The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1906-02-14

cried Logston, planting stunning blow
exactly into Girty's hearing place"
that fairly lifted him from the ground.
and landed him head foremost in a heap
of brushwood beside the path, where he
lay motionless, with his heels in the
air Joel cooked his rifle and pointed it
at him, but dropped the muzzle, saying:
1t won't do: the report would perhaps.
stir up million redskins. Lay there,
you internal good-for-nothin', while /
give you my blessin'v' he added looking
| contemptuously at the motionless figure
of Girty. You amt nobody to speak
on; you're vile critter; you're a de-
| spisable turncoat; / don't know nothing
bad enough TO call you. If | had Il
knife I'd scalp We, hang me if l wouldn't.
so your own mother wouldn't know you!
Talk about Eliza Ballard, will We? Give
me two thousand acres of land! O.. you
snipe! you mud turtle! you unmerciful
coward! you double distilled villain!
That's my blessin'. Come away, Vesu-
vius; don't touch the dirty critter; dog
is known by the company he keeps"
The woodsman galloped briskiy to-
ward Harrodsburg, his indignation
mounting higher at every step. Several
|
back to dispatch the worthless object who
had dared to aspire to the hand of Eliza
Ballard, a young and comely maiden,
upon whom his own affections had been
placed for a long period.
ITO think" muttered Joel, that such
a scamp should entrap such lovely
| girl as Eliza! 1t makes me feel ugly
all over. / was a fool that didn't make
final end of the boasting blackboard"
| The last period of Logston's colloquy
was scarcely uttered when the crack of
a rifle saluted his ears. His horse stag
gered few PAGES and fell, severely
| wounded. Before Joel could disengage
| himself from the saddle, a rifle ball
whistled through his hunting shirt, graz
| ing the skin, producing n plentiful effu-
sion of blood. The hardy forester, in
| ured to scenes of danger, was on his feet
| in an instant, firm and self-possessed,
casting keen and rapid glances around
| him to discover his foes. The smoke
| from their rifles was curling gracefully
upward, but they were invisible having
| hidden themselves behind trees. The
| quick and searching eye of Joel was not
| long at fault In reloading his gun, one
| of his enemies exposed a portion of his
body. Logston fired, and the savage
cried out and fell Another Indian I'M
mediately rushed from his hiding place
with a loud yell and uplfted tomahawk.
The woodsman dubbed his rife; his as
sailant instantly stopped, and hurled the
weapon in his hand with such precision
that it would have been fatal to him
had he not, with cat-like agility, sprung
aside, thus avoiding it.
Logston now rushed upon him, think
ing TO dispatch him by a wel-aimed
blow with his dubbed rifle, but the wary
savage anticipated his intentions, in eve
cry instance, managed to eiude his furi
Gus blows. The conflict went on in this
manner for considerable time, with no
| advantage on the part of Joel. Finding
that this kind of warfare was of no
avail, and that he was wasting his
strength in vain, he threw away his rife
and closed with his adversary in hand
| to-hand struggle.
AS neither was armed, the struggle
was long and desperate, Joel continuing
| to throw his antagonist to the ground,
and he contriving, as often, to slip from
| his grasp. Thus they exhausted their
strength, without giving or receiving any
| fatal injuries.
The forester, perceiving that his mus
| cular powers were rapidly failing, adopt
ed new plan Of offensive operations.
| As often as the savage attempted to
arise after he had hurled him to the
ground, he dealt him a blow just under
the ear that knocked him down again.
| This change of tactics operated admira-
| hn ~ nd hat
tered face soon gave tokens Of it's eff
cheney; his energies were fast failing,
and his efforts grew less vigorous At
length blow, well directed and power
| full, caused him to lie motionless, and
Joel was about to grasp his throat and
strange him, when he perceived that he
was silently and stealthily endeavoring
to get his knife from his leathern sheath.
Logston seized the weapon and plung
ed it into the Indians bosom. He ex-
pired with a hollow groan, and the
woodsman leaned against tree, painting
with exertion, to rest after the conflict.
Casting his eyes toward the spot
where the other savage had fallen, he
perceived that he was still living, and
with heroic frmness had succeeded in
reloading his gun, although it was evil
| dent from his movements that his spine
was broken. The wounded and wretch
ed, though determined, being had not
sufficient command over his disabled
body to sit upright long enough to fire;
but as often as he attempted to present
his gun, he fell forward upon his face;
Miserable cre-tur!' he exclaimed,
"Your backs broke, and you can't never
| git over it; so I'll leave you to fight it
| out with death the best way you can;
but you'd better be dead a hundred
times
| Joers horse had gotten upon his feet
again, and did not appear to be seriously