The Sauk Centre herald., 1908-11-05
cars under ffaring torches.
Bv MEREDITH NICHOLSON,

. cars uuucT udE1u8 tOICuCS. .
Their message to Winkelried II sti
on this side of the Atlantic" said Al
mitage, "but Winkelried is in str0n
room by this time If the existing pow
ers at Vienna are what they ought t
be. I've done my best to get him there
The message would only help the cas-
against him II they sent it."
Claiborne groaned mockingly.
II suppose III know what it's al
] about when l read it in the morning
papers. l like the game well 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 taxi
the consequences. You've done wha
you set out to do, you've found me, ant
you're travelling with me over the Vir
g1n1a mountains to report my captur,
to Baron von Marhof. On the way 20.
are going to assist In another affair
that will be equally to your credit, ant
then If all goes well with US I'm goinl
to give myself the pleasure Of allow
ing NJ. Chauvenet to- tell you exactly
who / am. The incident appeals tt
my sense Of humor. ! assure you
have one. or course If l were not q
person Of very great distinction Chau
venet and his friend Durand would
not have crossed the ocean and
brought with them a professional as.
sassin. skilled in the use Of smothering
ard 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. knew that If
ran for It they'd plug me for sure and
that If l waited until they saw their
mistake they would be afraid to kill
me. Ugh! I still taste the red soil Of
the Old Dominion" 49,.
"Come, captain, let rs give the horses
q chance to prove their blood. These
roads will be paste in a 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:
"Buiiy for usi 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
gor' roared Armitage in a 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 it's riders yeils
to be Chauvenet'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 rattled." 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 fired in rapid succession cracked
family through the fog. and they jerk
ed up their horses.
"Its Oscar! He's good way ahead
if judge the shots right"
"If he turns them back, we ought to
hear their horses in a moment" OBJ
served Claiborne 1.-THE fog mcf1es
sounds. The roads pretty level in
here"
I'VE must let them out Of it and into
my territory for safety. We're within
mile Of the gate. and we ought to be
able to crowd them into that long open
strip where the fences are down. Hang
the. fog!"
The agreed signal Of two shots
reached them again, but clearer. like
drum taps, and was Immediately an
swered by scattering shots. A moment
later. as the two riders moved forward
at walk. sharp votley rang out
quite clearly. and they heard shots and
the crack Of revolvers again.
by George. they're coming! Here
we go!'
They put their horses to the gallop
and rode swiftly through the fog. The
beat Of hoofs was now perfectly audi
BILE ahead Of them, and they heard
quite distinctly single revolver snap
twice.
oscar has them on the run. Bully
for Oscar! They're getting close
Thank the Lord for this level stretch!
Now howl and let FER go!'
They went forward. with yell that
broke weirdly and chokingly on the
gray cloak Of fog. their horses hoofs
pounding duly on the earthen road.
The rain had almost ceased, but enough
had fallen to soften the ground.
They're terribly brave or horribly
scared. from their speedE shouted
Claiborne ''Now for itp'
They rose In their stirrups and
charged. yelling Justify, riding neck
and neck toward the unseen foe, and,
with their horses at their highest pace.
they broke upon the mounted trio that
now rode upon them grayly out Of the