to the Virginias with the sloop,
and there be sold as a slave"
/ was scarce able to refrain from blow
Ing his brains out. $50 you were to fol-
low the Earls army and work the sig
mails. Which are theyI" For a quick
resolve had come into my head, and !
was casting about to put it into eXecu-
ton.
"A green light if we won; if not, a red
light, to warn the sloop away"
| picked up the packet that had drop
ped from his hand when first j sprang at
him. 1t was burst abroad, and a brown
powder trickling from it about the ledge.
This was the red light-to be sprin-
Killed. on the burning charcoal. | suppose
The fellow nodded. At She same mo-
ment Billy (who as yet had not spoken a
word, and, OF course. understood Moth
ing) thrust into my hand another packet
that he had found stuck in a corner
against the rock.
Now tell me-in case the rebels won,
where was the landing to be made?'
I'm the cove below ~here-where the
road leads down"
AYE, the road where the wagon
stood
captain I1uht Ctlllt bliih "a ulo CAto ~
this; but nodded after a moment.
And how many would escort her."
He caught my drift and laughed softly.
! II begin to love you, for you plty the
game very proper and soundly. Reuben,
Jeremy and Black Dick alone are in the
plot; so why should more escort ber!'
Before | could get my sentence out,
Billy Pottery broke in with a voice like
a trumpet
AS folks go, Jack, | be a humorous
man. But sittin' here, an ponderin' this
way an that, l says, in my deaf IN af-
fictcd style, Why not shoot the ugly
ros:c, II nh inl8cs, &c your object
For TO wait till IN uglier comes 10 this
%untravel'd spot is supertiuity.'
How to explain matters to Billy was
more than | could tell: but in a moment
he himself supplied the means. For the
rocks here were of some kind OF slate,
very hard, but scaly; n finding two
pieces, a large and a small. he handed
them to me, bawling that l was to write
Herewith. So giving him my pistol, |
made shift to scribble a few words. See
ing his eyes twinkle as he read, / stood
up.
The charcoal by this time was a glow
ing mass Of red; and threw so clear a
light on us that / feared the crew on
board the sloop might see our forms and
suspect their disadventure. But the Ian
tern still hung steadily; so signing to
Billy to drag our prisoner behind a tam
arisk bush. l open'd the second packet,
and poured some of the powder into my
hand. 1t was composed of tiny crystals,
yellow and faky. | tore the packet wide
open and shook out the powder on the
Goals.
Instantly there came a dense. choking
vapor and a vivid green flare that turned
the rocks. the sky and our faces u. q