Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-06-12

the food before him. and peering Tor
ward / made out a current, sWeepih'
silently and swiftly across our pain
\ current with an orinous rush ant
swirl
over" grunted Master Berthe. NO
this Is the place. See, the road ma
! given way, and the stream is pourlhs
through from the river. J expect II u
getting worse every minute as tii'
banks crumhle." b.
We all craned forward, looking at "
II was impossible 10 say no" aeep IN,
water was. or how far the deep par
might extend, and we had with US g
child and two women
I'VE must go back" said Mastei
Berthe, r~esolutely. There is no COUP
about IL. The food is rising. If we &c
| not take care we shall be cut of ana Dc
able to go neither backward nor Tor
ward. | cannot see a foot of dry iand
as IL is, before or behind US"
He was right. Far and vide, wher-
! ever our eyes could reach. the moon
| light was reflected In a sheet of water.
We were nearly up to u girths In
water. on one side was the hurrying
river: on the other were the treacher-
Gus depths Of the backwater. | asked
the guide as well as / could whether the
road was good beyond. He answered
that he did not know. He and his com
panlon were so terrified that we only
kept them beside us by threats.
II fear we must go back / said, as
senting sorrowfully.
Even the duchess agreed, and we were
In the act OF turning 10 retrace our
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 IL brought
to us the sound of voices. We all
stopped 10 listen. Yes; they were
voices we heard-loud, strident tones,
mingled now with the sullen splash Of
horses tramping through the water. |
looked at the duchess. Her face was
pale, but her courage did not fail her.
She understood in q trice a the dan
ger we had so much dreaded was upon
us; hat we were followed, n the fol-
lowers were at our heels, and she
turned her horse round again. With
out a word she spurred il back toward
the deep part. ! 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, horses craning over
the stream, while we, with whip and
spur, urged them on.
In cold blood we should scarcely have
done it. Indeed, for a minute, as u
steeds stumbled and recovered them
selves and slid forward, only to draw
back trembling-as the water rose
above u boots or was flung by our
fellows in our eyes, and all was fog
ging and scrambling and splashing--it
seemed as If we We're to be caught in a
trap despite our resolve. But at last
Master Berries horse took the plunge.
His wife's followed, and both, partly
Wondering and partly swimming set
forward, snorting the while in fear. TO
JOY / saw them emerge safely not
ten yards away, and shaking them
selves stand comparatively high out of
the water.
Comet" cried my lady imperatively
as she turned in her saddle with a
gesture of defiance. Come! 1t is all
right
Come indeed! / wanted nothing bet
ter, for / was beside myself with pas
sion, But, fog as | might, / could not
get Anne's brute to take the plunge.
The girl herself could 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
voice that she would be
drowned. With her cry there sudden
ly mingled another-the hail of our
pursuers as they sighted US. / could
hear them drawing nearer, and | 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
into the stream. 1t dragged Anne's
after 1t. o we kept our seats. how
they their footing, | never understood.
but somehow, splashing and stumbling
and blinded by the water dashed in our
faces. we came u 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. | did but fling the girls
rein to Master BERTHE. and then L
wheeled my horse to the stream again.
| had made up my mind what l must
Go ont" 1 cried waving my hand
with a gesture of farewell. Go on. |
can keep them here for awhile"
"Nonsense!" | heard the duchess cry,
her voice high and shrill. 1T is"
Go ont" | cried. Go on, Do not
lose a moment, or it will be useless"
Master BERTHE hesitated, but he, too,
that this was the only chance. The
We're on the brink OF the
stream now and must, If they passed IL,
us easily. He hesitated. |
have said. for a momen Then he
seized his wife's rein and drew her on.
and l heard the three horses go splash
ing away through the flood. threw
a glance at them over my shoulder, be-
thinking me that l had not told the
duchess my story, inc that Sir An
thony and Petronilla would neyer-but.
pish! What was l thinking of? That
was a thought for a woman | had
only 10 harden my heart now and set
teeth together. My task was very
simple indeed, / had just to keep these
men-there were four-here as long as
I could and If possible to stop Clar-
ence's pursuit altogether.
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