The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-06-18

Hush" cried her husband quickly,
DO not say that to the lad. It is un-
lucky. But 10 you think" he continued
the porch was in darkness, and we
could scarcely make out one another's
chance Of PURSUIT."
mot by that party ~tonight,'I said
grimly. Nor l think tomorrow"
Good" he answered, for l a see
nothing but water ahead, n II would
be madness to go on by night without
a guide. We must stay here until
morning. whatever the risk"
He spoke gloomily, and with reason.
Dur position was a miserable, almost
a desperate one, even on the SUPPOSE
ton that pursuit had ceased. We had
lost all our baggage, food, wraps. We
had no guides, and we were In the
midst OF a flooded country, with two
tender women m a baby, our only
shelter the porch OF Gods house. MID
tress Anne, who was c%rouching in the
darkest corner next the church,
seemed to have collapsed entirely. /
remembered afterward that did not
once hear her speak that night. The
duchess tried to maintain our spirits
and her own, but in the face Of cold,
damp n hunger she could do little.
Master Berthe and l took 1t by turns
to keep a kind Of watch. but by norm
ing-it was a long night, and a bitter
one-we were worn out and slept de-
spite our misery. We should have been
surprised and captured without a blow
If h enemy had come upon US then.
l awoke with a start to find the gray
light or a raw, misty morning falling
upon and showing up our wretched
group. The duchess head was hidden
I'm her cloak, her husbands had sunk
on his breast, but Mistress Anne--I
An.-n nk 49, .-l " u
sat so all uight-sat staring with that
story face OF pain and those fearless
eyes on the moonlight, on the darkness
which had been before the dawn, on
the cold fine rays Of morning? Stared
on all alike and seen none? I shud-
dered and peered at her alarmed,
doubtful, wondering. asking myself
wnat this was that had happened to
her. Had fear and cold killed her or
turned her brain? "Anne!" / said
timidly. "Anne!"
She did not answer nor turn, nor did
the fixed gaze of her eyes waver. l
thought h did not hear. "Anne!" I
cried again, so loudly that the duchess
stirred and muttered something in her
sleep. But the girl showed no sign OF
consciousness I put u my hand and
touched her.
She turned sharply and saw me and in
an instant drew her skirt away with a
gesture OF such dread, loathing repulsion
as froze me, while q violent shudder
convulsed her whole frame. Afterward
she seemed unable to withdraw her
eyes from me, but sat In the same at
ttude, gazing at me with O fixed look
or horror. as n might gaze at a SER
pent, while tremor after tremor shook
her.
was frightened and puzzled and
was still staring at her, wondering
what ! had done, when q footstep on
the road outside called away my at
tentton. I turned from her to see a
mans figure looming dark in the
doorway. He looked at us-I suppose
he had found the horses outside--gaz-
ing In surprise at the queer group. 1
babe him good morning in Dutch, and
he answered as well as his astonish-
ment would let him. He was a short,
stout fellow, with a big face, capable
OF expressing a good deal Of astonish-
ment. He seemed to be a peasant or
farmer. What do you here?" he con-
tined, his cultural phrases tolerably
intelligent to me.
1 explained as clearly as / could
that we were on the way to Vessel.
Then / awoke the duchess and her
husband, and stretching our chilled
and aching limbs we went outside, the
mar still gazing at us. Alas! the day
was not much better than the night.
We could see but a very little way, a
couple OF hundred yards round us
only. The rest was install mist. We
appealed to h man for food and
shelter, n he nodded, and obeying
his signs rather than his words we
kicked up our starved beasts and
plodded out into the fog by his side.
Anne mounted silently and without OBJ
lection, but 1t was plain something
strange had happened to her. Her con-
dition was unnatural. The duchess
gaZed al her very anxiously, and get
ting no answers or very scanty ones
to her questions shook her head grave
ly.
But we were on the verge of one
pleasure at least. When we reached
the hospitable kitchen of the farm
house, 1t was Joy indeed to stand be-
fore h great turf fire and feel the
heat stealing into our half frozen
bodies, to turn and warm back and
front, while the good wife set bread
and hot milk before us. How differ
emily we three felt in half an hour.
How he duchess eyes shone once
more. How easily rose the laugh to
our lips. Joy had indeed come with
the morning. To be warm and dry and
well fed after being cold and wet and
hungry-what a thing this is.
But on n neither food nor warmth
seemed to have any effect. Mistress
Anne did indeed, In obedience 20 my
lady's sharp words raise her bowl to
her lips. but she set 1t down quickly
and sat looking In dull apathy at the
glowing peat. What had come over
her?
Master BERTHE went out with the
farmer to attend to the horses, and
when he came back he had news.
There is a lad here" he said in
some excitement, who has just seen
three foreigners ride past on the road.
along with two Germans on pack
h~orses-five in all. They must be three
Of the party who followed us yester-
day"
l whistled. Then Clarence got him
self out" I said. struggling my shoul-
ders. We'll. Welt"
Il expect that is So" Master BERTHE
answered the duchess remaining ST.
lent. 'The question arises again. What
is to be done?" he continued. I'VE may
follow them to Vessel, but the good
man says the foods are deep between
here and the town, and we shall have
Clarence and his party before US all
the way-shall perhaps u straight
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