The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-11-18
{copyrixht, 1909. by Stanley ]. weyman.
CHAPTER Xu-Continued.

Colonel John o Bales hand. What
matter. soon or later he said. gently.
''Here on our beds We die in our duty.
Let US say, in la tuas
"Popish! Popish!" Bale muttered,
shaking HIS head. He spoke hoarse ely.
his tongue ,cleaving to his mouth. HIS
eyes were full OF rage.
Into thy thands!" Colonel John sale'
He stopped nearer to his mans ar.
when I shout, jump and rum" ne
breathed- II will hold two" Again ne
lifted his head and looked calmly at
the threatening figures standing Dou
them, gaunt and dark. again the cur
tain Of mist. They were waiting for the
signal. The priest was half way through
his second Paternoster. His trembling
tongue was stumbling. tagging more
and more. AS ne ended it-the Two men
were still handing hand in hand--Col-
onel John gripped Bales myers hard.
but held him.
What is that?" he cried. in a loud
voice, but still he held Bale tight that
he might not move. What Is that"
he repeated. On the ear-on his ear
first-had fallen the sound OF hurry
Ing feet.
:And whatll this beg" o'sullivau
Og muttered suspiciously. III you
nudge q step he growled. "Tn drive
this pike
"a messenger from The McMur-
rough" Colonel John said. II he was
human. IL his heart. at the hope Of
respite, beat upon his ribs as h heart
of a worse man might have beaten. he
did mo- betray 1t save by a light in his
eyes.
They had not to wait. A tall, latiy
form emerged from the mist. 1t ad-
vanced with long leaps. the way they
had come. A moment, and the mes
senger saw them. pulled up. and
walked the intervening distance. his
arms dropping and his breath coming
In gasps. He had run apace, and he
could not speak. But he nodded-as he
wiped the saliva from his parted lips
TO OSulltvan Og to come aside with
him; and the two moved of a space
The others eyed them while the mes
sage was given. Tho suspense was
short. Quickly O'Sullivan Og came
back.
= may be thankful" he said dryly.
no less. and it's safe We are"
You have greater reason to be
thankful" Colonel John replied solemn-
~: You have been spared q foul
crime"
Faith and I hope I may never do
worse" OE answered, hardly, than
rid h world OF two black Pedestrians,
an them with a priest to make their
souls! Many's the honest man closed
his eyes without that same. But tits
no time Tor ,prating! I wonder at
your homer. and you no more than out
OF the black water! Bring them along,
boys" he continued. We've work to
do yeti"
q 1oeo!" the priest cried. lifting
up his hands. "Give Him the Riory!"
Amen" the colonel said softly. And
Tor q m0men he shut his ayes and
stood with clasped hands. II thank you
Kindly, father. for your prayers!" he
said. THE words of a good man avail
much!"
No more was said. For a few yards
Bale walked u~nsteadily. But he re-
covered himself and. urged by O'Sul-
livan's continual fnjunctions to hasten,
the party were not long in retracing
their steps. They reached the road
OF the Handing place. In O few minutes
they Were threading their way in sim
gle file across the saucer like waste
which 'laytto landward of the hill over
looking the jetty.
Are you taking us to the French
sloop!" Colonel John asked.
You'll be as wise as the lave OF us
by a1sd iby!" Og answered sulkily.
Ihey crossed the shoulder near the
tower and strobe down the slope to
the stone pier. The mist lay Now ON
the water. The tide was almost at
food. .Og babe the men draw In one
OF the boats. ordered Colonel Sullivan
and Bale to go into III bow, and the
pikennn Ito take the oars. He and two
tf1relook men took their seats in the
stern.
Pull out, you c%ripples." he said,
land thereil be flood enough to be-
bringing US back"
The men bent to the clumsy oars
and the boat slid down the inlet and
passed under the beam of the French
1loop. which lay moored farther along
the jettv. Not a sign Of life Appeared
seemed to be deserted. Half a dozen
smokes carried the boat beyond view
OF 1t. :sk1d the little party were alone
ON the bosom OF the water that lay
banks. Some minutes were spent In
stout moving. and soon the boat be-
q to rise n fall on the Atlantic
rollers.
tits more .deceitful than a pretty
ooheen," 0'sullivan Og raid. SIS the
wa lost in 1t. Will you be seeing her,
boys?'
"Yeal Rot see her till ye touch her."
on OF the rowers answered.
And the tide running?" the other
said. Save us from that same"
shes farther out by three gun
shots" struck in a firelock Wen
be dridttag back. we thieves Of h
world II 70 AFT staring there Pull. an
we'll be inshore an We know it."
For some minutes h men pulled
steadily onward, while ,one Of the pas
sengers. appraised that their destina-
ton was the Spanish war vessel, felt
anything but eager to reach 1t. A
Spanish wafship meant imprisonment.
possibly the inQufsition, persecution
and death. When the men lay at last
on their oars. and swore that they
must have passed the ship, he alone
listened indifferently.
otis a black Protestant fog" O'Sul-
Aer?"
Sure. We can make no mistake"
one answered. THE winds light of
b land"
.We'l be pulling back. lads"
That's the word"
The men put the boat about and
started on the return journey. Sud-
denly Colonel John, c%rouching in the