Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1910-02-01
CHAPTER TX.


yet with stars, the dawn was CRAVING
slowly in the east when Tybee reused
me. My soldier hangmen marched me
off without ado The house and all
within it seemed yet asleep, but out OF
doors the legion vanguard was astir
and newly kindIed camp-fires smoked
and blazed among the trees. In short
est space we left these signs of life
behind.
mile beyond the outfelds of APP
pleby Hundred we passed the legion
picket line, and began to wonder why
we went so far. We came into an open
grove of oaks. On it's farther confines
two horses nibbled rein's-length at the
grass, with Falconnet's trooper serv-
ing man to hold them; and, standing
on the very spot where he had thrust
me out. my enemy was waiting. Cap
tain Faiconnet spoke:
IT have come to speed your parting
Captain Ireton. You are thick-head
ed, witless fool. as you have always
been"
He took a folded paper from his
pocket and held 1t so that l might read
It was a letter from Lord CORVALLIS
directing Captain Falconnet to SEND Ms
prisoner, Captain John lreton, some
time lieutenant in the Royal Scots
Blues, under guard to his Lordship'
headquarters in South Carolina
This supersedes the ColonePs sen
tence," said Falconnet. If say the
word to Enign Farquarson you will be
remanded."
Make an end" I said. Il under
stand you will obey his Lordship's or
der, or disregard 1t, as your own inter-
est directs What would you have ms
do?"
"A very little thing to weigh against
a life Mr.. Gilbert Stair is my very
good friend. His title to the estate is
secure enough, as you know, but you
can make it better. Your route TIC
Camden lies through Charlotte. Your
guard will give you time and opportu-
nifty to execute quitclaim in Mr.
Stairs favor"
rs that all?" / asked.
No; after that our ways must lie
apart-or yours and Margery's. at al
events. Give me your word of honor
that you relinquish any claim you
have. or think you have, upon her, and
I pass this letter on to the ensign"
Then Mistress Margery sent you
here to save me?"
so the priest carried tales, did he
We'll. make the most of it; she would
not have her fathers guest taken from
his bed and hanged like dog
smiled again. Twas more than
that: she would even go so far as tc
beg her husbands life boon from
that same husbands mortal enemy"
BAH" he scoffed. THAT lie Of
yours imposed upon the colonel but
had better information"
"A lie, you say? True. twas a lie
when it was uttered. But afterward
some hour or so past midnight, by the
good help of Father Matthew, and witt
your Lieutenant Tybee for one witness
and the lawyer for another, we made
sober truth of it."
I hope, for your own peace of mind
my dears, that you may never see 6
fellow human turn demon in breath
as 1 did then. His mans face fel
away from him like vanishing mask
and in the place of 1t a hideous de-
mon, malignant and murderous, glaret
upon me. Twice his hand sought the
sword hilt, and once the blade was
half unsheathed. Then he thrust hi:
face in mine and Missed his parting
word at me so like a snake it made ms
shudder with adherence.
you've signed your own death war
rant, you witless fool! You'd play th'
spoil-sport here as you did once before
would you! 1 wish you had a hundred
lives that l might take them one by
one!" Then he wheeled sharp upoI
his heel and gave the order to the en-
sign. Belt him to the tree, Farquar
son. and make an end OF him. I've
kept you waiting overriding"
They strapped me to a tree wit:
other belts. and when all was ready tn,
ensign stepped aside. All the eartl
seemed hushed TO silence waiting oil
his word. But on the instant the earl,
morning stiffness of the forest crashed
alive, and pandemonium was come. 4
savage yell to set the very leaves a
tremble; cracking volley from tn,
underwood that left heap OF writing
dying men where but now the firing
SQUAD had stood; then a headlon,
charge of rough-clad horsemen-al
this befell In less than any time tn,
written words can measure.
Falconnet had escaped the fusillade
was making swiftly for his horse. SAT-
as yet from any touch of lead or steel
So l might reach and pull him down,
cared no groat what followed after
leaped to seize him. In the act tn
clutching hands of badly wounde,
man laid hold of me and l was trippe,
and thrown upon the heap of dead an,
dying men.
And then my rescuers. or else m
newer captors. picked me up hastily
and l was hoisted behind the saddle o
the nearest, and so was borne away i
all the hue and cry OF a most unscl
dierly retreat.
The men who charged so opportune
ly to cut me out of peril were my cap
tors only in the saving sense. Thei
overnight bivouac was not above
mile beyond the glade OF ambushmen
1t was in a little dell. cunningly hid
and the embers OF the camp-fires wer
still alive when we OF the horse cam
first to this agreedon- rallying point.
These were a handful OF the me
who had fought so stoutly against tn
Tory odds at Ramsour's Mil, thei
captain being that Abram Forney 9
whom you may read in the histories
and though they made no militar
show, they lacked neither hardihoo
nor courage. OF a certain perseverin
sort.
When had sufficiently accounte
for myself. Captain Forney gripped m
hand and gave me hearty welcom
and congratulation-
"My father and yours were handfa'
friends. Captain Ireton. More tina
that, rye heard my father say he owe
yours somewhat on the score Of soc
turns. I'm master glad I've had
chance to even up q little; though q
for that. we should both thank the II
dian" AT which he looked around {
one who calls an eye-muster sr
marks a missing man. Where Is q
chief. Ephraim ?"-this to q grizzls
Ill - ~ -