The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1912-05-09
CHAPTER vlIi.-contInued.

CHAPTER vIIl.-contlnued
DO not permit the darkness to
alarm you. whispered softly. bend
Ing down as spoke until could
feel hsr 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 all
We have to do IL to wait patiently
until they move on. only wish
could discover something upon which
you might sit down"
Pray do not think me coward"
she answered. but l have heard Of
this man Lowrie In the Federal camps,
and ! would rather die than fall into
his hands,"
! had heard of hira also. and Of his
outrageous treatment of women The
memory caused me to clasp my hand
warmly over hers, and set my teeth
hard.
ALL" l said soberly; but all these
gentry are pretty NUN alike. 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 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 alter
ye turn the corner. bout twenty
feet er So You uns kin go on down
thar If ye'd rather follerin' Their dorgs,
but reckon as how I'll stay right
yere an sorter see how Their OF woman
comes out
Where, where was Roderick then
One blast upon his bugle horn
We're worth thousaL men,
II you uns like ter see burned good
fight maybe We better stay tew-ther
81 woman Is pisen if she once gifts her
lander up"
His voice was expressive Of great
expectations. ami had reason to be-
iieve his faith in Maria would be
justified. Before any of US, however,
aad 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
Tou. with all those dishes sitting out
IN the table: Just beel eaten off, too
Have MT seen no strange party along
The road this morning. have ye?"
Mary q one." said Maria, and
k-ew from her voice she was standing
close beside the fireplace.
Are you Mrs. Bungay?"
~ 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. "WLere is the lit.
lie sneak. anyhow"
What do you want of him?"
Want him to 60 long with US;
we're hunting some parties, and need
aguide. They tor us up tn. road a
bit he knew every inch O. these yere
mouutings"
There was a pause. as If Maria was
sndeavoring to decide as to the hon.
.sty Of the speaker. Her final answer
proved the mental survey had not
proven satisfactory.
WAL reckon" sh. said calmly.
~as you uns II be more likely ter
find him down bout Connersville.
Then whut's all these yere dirty
dishes doing on the table?"
He'd sum Yankee officers yere: they
Just rode on down Their trail as you
ans cum up"
Like hell" calculated the fellow
with complete loss of temper. See
hare. old woman. we're too old birds
to be caught with any such chaff.
Wen take look aroun the old She
hang anyhow, and while we're at it
you put something on the table for me
and my mates to eat"
The voice and manner were rough.
but I was impressed with a certain &C.
cent creeping into the mans speech
bespeaking education. More, in spite
f an apparent effort to make It so. his
dialect was not that of those noun
tains.
Even as he uttered these last words.
throwing into them a threat more in
the tone than the language. I became
aware Of a thin ray Of light pene
trating the seemingly solid wall Just
IN front of me. and bending silently
forward could dimly distinguish the
sllipticai head Of Bungay as he applied
one eye to a small opening he had
Enthusiastically made betw cen the logs.