Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-06-26
CHAPTER XIV.

4 dhtoNlbilg III n ADA@ dNN'NhD'h - 'N~
Behind us we had the inhospitable
country. dark and dreary, the night
win sweeping ove It.. In front, where
the lights twinkled n the smoke OF
the town went mp, we were like 10 meet
with a savage reception. And 1t was
no time for weighing alternatives. The
choice had to be made-made I'm a mo-
ment. | marvel to this day at the
quickness with which / made 1t for
good or III.
eve must get into the town." l cried
Imperativcly, and before the alarm is
given. 1t is hopeless to fly, Master
BERTHE, and we cannot spend another
night I'm the fields. Quick, madam" !
continued to the duchess as she came
up. / did not wait to hear his opinion,
for | saw he was stunned by the catas-
trophe. I'VE have hurt one Of the town
guard through a mistake. We must get
through the gate before it is discov-
ered!"
/ seized her rein and logged up her
horse and gave her no time TO ask
questions, but urged on the party at a
hard gallop until the gate was cached.
The attempt, l knew, was desperate,
for the two men who had escaped had
ridden straight for the town, but saw
no other resource. and it seemed to me
to be better to surrender peaceably, If
that were possible, than to expose the
women to another night of such cold
and hunger as the last. And fortune
so far favored US that when we reached
the gate 1t was open. Probably. the
patrol having ridden through TO get
help, no one had thought fit to close
it, and, no one withstanding us. we
spurred our sobbing horses under the
archway and entered the street.
1t was n curious entry, and a curious
scene we came upon. ! remember now
how strange 1t all looked. The houses,
leaning forward in a dozen quaint
forms. clear cut against the pale even
ing sky, caused a darkness as of q
cavern I'm the narrow street below.
Here and there in the midst of this
darkness hung a lantern. which. MAX
ing the gloom away from it seem
deeper, lit up the things about it,
throwing into flaring prominence some
barred window with a scared face peer
ing from Ii, some corner with a puddle,
a sinking dog, a broken flight of steps.
, Just within the gate stood a brazier full
of glowing coal, and beside it a halbett
rested against the wall. / OWNED that
the Waterman had run into the town
with the riders, and l drew rein in
! doubt, listening and looking. ! think
If we had ridden straight on then all
might have been well, or at least we
might have been allowed to give our
selves up.
But we hesitated a moment and were
lost. No doubt, though we saw but one,
there were a score of people watching
us, who took us for four men. Master
BERTHE and l being in front. and these,
judging from the boldness of our entry
that there were more behind, concluded
that this was a foray upon the town.
/ At any rate, they Dol instant advan-
tage Of our pause. With a swift whir
an iron pot came hurting past me and,
missing the duchess by a hands
breadth. went clanking under the gate
house. That served for a signal. In a
moment an alarm of hostile cries rose
all round us. An arrow whiZZed be-
tween my horses feet. Half a dozen
odd missiles, snatched up by hasty
hands, ane raining in on us out of the
gloom. The town seemed to be rising
as one man. A bell began to ring, and
a hundred yards in front, where the
street branched off to right and left,
the way seemed suddenly alive from
wall to wall with lights and voices and
brandished arms, the CLEAN of steel and
the babel of a furious croWd-a crowd
making down toward us with a purpose
we needed no German to interpret.
1t was a horrible moment. the more
horrible that l had not expected this
fury and was unnerved as we'll as
| taken dDdth DS IL, lNcilltiiiDtl lIiS tiEiN
| had brought my companions here, and
that two were women, n was a child
l quailed. How could ] protect them
There was ne lmistaking the
stern meaning of those cries OF
that rage so much surprising anything
| had feared Though | did mo- know
that the man we had struck dowr
was a bridegroom, and that there were
those In the crowd in whose ears tn,
.n,,a~ xyteaso ntarrfpO cnrcaY ~ Still rang
/ yet quailed before their yells anC
curses.
AS | glanced around for a plac,
OF refuge my eyes lit on an open door
way close TO me, and close TO the bra
zier and haibert. II was a low ston'
doorway, beetle browed, with a Goa
of arms carved over II. | saw in al
instant that IL must lead to the towe
above us-the gatehouse-and / spranl
from my horse, a fresh yell from tn
houses hailing the act. l saw that
IL we We're TO gain a moment for par
leying, we must take refuge there.
do not know how l did II, but some
how | made myself understood by tn
others and got the women off thei
horses n dragged Mistress Anne IN
side, where at once we boil fell In IN
darkness over the lower steps of
spiral staircase. This hindered tn
duchess, who was following, and
heard a scuffie taking place behind u:
But In that confined ~space-the stair
ease was very narrow could give n
help. I could only stumble upwart
dragging the fainting girl after m
until we emerged through an ope
doc rway at the top into a room. VIII
kind OF room l did not notice thel
only that ii was empty. Notice.
was no time for taking notice. tn
bell was Changing louder and loude
outside. The mob were yelling hk
hounds I'm sight of their quarry. tn
shouts. the confused cries and threat
and questions ,'eafened me. turne
to learn what was happening benin
me. Tbs other two had not CON
up.
7 felt my way down again, one han
on the central pillar, my shoulds
against the outside wall The sta
fcol was faintly lit by the glow frol
outside. and on the bottom step can
on scnse enc, hurt or dead. just a dan
mass at my feet. 1t was Master Bel
lie. gave a cry and lcaped over h
hody. The duche S., brave wife. wa
standing before him. the haibert whis
she had snatcaea up presented at u