The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1911-11-10
CHAPTER vIli.-Continued.

do not permit the darkness TO
alarm YOU" I whispered softly. bend
ing down as | spoke until | could
feel her quick reathing against my
cheek "Our visitors are not likely TO
remain longer than will be necessary
TO get something TO eat. They need
never suspect our presence. and al
we have to do Is to wait patiently
until they move on. I only wish l
could discover something upon which
you might sit down"
pray do not think me a coward"
she answered, but | have heard Of
this man Lowrie in the Federal camps,
and | would rather die than fall into
his hands
l had heard of him also. and Of his
outrageous treatment of women. The
memory caused me to clasp my hand
warmly over hers, and set my teeth
hard
1T may not prove to be Lowrie at
ALL" | said soberly; "but all these
gentry are pretty NUN alike, l fear.
However promise that you shall
never fall alive into the hands of any
Of their breed"
Before she could answer me other
than by a slight nesting closer In the
darkness, Bungay whispered: This
yere hole, Cap, leads down ter the
right. an comes out in a sort O. gully
bout a hundred feet back Thar's
light 'nough ter see ter walk by a'ter
,ye turn the corner. bout twenty
feet er so. You uns kin go on down
thar II ye'd rather follerin' ther dorgs,
sbut l reckon as how I'll stay right
'yere an sorter see how ther oil woman
comes out
Where, where was Roderick then?
One blast upon his bugle horn
Were worth a thousaE men,.
X you uns like ter see burned good
fight maybe ye better stay tew-ther
Of woman is pisen If she once gifts her
Sander up"
His voice was expressive Of great
expectations. and had reason to be-
iieve his faith In Maria would be
justified. Before any of us, however,
lad time to change our positions we
heard the fellows come stamping
roughly into the cabin. The thin slabs
which divided us scarcely muffled
their loud voices.
We'll. old woman" exclaimed one in
voice so gruff as to seem almost as.
sumed. pretending TO be alone, are
you. with all those dishes sitting out
on the table; just beeA eaten off, too
Have mt seen no strange party along
the road this morning, have ye?"
Mary a one" said Maria, and |
kew from her voice she was standing
close beside the fireplace.
Are you Mrs. Bungay?"
81 reckon / am, If it's any O. yer
business"
Don't git nifty, old woman, or we're
liable to give you Lesson in polite
ness before we leave" The leader
dropped the butt of his gun with a
crash on the floor Where is the lit
tie sneak. anyhow"
What do you want Of him?"
Want him to go long with us;
we're hunting some parties, and need
guide. They tor us UP thu road a
bit he knew every inch o these yere
mountings."
There was pause. as II Maria was
Iendeavoring to decide as to the hon
.esty of The speaker. Her final answer
sproved the mental survey had not
proven satisfactory
wal. reckon" sh, said calmly,
las you uns III be more likely ter
find him down bout Connersville"
Then whut's all these yare dirty
dishes doing on the table?"
He'd sum Yankee officers yere: they
Just rode OF down ther trail as you
uns cum up"
Like hell!" calculated the fellow
with complete loss of temper. See
here, old woman, we're too old birds
10 be caught with any such chaff.
Well take look aroun- the old she
bang anyhow. and whilo we're at II
you put something on the table for me
and my mates to eat"
The voice and manner were rough
but was impressed with certain &C
cent creeping into the mans speech
bespeaking education. More, In spite
Of an apparent effort to make 1t SO. hiI
dialect was not that Of those noun
lains.
Even as he uttered these last words
throwing into them threat more II
the tone than the language. I becam
aware Of . thin ray Of light pens
trating the seemingly solid wall Jus
n front Of me. and bending silsntl
forward could dimly distinguish tn
slliptical head Of Bungay ~ he apple
me eve to small opening he ha
IndustriouAly made between the log