The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1908-11-13
Chapter XIV
THE ATTACK IN THE ROAD.

~ the right turns We
ought to be south of
Lamar and near the railroad"
Armitage passed his rein to Clai-
borne and plunged down the steep road
to reconnoiter.
Its a strange business" Claiborne
muttered. half aloud.
The cool air Of the ridge sobered him.
but he reviewed the events Of the night
without regret. Every young officer in
the service would envy him this adven-
ture. He was so intent with the
thought that he hummed reveille and
was about to rebuke himself for unsol-
dierly behavior on duty when Armi-
tage whtstled for him to advance.
>"1t's all right; they haven't passed
yet. l mat a railroad track walker
down there, and he said he had seen
no one between here and Lamar. Now
they're handicapped by the big country
horse they had to take for that Servian
devil, and we can push them as hard
as we like. We must get them beyond
Lamar before we crowd them, and
don't forget that we want to drive
them into my land for the round up.
I'm afraid we're going to have a wet
morning"
They rode abreast beside the railroad
through the narrow gap. A long freight
train rumbled and ratified by, and lit
tie later they passed a coal shaft,
where a begrimed night shift loaded
cars under f1aring torches.
''Their message to Winkelried Is still
on this side of the Atlantic" said Ar
mitage, but Winkelried is in strong
room by this time If the existing pow
ers at Vienna are what they ought to
be- I've done my best to get him there.
The message would only help the case
against him If they sent it,
Claiborne groaned mockingly.
81 suppose I'll know what it's all
about when I read it in the morning
papers. like the game we'll enough,
but it might be more amusing to know
what I'm fighting for"
"You enlisted without reading the ar
ticles Of war, and you've got to take
the consequences. You've done what
you set out to do, you've found me, and
you're travelling with me over the Vir-
ginia mountains to report my capture
to Baron Won Marhof On the way you
are going to assist in another affair
that will be equally to your credit, and
then il all goes well with us I'm going
to give myself the pleasure of allow.
ing NJ. Chauvenet to tell you exactly
who ! am, The incident appeals to
my sense Of humor. l assure you
have one. or course If l were not q
person of very great distinction Chau.
venet and his friend Dirand would
not have crossed the ocean and
brought with them professional as.
sassin, skilled in the use of smotherinG
and knitting, to do away with me. You
are in luck to be alive. We are dan
gerously near the same size and build
and in the dark, on horseback
THAT was funny. I knew that If
ran for it they'd plug me for sure and
that If | waited until they saw their
mistake they would be afraid to kill
me. Ugh! l still taste the red soil of
the Old Dominion"
Come, captain, let us give the horses
a chance to prove their blood. These
roads will be paste in few hours"
The dawn was breaking sullenly
and out of gray, low hanging mist a
light rain fell in the soft. monotonous
fashion of mountain rain. Much of the
time 1t was necessary to maintain sin
gle file, and Armitage rode ahead. The
fog grew thicker as they advanced, but
they did not lessen their pace. which
had now dropped to steady trot.
Suddenly, as they swept on beyond
Lamar. they hear the beat Of hoofs and
halted.
"Bully for US! We've cut in ahead
OF them! Can you count them, Clai-
borneT
"There are three horses all right
enough, and they're forcing the beasts.
What's the wordT'
"Drive them back Ready-here we
goy' reared Armitage in voice in.
tended to be heard.
They yelled at the top of their voices
as they charged. plunging into the ad.
vancing trio after forty yard gallop.
"'Not later than Friday'-back you
gor shouted Armitage and laughed
aloud at the enemy's rout. One of the
horses-it seemed from its riders yells
to be Cha uvenet's-turned and bolted
and the others followed back the way
they had come.
Soon they dropped their pace to a
trot, but the trio continued to fly be-
fore them.
They're ratified" said Claiborne,
"and the fog isn't helping them any,"
"We're getting close to my place"
said Armitage, and as he spoke two
shots fred in rapid succession cracked
family through the fog, and they jerk
ed up their horses.
"It's Oscarl He's a good way ahead
II I Judge the shots right"
'Tf he turns them back, we ought to
hear their horses in a moment" OBJ