Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-07-11

more than once in one. Suddenly
he leaped to his feet A horseman
was in view in the bride path which
cut the defile in two, few moments
more and he saw the white folds of
the turban on the riders head. In
less than half an hour the spent steed
was at the veranda steps, and LIE
mOine conversing with the rider
thereof. 1t was a colloquy both
brief and unsatisfactory. Lemoine,
having dismissed him, passed within.
"Are you there. Una?"
Eyes, papa" She came to him as
she spoke. A young girl, who bore
herself well, as a soldiers daughter
should, but whose womanIy charm
far surpassed her dignity.
Ahmed is here and his report
could not be worse"
She leaned against a chair, and
for a moment her face became white
as the soft muslin of her gown.
What does he say?"
only what we have feared. They
are cut off at Ragoote, and nothing
can save them"
His face worked as he spoke these
words. And small wonder. At the
hill station of which he spoke were
his wife, his younger daughter, a
handful of friends; and they were at
the mercy, if not now in the hands
of a hostile tribe, who, in compari-
son with the slender garrison, were
as the sands of the sea for multitude.
''And we are here!" she cried des-
perately. But Almond sometimes
lies | don't trust him. If we had
had a trusty messenger Dalton's COM
pany would have got to RagoOte in
time
GA trusty messenger" he retorted
CURLY. That is the curse Of this
cursed country. Outside of our own
people, there are none"
She was silent moment, and a
faint flicker of color rose in her
cheek.
Papa, we have forgotten William
Briggs"
Then did the Colonel laugh in
sheer disdain.
did we forget him, what's the
odds? How could a little civilian,
good chap though he is, work mir
acle?"
HE has been gone three weeks, :"
she said
And dead two of them, I could
swear" he retorted. "No, no, Una,
there is nothing left but the mercy
of God"
He went back to his chair and his
solitary, desperate musing, which was
interrupted once more by the appari-
ton of another horseman in the de-
file. He stood up and raised his
glasses to his eyes, and his face be-
gan to work. He did not wait the ar
rival, but took the compound in a
series of long steps, and went swiftly
forward. A haggard man on foam
covered and weary horse drew rein
close to him, and bent from the sad
die, after he had saluted.
"All's we'll at Ragoote, sir"
The Colonel started.
Briggs, you must have gone mad!
The things impossible!"
"No, Sir Frank. I got to Del Pindi
in time, and then rode on, because
it was deserted, to Washmak. l
caught up with Dalton in time, nine
miles out, and he arrived at Ra-
goote five hours ahead of the enemy.
| did not wait to hear the result,
but [ know by the outpost signs as
I rode back that they had been beat
en-, and that probably the trouble is
wholly over for the present"
The man spoke modestly, and his
tired voice had certain melodious
sound. Also his face, though COW
cred with the dust of the plains,
seemed to shine.
The Colonel continued to stare.
Relief and wonderment struggled for
the mastery on his handsome face.
Briggs, you're a hero; hero,
tell you. I'm dumb. 1 don't know
how it's been done. Would you mind
telling me how as we go back? It's
not ten minutes since l told my
daughter you'd been dead a fort
night. She was trusting to you
Briggs bent down under pretense
of fastening a loose end of his put
tees. They came to the bungalow at
the moment; a servant took the
horse. and the two men were alone
together.
I'm astonished, I tell you. When
they hear in England it'll be the v.
C. (Victoria Crosse, Briggs, and Heav-
en- knows what else. You take 1t
very cody Personally, I owe you
debt which will never be repaid. You
understand without my telling?"
Eyes, Sir Frank, fully under
stand
You'll get recognition, don't fear.
Chaps like you are only born once or
twice in a while, and we generally
know what to do with them. But
Won are so quiet with it all, just as