The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-06-12

the flood before him. and peerinE TOT.
ward l made out a current, sweeping
silently and swiftly across our PAIN.
a current with an ominous rush an
swirl ~
over" grunted Master BERTHE. NO,
this is the place. See. the roao nas
given way, n the stream is pouring
through from the river. expect u is
getting worse every minute as the
banks cru1nhle."
We all Grained forward. looking at It.
1t was impossible to say no" deep 1he
water was, or how far the deep part
might extend. and we had with us 9
child and two
We must go back said Mas.e.
BERTHE, r%esolutely. There is no doubt
about it. The nocd is rising. II we dc
not take care we shall be cut Of and DC
able to go neither backward nor for
ward. l cannot see a foot of dry land.
as it is, before or behind us"
He was right. Far and wide, wher-
ever our eyes could reach. 'he moon
We We're nearly up to our girths In
water. On one side was the hurrying
river; on the other We're the treacher-
Gus depths of the backwater. ! asked
the guide as we'll as l could whether the
road was good beyond. He answered
lllStN l0 bil VI ii'NN -
panion We're so terrified that we only
kept them beside us BIZ threats.
II fear we must go back l said, as
senting ~sorrowfully.
Even the duchess agreed, and VIC were
in the act of turning to retrace u
steps with what spirit we might When a
distant sound brought us all to a
%standstill again. The wind was blow
Ing from the quarter whence we had
come-from Emmerich-and 1T brought
To II f1,n S.,,1J1l ne VntrrG MO all
stopped to listen. Yes; they were
voices we heard-loud, strident tones,
mingled now with the sullen splash OF
horses tramping through the water. I
looked at the duchess. Her face was
pale. but her courage did not fail her.
She understood in a trice that the dan
ger we had so much dreaded was upon
us; that we We're followed, and the fol-
lowers were at our heels, and she
turned her horse round again. With
out a word she spurred it back toward
the deep part. l seized Anne's rein and
followed, Notwithstanding that the poor
girl In her terror would have resisted.
Letting the guides go as they pleased,
we four in a moment found ourselves
abreast again, our horses craning over
the stream, While we, with whip and
spur, urged them on.
In cold blood we should scarcely hav
done it. Indeed, for q minute, as our
steeds stumbled and recovered them
selves and slid forward, only to draw
back trembling-as the water rose
above our boots or was flung by u
fellows in our eyes, and all was fog
ging and ~scrarmbling and splashing-it
trap despite our resolve. But at last
Master Bertie's horse took the plunge.
His wtfe's followed, and both, partly
founderlng and partly swimming set
forward, snorting the while in fear. To
my Joy 1 saw them emerge safely not
ten yards away, and shaking them
selves stand comparatively high out OF
the water.
"Come!" cried my lady imperatively
as she turned in her saddle with &
gesture Of defiance. Come! 1t is all
right"
Come indeed! I wanted nothing bet
ter, for l was beside myself with pas
sion. But, fog as I might, I could not
The girl herself Gould give me no aid.
Clinging to her saddle, pale and half
fainting. she could only beg me to leave
her. crying out again and again in a
terrified voice that h would be
drowned. With her cry there sudden
ly mingled another-the hail of our
pursuers as they sighted US. 1 could
hear them drawing nearer, and 1 grew
desperate. Luckily they could not make
any sped in water so deep. and time
was given me for one last furious eff
fort. 1t succeeded. My horse literally
fell into the stream. 1t dragged Anne's
after 1T. How we kept our seats. how
they their footing, l never understood,
but somehow. splashing and stumbling
and blinded by the water dashed in our
faces. we came out on the other side,
where the duchess and her husband,
too faithful to US to save themselves,
had watched the struggle in an agony
Of suspense. l did but fling the girls
rein to Master BERTHE. and then l
wheeled my horse to the stream again.
l had made up my mind what l must
do.
Go on!" 1 cried waving my hand
with a gesture of farewell. Go on!
can keep them here for awhile.'
"Nonsense!" l heard the duchess cry,
her voice high and shrill. 1T is"
Go on" I cried. CO on! Do not
lose a moment, or it will be useless
Master BERTHE hesitated, but he, too,
saw that this was the only chance. hi
Spaniards were on the brink OF the
stream now and must, If they passed it,
overtake US easily. He hesitated.
have said. for a moment. The he
seized his wife's rein and drew her on,
and l heard the three horses go splash
ing away through the flood. l threw
thinking me that l had not told the
duchess my story, and that Sir An
thony and Petronilla would never-but,
pish! What was l thinking of? That
was a thought for a woman. l had
only to harden my heart now and set
my teeth together. My task was very
simple indeed. l had just to keep these
men-there were %four--here as long as
1 could and If possible to stop Clar-
ence's pursuit altogether.
(Continued Next Week.)
Beware the Comma.
From the Chicago Evening Post.