Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1909-10-13
till. therell no be anither bunch come


! till, therell no be anither bunch come
tae the Red Deer for ten year.
] Bill has been a-wishin' he was a
heap big medicine man." Todd, the
irrepressible. confided to Howell, $50
that he could get out an scare these
here Blackfeet off'n the face uh the
earth. {"
After supper the three clustered
round the stove, for the mercury was
marking time around the 1twenty-be-
low" point. and sthe hoar frost hung
thick on the window panes. Howell
and Todd discussed the Various phases
Of the Indian. question; but Bill sat
silent, putting industriously at his
pipe. He seemed to be studying over
some matters, and. at times his eyes
rested speculatively on Frank How
ellis lantern case.
Suddenly Bill dropped his feet from
the top Of the oven door with thump
that brought reproving look from
Todd. He.knocked the ashes out OF
his pipe on the stove front, and
slowed 1t away in his pocket. Then
he looked from one to the other and
spoke. II hae plan for scarin' these
red bodies finely" he began, rather
obviously.
aThrow it out uh yuh, Scotty,
cried Todd, enthusiastically. "I'm
the greatest son-of-a-gun t. work out
schemes yuh ever saw-only 1 never
can think uh one t. work"
Its no en.iye 1'll-be dependin' tae
wark oot the thing retorted Bill.
yell no hae a big part tae play@ It's
on Mr.. Howell here ma plan depen's,
an maybe he'll no care tae TAX a
ham,
Lets hear your plan, by AL
means. Howell said, impulsively. "If
there's any sport in 1t I'll be right
with you."
Thus pressed Bill voiced his idea,
and when he had done Todd Wayne
and the schoolteacher were idiotically
giggling.
@Yuh'ye shore got vivid imagina-
tion,' Todd assured him., 4Yuh ought
t been one uh these here story-writin'
sharps, Bill, with sech noble set uh
think-works-yuh shore had. T"
II prophesy that we startle the no.
Bile red man little, anyway" How
ell chuckled, gleefully, seven If it
doesn't act as Bill thinks it will"
1t was cloudy night, and the
ranch lay under a high bank, which
masked the cabin and stable, the cor
rails and calf sheds with unbroken
gloom. Bill and Todd bundled them
selves in fur coats and caps; they put
on extra socks and dry moccasins and
went outside. Their actions did not
betray anything unusual. They sim
ply secured an axe each, and split q
good sized pile Of frewood.
They piled the wood forty or fifty
yards from the cabin almost on the
river bank. WhiIev Todd Whitfield
| shaVings to- start a fire Bill dived
into the cabin, reappearing in mo-
ment with ten-foot square of white
cotton. This he fastened securely to
p line that ran from the woodpile to
the stable, placing locks. of wood on
the lower edge-to hold 1t taa9t. !;
| When Bill had completed his task
Todd siguthed that lie was ready to
start the fire. Bill shouted to the
cabin: Were ready moo, ii ye are"
The window lights were abruptly
blotted out second after he spoke.
They famed the fire a. little, and as
the fame shot up. a nipping night
breeze caught and blew it to a roaring
blaze. From the blackness of the
cabin wall a yellow glare Of light shot
forth, wavered moment, then fast
ened fairly on the white. cotton
sqtare, and disappeared.
"The. old boys got the proper 70.
Gus, all right, all right Todd re.
marked, jocularly. "Ain't 1t about
time t. begin the grand march
S'pose your copper faced friends dop't
set curious?"
"Dinna ye> fear" Bill replied, test
lily, sthee red deeyils II he here fast
'eneo', Hae ye the concertina?n
~ shore have" said, Todd. produc.
ling the instrument, II ain't no Pad.
dyreosky. Bill. but I'll do the best
can"
He sauatted In the snow ; by the
fire, and, slipping his mitts into his
Ecoat pocket. stretched the bellows aad
rams his fingers over the keys OF the
antiquated raffair. The squeaking
notes shrillea wonderfully loud in the
silence. While Todd INDUCED In ~
few preliminary fiourishes, BIZ,
/ heaped wood on the fire, Then he
slipped .sout of his fur Goat and
Strengthened UP with a six-shooter In
his handi the barking erack-craek OF
# went echoilg far up andsdown the
river,
The Blackfeet, peering out Of their
tepees at the report OF the gun, noted
the ere by the Gordon line camp
They looked with growing wonder al
the figures of the two men vividly
silhouetted in the glare, one huddled
by the fire, the other capering before
It with loud, cries and strange con:
5tortions Of his bodv; and as the