The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1910-01-06
.THE WILD GEESE
* BY Stanley J. Weyman.'

the room through the window. He
lounged there. whistling, and now and
again peeping.
Suddenly. on the upper floor. Colonel
John heard a door open and the clamor
OF a voice raised in anger. Il was
James voice. N'Teu himf Curse me II
you shall!" Colonel John heard him
say. The next moment the door was
sharply closed. and he caught no more
But he had heard enough to quicken
his pulses. What was II she wished
to tell him? Was she seeking to follow
up he hint which she had given him
on Bales behalf? And was the sur
vigilance to which he had been sub
jected for the last two days aimed at
keeping them apart?
Colonel John suspected that this
might be so; and his heart beat more
quickly. At the evening meal he was
early in the room. on the chance that
She might appear before the others.
But h did not descend, and the meal
proved unpleasant beyond the ordinary,
James drinking more than was good
for him and taking a tone brutal and
churlish. Fol some reason the colonel
reflected, the young man was beginning
to lose his fears. Why? What was he
planning?
Secure as 1 seem, I must look to
myself" Colonel John thought. And
he slept that night with his door
pillow. Next morning he took care to
descend early, IN the chance Of seeing
F9lvia before the others appeared. She
vas not down; he waited, she did not
come. But when he had been in the
room five minutes a serving girl slipped
in at the back. showed him a scared
face, held out a scrap Of paper and,
uyhan hn had taLaV u Dad IN n ~ 4
without a word.
He hid the paper about him and read
1t later. The message was in Flavia's
hand; neither James nor the O'Beirnes
We're capable OF penning O. grammat-
ical sentence. Colonel Johns spirits
rose as he rea the note.
BE at the old Tower an hour after
sunset. You must not be followed"
THAT Is more easily said than DONE"
he commented.
Nor did he see how 1t was to be done.
He stood, cudgeling his brains to
evolve a plan. But he found zone that
might not. by awakening James sus-
picious, make matters worse. He had
at last to let things take their course
In the hope that when the time came
they would shape themselves favora-
bly,.
They did. For before moor he gath
cred that James wanted to 60 fishing.
The O'Beirnes also wanted to go fish-
ing, and for the general convenience It
became him to go with them. He said
neither no nor yes, but he dallied with
they had made up their minds that he
was coming. Then he declined.
James swore. the OBeirnes scowled
at him n grumbled. Presently the
three went outside and held q confer
ence. His hopes rose as he sat smiling
to himself, for their next step was to
cali Darby. Evidently they gave him
orders and left him In charge. for a
few IN later they were off, spend
ing their anger on one another and on
the barefoot gossoons who carried the
tackle.
Later In the afternoon Colonel John
took up his position on the horse block;
there he affected to be busy plating
horsehair. lines. Every two or three
minutes Darby showed himself at the
door; C in a quarter Of an hour the
old man found occasion to cross the
court to count the ducks or rout a
~trespassing beggar. Toward sunset he
came, less often, having to busy him
self with the evening meal. The colo
mel smiled n waited, and presently
the butler came again, found him still
seated there II withdrew-this time
With an air Of f1nality. Hes salts
fed" the colonel muttered, and the
next he was one also. The
light vas waning fast. night was fall
ing in the valley. Before he had trav-
eled a hundred yards he was lost to
view.
When he had gone a quarter Of a
mile he halted and listened, with his
ear nea the ground, for the beat of
pursuing footsteps. He heard none,
nor n ounds but the low of a cow
whose calf was being weaned, the
WHO'D! hoo! hoo!' of owls beginning
to mouse beside the lake and the creak
of oars in a boat which darkness al
ready hid. He Strengthened himself
with a sigh OF relief n hastened at
speed in the direction Of the water
fall.
Before he stood on the platform and
made out the shape of the Tower LOOM
ing dark and huge above him, he had
come to the conclusion that the need
which forced Flavia to such q place at
such an hour must be great. The moon
would not rise before IL o'lcock, the
last simmer of the water had faded
into unfathomable blackness beneath
him; he had to tread softly and with
care to avoid the brink.
He peered about him, hoping to see
her figure emerge beside him. He did
not and, disappointed, he coughed.
Finally. in a subdued voice, he called
her by name once or twice. Alas. MY
the wind, softly stirring the grass and
whispering in the ivy, answered him.
He was beginning to think that she
had failed to come when. at no great
distance before him, he fancied some
one moved. He CROPPED his way for
ward half a dozen PAGES, found a light
break OF his view and stood in aston
ishment.
The movement had carried him be-
yond the face of the Tower n so re-
vealed the light, which issued from a.
doorway situate in the finak Of the
building. He paused, but second
thoughts treasured him. He saw that
in hat position the light was not visi-
BILE from the lake or the house; and he
moved quickly to the open door, ex-
pecting to see Flavia. Three steps led
down to the basement room Of the
Tower; great was his surprise when he
saw below him In his remote. aban-
doned building-in this room three feet
below the level Of the sofia table set
handsomely with Jour lighted candles
in tall sticks and furnished besides
with a silver inkhorn, pens and paper.
Beside the table stood a couple of
chairs n a stool. Doubtless there
was other furniture In the room, but
in his establishment he saw only these.
He uttered an exclamation and de-
scended the steps. "Flavia!" he cried.
"Flavia!" He did not see her, and he