The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1905-09-21

out all the starlight. and the trace was
no more han a bridle-path. rougher
than n cart road Yet We held the
breakneck pace steadily, save for the
time it tool to thread some steep defile
to a stream crossing, or to scramble
upeits fellow On the opposite side: and
when the dawn began to gray in the
sky ahead, we We're well out of the
broker mountain region and into the
pen forest of the hill country.
The sun was yet below the eastern
horizon when we came to the fording
nf a larger stream than any we had
crossed in the night. It's course was
toward the sunrise, hence I took ii for
some tributary OF the Catawba or the
Broad.
TITS the Broad itself" said Eph-
rain Yeates, in answer 10 my asking;
and yit 1t amt; leastwise, it amt the
one you know. 'Tis the one the Par
l~eyvoos claimed in the old war. and
they call it the Frinch Broad."
But that flows north and westward,
II remember Alright" said I,
S ii do, so 1t do-in %gineral. But
hereabouts twill run all ways for Sun
day, by spells"
IF this be the French Broad we are
not yet out OF the Tuckasege country,
as l take IT."
Mighty nigh to it; nigh enough to
- q SpHGi. L n
ye're a~-needing that same pretty toll
er'ble, amt ye, little gal?" this last to
Margery.
Weary as she was she smiled upon
him brightly, as though he had been
her gTandsire and SO free to name her
how he pleased.
Il shall sleep we'll when we are out of
danger. But you must not stop for me,
or for Jeanne, till it's safe to do So"
safe? Lord love You, child. safe
IS a word beyond US yit, and will be till
we sot We down on your daddy's door
stone. But we'll make out to give ye
a bite n sup and forty winks O. sleep
immejitly, If not sooner now"
So, on the farther side of the stream
the hunter led theFWay aside, and when
We were come to a small meadow glade
with good grazing for the horses. he
called a halt, lifted the women from
their saddles and came 10 help me ease
Dick down. The poo lad was stiff and
sore, having no more use of his joints
than II he We're a bandaged mummy;
but the fever delirium had passed and
he was able TO laugh feebly at the tree
limb contrivance rugged to hold him in
the saddle.
he asked, when we had let him feel the
comfort of lying fiat Upon his back on
the soft sward.
LAS o see. We are all here, and all
in fair fettle, saving yourself. You're
the heaviest loser"
He smiled, and his eyes languid with
the fever sought out Margery, who
would not come anigh whilst I was
with him.
THAT remains to be seen, Jack. II
my dream comes true, 1 shall be the
richest gamer"
What did you dream?"
He beckoned me to bend over him.
Il dreamed I was sore hurt. and that
she was binding up my bruises and
crying over me-"
"Twas no dream" 1 said; and with
that 1 went to help Yeates make a
bough shelter for the women while
U~ncanoola was grinding the maize for
the breakfast cakes.
'Tis not my purpose to weary you
with a day-by~day accounting for all
that befell US on the way back to
ate ard slept and rose to mount and
ride again; this for five days and
nights, during which Jennifer's fever
upon him steadily.
At the close Of the fifth day our night
halt was in a deserted log cabin at the
edge of an unfinished clearing in the
heart of the forest. Here Richards
sickness anchored us, and for three
full weeks the journey paused.
We unused the Lac as best we could
for a fortnight, dosing him with stew
ings of such roots and herbs as the Ca
tawba could find in the wood. Then,
then We were at our wits ends, and
9eates and l were casting about how
could compass the bringing Of a
doctor from the settlements, the fever
a turn for the better-of it's own
accord, or for Uncanoola's physickings,
knew not which-and at the end OF
the third week Dick was up and able
to ride again, this time without the
stick to hold him in the saddle.
After this we went on without mis-
hap, and with no hardship greater thar
that OF living solely upon the meat
victual provided by the hunters rifle;
md you who know this plough-dressed
region at this later day will wonder
l write it down that in all that
.ong faring, or rather to the last days
of it, we saw never a face of any
Of our kind, or of the Catawba's.
You may be sure the month or more
spent thus in the heart of the Wild
was but a sorry time for me.
While the excitement of the pursuit
and rescue lasted. and later, when
anxiety for Richard filled the hours Of
the long days and nights, I was held
4 little back from slipping into that
pit of despair which I had digged for
Continued Next Week.>