The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1907-11-21
CHAPTER VIII.

with the most unremittlng vigilance. with
out finding any fit opening for a charge.
The experienced successor of Colonel
Wellmere knew too well the power of his
enemy to leave the uneven surface of the
heights, until compelled to descend to the
level of the water. A small schooner,
which had been their convey from the
city, lay with her guns bearing on the
place of embarkation. Against this COM
bination of force and discipline, Lawton
had sufficient prudence to see it would be
folly to contend, and the English were
suffered to embark without nolestation.
The dragons reluctantly commenced their
own retreat back to the main body of the
corps.
Harvey Birch prudently kept his posi-
tion on the rock, where he had been seen
by the passing glance of Henry Wharton,
until evening. From this height he had
seen all the events of the day as they
occurred. He had watched the departure
of the troops under Dunwoodie. and with
difficulty had cur5cd his impatie1ce until
the obscurity of night should render his
moving free from danger. He had not,
however, completed fourth of his way to
his own residence when his quick ear dis
tinguished the tread of approaching horse.
BY crouchng and moving quickly, he
hoped yet to escape unseen. Captain
Lawton was too much engrossed to suffer
his eyes to indulge in their usual wan
dering and the poddler, perceiving by the
voices that the enemy he most feared had
passed, stood erect, in order to Ipike
greater progress. The moment his body
arose above the shadow Of the ground it
was seen and a chase commenced. The
peddler betook himself to flight.
The confusion of the chase had been
heard by the whole OF the men, though
none distinctly understood the order Of
Lawton but those who followed. The re-
mainder were lost in doubt as to the duty
that was required of them, and were
making eager inquiries when a man cross
ed the road at single bound. At the
same instant the stcntOrian voice of Law
ton rang through the valley. shouting:
Harvey Brch-take him, dead or
alive
Fifty pistols lighted the scene. and the
bullets whistled in every direction round
the head of the devoted peddlCr. A feel
ing of despair seized his heart, and in the
| bitterness Of that moment be exclaimed ::
Hunted like beast of the forest "
He felt life and it's accompaniments 80
| be a burden and vas about to yield him
self to his enemies. Nature, however,
prevailed. If taken, there was great rea-
| son to apprehend that most probably the
| morning sun would witness his ignomln-
ious execution. He again fed. A frag-
ment of a wall crossed his path. He
hardly had time to throw his exhausted
| limbs over this barrier before twenty of
his enemies reached its opposite side.
| Their horses refused 10 take the leap in
the dark. The heart of the peddIor now
beat high with hope, when the voice of
| Captain Lawton again rang in his ears,
shouting to his men to make room. The
fearless trooper rode at the wall at the
top of his horses speed, and few over the
ohetqcle in safety. The triumphant hur-
rahs of the mer1 and the laundering trad
of the horse, too plainly assured the pN-
dler of the emergency of his danger. 4e
was nearly exhausted, and his fate ho
longer seemed doubtful.
"Stop, or die" was uttered above his
head, and in fearful proximity to his
ears.
Harvey stole a glance over his shoulder
and saw within a bound of him the nan
he most dreaded BY the light o5the
stars he beheld the uplifted arm ani the
threatening sabre. Fear, exhaustio1 and
despair seized his heart, and the inflded
victim fell at the feet of the drfoon.
The horse Of Lawton struck the prfrate
peddlcr and both stced and rdeHcamc
violently to earth.
AS quick as thought, Birch wassn his
feet again, with the sword of the scom-
fited dragoon in his hand. Vaeance
seems but too natural to human fsions.
All the wrong of the peddler shoA on his
brain with dazzling brightnessI For a
moment the demon within him revailed,
and Birch branlished the powefl wea-
pom In the air; in the next, it " harm
less on the re'iving but helplestrooper.
The peddler vanished up the sig OF the
friendly rock.
Help Captain Lawton. therH cried
Cornet Mason. as he rode up, fbllowed
by a dozen of his men, "and sor&Of you
dismount with me and search thd rocks
the villain lies here concealed."A
Hold" !" reared the acknowledgements,
. raising himself with difficulty tdns feet
"if one of you dismoust. he di Tom
M good fellow, you will help my strad'
die Roanoke again."
The astonshed subaltern c4lied in
y silence, while the wondering erag goons
, semained as fixed in their SAD es as II
:. shey composed part of the an hls they
. Dde.
I Captain Lawton," said the efderly Of
. scs troops, I'VE are now passiu Ahe house
t the peddler spy; is it yoa pleasure
. that We Durn it?"
: mo" roared she captain, voice
. 4nat startled the disappointe sergeant
s are you an incendary? Wo1 you burr
. house in cold blood? Let sparh
!, approach, and the hand ths carries II
= MIL never light another"