The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-11-11
EThE WILD GEESEA
~B BY Stanley j. Meyman. %2

~N
copyright. 1909, by Stanley j. weyman.)
CHAPTER .XI-Continued.
Oct, sure. where 1t will be best for
you.' Og replied, with a lcer.
Both OF us?" the Colonel asked, In
h same hard tone.
Faith. and why'd we be separating
you I'd be asking?"
Colonel John liked neither the mans
tone nor his looks. But he was far
above startin" at shadows. and he
guessed THAT resistance would be USE
less. Very good" he said. Lead on
bedad and II you'll be doing that
with u grin.
The Colonel and Bale found their
nothing else. with theln-and they went
down the stairs. In the gloom before
The door OF the tower waited two
sturdy fellows. barefoot and shock
headed. with musquetoons on their
shoulders, who seemed to be expecting
them. Round the smouldering embers
OF the ire a score of figures lay sleep
frieze coa.s. The sun was not yet up
and all things were wrapped in a mist
that chilled to the bone. Nothing in
all that was visible took from the
oninous aspect OF the two men with
the One for each. Bale
showed livid in the morning light.
Without a word the four men formed
up round their prisoners. and ~ once
O'Sullivan Og led the way at Il brisk
pace toward the gate. Colonel John
was following, but he a not taken
three steps before a thought struck
him and lie halted. Are we leaving
the house at once?" he asked
We are. And why not. I'm asktng?"
Only that I've a message for The
have"
Sure" O'Sulivan Og answered, his
half whcedling. half %truculent.
Ut IL no time for messages and tr:les
and h like now,C Colonel. No time at
all, 1 tell you. Ye can see that for
yourself, I'm thinking, such a morning
as this"
I'm thinking nothing of the kind"
the Colonel answered. and he hung
back, looking toward the house. l'ortu-
appear at the door. The buffers face
was pale n showed fatigue. his hair
hung In wisps, his clothes were ill
fastened. He threw a glance of on
tempt at Che sleeping figures lying here
n there in the wet. Thence his eyes
the gate. He started and wrung his
hands IN sudden, irrepressible distress.
1t was as If a spasm seized the man.
The Colonel called him. Darby" he
cried. Come here. my man."
O'SuIlivan Og opened his mouth; he
was on the point of interpreting. but lie
thought better Of 1t. II shrugged his
shodaders. muttering something in the
Erse.
Darby" the Colonel said, ssavely.
and 1t u be given him in his bed.
Will Q give ft?"
Il will, your honor"
You win not fail?"
Il VIII not, you l.onor," the old SER
want answered earnestly.
Tel him, then. thai Colonel Sullivan
made his will as he passed through
Paris, and t is now in Dublin. You
mind me. Darhy?"
The Old man began TO shake-he had
honor. But the saints be between US
n HARM" he continued. with the same
wills?'
only tell him that in his bed" Col
look. THAT is ALL"
And by you leave. it Is now we'll be
going" Og i%nterposed sharply. We
are late already for what we've to do"
There are som things" the Colonel
we'll TO be late about"
Then, without further rem0nstrance
he n Bale, with their guard. marched
cut through the gate n took the road
along h lake-that same road by
which the colonel had come some days
before from the French sloop. The men
with the nrelocks walked beside them.
n on either flank. while the pikemen
guarded them behind. and O'Sullivan
Og brought up the rear.
They had not taken 20 PAGES before
the fQg. swallowed up the party. and
hencef6rth they walked in a sea Of
mist, Hike meE moving in a nightmare
from which they cannot awake. The
clammy vapor chilled them to the bone,
while h u%nceasing wailing Of sea
gulis, borne on the Tough. the whistle
OF an unseen curlew ON the hillside. the
hurt1e of wings as some ghostly bird
swept over them-these We're sounds to
depress men who a reason to sus-
pect that they were being led to a
t~reacheFaus end.
apprehension under an impenetrable
frmness, began to fear no less than
that-and with cause He observed
that O'Sullivan Og's followers were OF
the lowest type Of kerne. islanders
in all probability, II half starved;
men whose hands were never far from
the skenes, and whose one orderly In
stinct consisted in a blind obedience
to their chief. O'Sullivan Og himself
he believed to be The McMurrough's
agent TN his moro lawlese business:
q fierce, INSCRIPTIONS man. prospecting
on his lack Il scruple. The colonel
could augur nothing but i'll from the
hands to which he had been entrusted.
n verse from the manner in which
these savage, half naked creatures.
shan7h1tng beside him. stole from time
TO ttpne TO glance at him. as II they
fancaed they saw the winding sheet
high on his breast.
Some SO placed, and feeling them-
selveA helpless, isolated by the fog. and
entirely at these mems mercy. might
have lost their f1rmness. But he did
not: MOI did Bale. though h servants
face betrayed the keenness OF his anx-
iety. They weighed. indeed the chances
of escape; such nance as a headlong
rush into the fog might afford to un-
armed men, uncertain they were. But
the colonel reflected that It was possible
that that was the very course upon
which OrSullivan Og counted for a pre-