The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1905-06-16
THE MASTER OF APPLEBY|
t- BY Francis Lynde. ---;

BY Franci. Lynde.

+, Yet these were a andfU of the mer
who had fought so stoutly against the
Tory odds at Ramsour'S Mill. their cap
: tain being that Abram Torney of whom,
/, you may have read in the histories:
and though they made no military
, show. they lacked neither hardihood
nor courage. of a certain persevering
sort.
Ever come any closter to POUR Amen
than this, ~stranger?" dra,Eled one of
them. a grizzled borderer. lank. lean
and weather-tanned. with a face that
might have been a leathern mask for
any hint 1T gave of what went on be-
hind it. I'll swear that little whip
snap officer u had the word Fire
sticking in his teeth when 1 gave him
old Sukeyss mouthful o. lead to ebay
on"
l said I had come as near my exit a
time or two before. though always in
TAR fight; and therupon was whelmed
IN an avalanche of questions such as
only Supplemented folk know how to
ask.
When I had sufficiently accounted for
myself. Captain Forney-he was the
limber-backed young fellow l had rid
den behind-gripped my hand and gave
me a hearty welcome and congra sula-
ton.
My father and yourA were handfast
frlendA Captain Ireton. More than that
I've heard my father say he owed yours
somewhat on the score Of good turns
I'm master glad Nv had a chance to
even up a little; though as for that. we
should both thank the Indian" At
which he looked around as one who
calls an eye-muster n marks a MISS
ing man. Where is the chief. Eph-
raim?"-this to the grizzled hunter who
was ~methodically %reloading his long
rifle.
Hes back yonder, gathering in the
hair-crop. I reckon. Never you mind
about him. Cap'n. He'll turn up when
he smells the meat a-cooking. imme-
jttiy. If not %ooner."
Here, as l imagine. I looked all the
questions that acked answers; for
them out with applications.
IT'S u%ncanoola, the Catawba," he
said; lone Of the friendl;es. He was
out a-scouting last night and came in
an hour before daybrek with the news
that Colonel Tarleton was set upon
hanging a spy of ours. From that "
our little adjustment"
II see," said 1, wanting space to
turn the memory leaves. This Cataw-
ba; is he a man about my age?" Cap
tain Forney laughed. God He only
knows an Indians age. But Uncanoola
has been a man grown these fifteen
years or more. l can recall his coming
\ " lily ldllleI ) lOuSe Wien L MAS Dul d
little codger.''
AT that, 1 remembered, too; remem-
bered a tall, straight young savage, as
handsome as a figure dom in bronze,
Who used sometimes to meet me in the
l%onelier forest wilds when 1 was afraid
of him; how once l would have hot
him in a fit of boyish race %antipathy
and sudden fright had he not flung
away his firelock and stood before me
defenSeleSS.
Also. 1 recalled a little incident of the
terrible scourge in go when the black
pox babe fair to blot out this tribe of
the Catawbas; Low when my father
had found this young savage lying in
the forest, plague-stricken and deserted
by all his tribesmen. he had saved his
life n earned an Indian friendship.
II know his ~Uncanoola," 1 said.
MY father befriended him in the
plague of go, and was never sorry for
1t, as I believe" Then 1 would ask If
these Catawbas had ranged themselves
on the patriot side. a question which
led the young militia captain to give
ers We're breaking camp and making
their hasty preparations for the days
march.
"'Tis liberty or death with us now;
we've burnt our bridges ehind u.s."
he said, when he had confirmed the
tidings I had the day before from
Father Matthew. And since here in
Carolina we have to light each man
against his %neighbor, it's like to go hard
with us, lacking help from the North"
Measured by this mornings work.,
Captain Forncy, these irregulars of
yours seem we'll able to give a good
account of themselves" 1 ventured.
He shook his head doubtfully. He
was but a boy in years, but war IS a
| ST brew Cphnn1r1a Sfafs q md this y'nItS
like many another on the fighting from
tier, had matriculated early.
You've seen us at our best" he
amended. w can ambush like the
Indians, fire a volley, yell. charge-and
run away"
ster?" The grizzled hunter had fin
ished %reloading his rifle, and, %lounging
in earshot with all the freedom of the
border. would take the captain up
sharply on this last.
You heard me-, Eph Yeates." replied
my young captain, CURLY.
The old man leaned his rifle against
caper in air, and gave tongue in a yell
that should have been heard by Tarle-
tons men at Appleby.
by the eternal 'coonskins! can
gouge the eye out Of airy mar that says
Eph Yeates carn't stand up fair and
o4udIc dHG WLOp ILf Weight III WllO-
cats; and l can do II nav, IL not soon
err" he shrilled. come on. you
pap-eating, apron-stringed. French
daddied-'
Where the blast of vituperative insult
would have spent itself in natural
course we We're not to know, for in the
midst another Of the borderers. a wiry
little man in greasy deerskin, came up
behind the capering ancient, whipped
an arm around his neck. and in a
trice the two went down, kicking,
scratching, buffeting and mauling, as
like a pair Of battling bobcats as we've
ever seen.
For a moment I thought my young
ster would let them have it out to the
finish, but ne did not. At his order
some Of the others pulled the twain
apart, reluctantly, l fancied; and when
the thing was dom the old man caught
up his rifle and strobe away in black
est wrath without a look behind him.
Captain Forney shrugged and spread
his hands as his French father might
have done.
Now o NOW wherein his weak
ness lies, Captain Ireton." he said.
There goes as true n man and as keen
n shot as ever pulled trigger. Let him
fight his own way, and he'll take cover