Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-11-11


saw shadows moving in that direction;
and again., from the road, she heard
the brief debate of the two men as to
the whereabouts of Bill; and it
| struck Jerry humorously that he would
not soon see his friends unless they
came and helped him out of his pre-
dicament.
1t may help to an understanding of
Miss Jerry DangeTfeld's character If
1t is recorded here that never in her
short life had she failed to respond
to the call of impulse. She was lost in
the woods, and strange men lurked
about; man had been attacked
seized, and left sitting in state of
absurd helplessness on a horse pre-
sumably his own, and there was no
guessing what dire penalty his cap
tors had in store for him. He certainly
looked deliciously funny as he sat
there in the shadows, vigorously twist
Ing his arms and head in an effort to
free himself.
| Quiet reigned in the neighborhood
of the church; the lights had blinked
out; the bang of the closing shutters
treasured Jerry, and she crept on her
knees toward the unconscious captive,
loosed the horses rein and led it
rapidly toward her own horse, little
farther back in the woods. Her blind
folded prisoner, thinking his original
captors were carrying him off, renew
| ed his efforts to free himself He test
ed the ropes and straps with which
he was fastened by throwing himself
| first to one side, then to the other, as
far as his gives would permit, at the
same time frothily chewing his gag.
| Jerry gained her own saddle in the
least bit of panic, and when she had
mounted and made sure of the leading
strap with which the prisoners horse
, was provided, she rode on at rapid
walk until she reached the clearing
where the stumps again grimly mock
ed her. She stopped to listen, and
heard through the still night first one
cry and then many voices in various
keys of alarm and rage. Then she
bent toward the prisoner, tore the ban
dage from his eyes, and with more
difficulty freed him of the gag. He
blinked and sputtered afresh at see
i ing that his captor was young wonl-
an, who was plainly not of his world.
Jerry watched him wonderingly, then
addressed him in her most agreeable
tone.
''You were caught and tied by two
men over there by a churchill I saw
them, and when they went off and left
you, came along and brought you
with me, thinking to save your life.
want to get home as quickly as pos
sible, and though I do not know you,
and am quite sure we never met be-
fore, hope you will kindly guide me
to Ardsley and thereby render me a |
service 1 shall always deeply appre-
ciate."
Mr.. Bill Appleweigbt, alias Poteet.
was well hardened to the shocks of
time, but this pleasant-voiced girl,
coolly sitting her horse, and holding
his own .ank steed by strap, was
the most amazing human being that
had yet dawned on his horizon. He
was not stupid, but Jerry's manner Of
speech had baffled more sophisticated
minds that Appleweight's, and the
sweet sincerity of her tone, and her
frank countenance, hallowed as it was
by the moonlight, wrought in the out
laws mind befuddlement not Who'll
ly unlike that which had possessed |
the wits of many young gallants south |
of the Potomac who had laid siege |
to Jerry Dangenfield's heart But the
cries behind them were more pro
nounced, and Appleweight was moth !
Ing If not man of action.
Take these things off'n me- he
commanded fiercely, land I'll see y
safe to Ardsley."
mot in the least" replied Jerry,
who was herself not unmindful of tho
voices behind. "You will kindly tell |
me the way and I will accommodate
my pace to that of your own some
what ill-nourished beast. And as
there's a mob looking for you back
there, all ready to hang you to one of
these noble forest trees, I advise you
to use more haste and less caution in |
pointing the way"
Appleweight lifted his head and |
took his bearings. Then he nodded to-
ward one of the three trails which |
had so baffled Jerry when she first
broke into the clearing.
"Thet's the highest" said Apple |
weight, "and we'd better git"
She set the pace at trot and was
relieved in few minutes to pass one
or two landmarks which she remem-
bered from her flight through the |
woods. AS they splashed through the
brook she had forded, she was quite
confident that the captive was playing
her no trick. but that in due course
she would strike the highroad to Ards
ley which she had abandoned to
throw off the Duke of Ballywinkle
1t was now ten o'clock and the
moon was sinking behind the forest
trees. Jerry took advantage of an oc-
casional straight strip of road to go
forward at gallop, but these stretches
did not offer frequently, and the two
riders kept pretty steadily to smart
trot. They presented droll picture
as they moved through the forest-the
girl riding cross-saddle, with the sto-
len captive trailing after. Occasionally
Mr.. Appleweight seemed to be talk
ling to himself, but whether he was
praying or swearing Jerry did not
trouble herself to decide 1t was
enough for her that she had found a
guide out of the wilderness by steal
! ing prisoner from his enemies. and
| this was amusing and sent huhh1ine