The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1906-01-24

hent ana pressing kind that menaced this
settlement, or the neighboring one"
And You say, moreover. that he wish
ed to eNtort promise of some kind
from her" continued Boone.
1T was that which caused me to in
terfere in her behalf; and the promise
OF secrecy | doubt not had reference
TO the danger which threatens YOU" re-
joined Allan
This matter may be of the greatest
Importance to us, Mr.. Norwood. Were
there any names mentioned, that YOU can
remember resumed the forester.
Yes. a name was mentioned which
now recollect. On Quesne, think it
was"
Daniel Boone sprang from his seat
with a sudden and angry impulse.
"Du Quesne, did you say, sir?" he
exclaimed. Then there is indeed dan
ger, for he is an instrument TO do us
harm. The Indians will rally around
him to crush us. | have heard his name;
he acts under the authority of the Brit
ish posts, and has been active in dis
tributing arms and ammunition among
the savage tribes"
ALLOW me to inquire who this lie
Bland is who came so near sending a
bullet through my bOdyT' rejoined Allan.
That question is not easily answered,
young man. | need information on the
subject myself. He came among us
about four weeks ago He has man
| aged to make himself peculiarly agree
| able to Esquire Aston, and that he
loves his handsome daughter ROsalthe is
no secret among us. The girl fears him.
What the secret of his influence is, !
have not been able to discover"
Does Mr.. Aston favor the protein
sions of the Frenchman" asked Allan.
earnestly.
Most decidedly. Esquire Aston was
! formerly man of wealth, and could
| indulge in the Injuries of refined life.
He also has indubitable claims to n no.
| BILE ancestry. He married into a Gistin-
guished family, and his daughter receiv-
ed an education far superior to that
which usually falls to the lot of young
ladies. Having lost most of his wealth
! by an unfortunate investment he turned
| his attention to this new country, and
had the courage to dare a pioneers life,
but if Squire Aston has any weak point,
it is that his sweet daughter should mar
ry a gentleman"
The conversation was interrupted at
| that moment by the entrance of Simon
| KentOn. a man whose name is hOnorably
| mentioned in the annals of Kentucky
| history. His face had a frank and hon
est expression which served as a pass
port to the good opinion Of Allan. The
brief ceremony Of Introduction had
scarcely been finished before another in
dividual made his appearance in the
cabin of the pioneer. This was Joel
LOgston, a man of extraordinary mus
cuar power, and of whose wonderful eX-
PLOTS tradition is yet eloquent. He was
followed by one of the largest and ugli-
est dogs that ever aspired to the friend
ship of a human being.
On account Of the explosive and fiery
nature of his disposition his master had
bestowed upon him the name of Nesu-
vius Vesuvius was snappish and fret
full cur, given TO sudden, violent and dan
gerous eruptions of the lava of wrath,
when it became imperatively necessary
for all within certain area to with
draw themselves speedily to escape in
slant worriment with tooth and nail.
This ungentle mastif always walked
about six inches behind Joel Logston,
except when engaged in his fayorite pur-
suit of hunting, for on these occasions
he WAS invariably in advance of every
thing in the shape Of quadruped or BIZ
ped.
Joel Logston was quite as celebrated
for his marvellous variations and extrav-
agant style as for his physical strength.
No man of the three settlements could
tell with such Incompatible self-posses-
sion and GOODNESS such stories as he did.
With this strong proclivity TO exaggera-
ton was combined a rough drollery and
good nature that made him at all times
O very agreeable companion. If Joel had
any malice in his heart it manifested it
self in putting Andrew in mortal fear
by causing Vesuvius to show his teeth
and make several hostile demonstrations
toward him. Nor was Andrew the only
subject of these currish prosecutions
Mr.. Alston's colored man, Exquisite Eb
ony, was another martyr to Joel and his
mastiff.
While Allan was partaking of the
substantial hospitality of the pioneer in
the form of excellent venison and other
wholesome and palatable viands, Log
ston amused ali the parties by relating
one of his recent adventures, in which
he asserted, with much modesty of man
ner, that he had no doubt slain four
teen Indians with his own hand, besides
doing to death litter of bears of six
months, with their sire and dam. For
the truth of this reasonable statement
he appealed to Vesuvius, who answered
with a short, sharp and expressive yelp,
and then fixed his fiery eyes upon An
drew in such threatening manner that
the latter retreated to the farthest cor
ner of the room, rolling his eyes in great
alarm.