Gunnison news-champion., 1912-08-23

oane ne auaa orasr.
The hssle bala -hsaa~d nAa Usus &
n wishGus . WosA H. ksussuaaf sstnr
iaG bso6 be hoUs sssghsly. 60 1BaU-
inG his Aai lower o~sr ~ sSse. -
The sissace one of the horses ssioAsA
ssA tte bay seemea - straiUhssa u
his saeaie. slaacias suapiciously abouf.
''RiA< ahead slowly. TesspsA-" -
ordered. I'm catch w With yea" ~
turned bach toward ne. "who Csc
you. anyway"
SSrprissd at the uneApscted Qnso-
sioa. my first thought was to coocso1
my Identify. These were kings nsA
and I was IN erdiHsry closhes--the
rough homespsa Furnished BY Fsrpen.
~. by any chance. | VAS not the party
they had expected TO wsylay, I Hisht
be released without search
who am II" l echoed. "ISO you
mean you have gone to all this troubbe
without knowing who1 you hoa1 Dris-
oner?"
1T seeus so." coolly we kaow
Who ~e thought you were, but ! en-
lseginning 10 doubt your being the
right man Peter. take HE hat OF"
4 Strengthened Hp bareheaded. the
faint star,giesm on my face. The heu-
tenant remaiued quiet, but Peter bsSks
his sphinx .like silence.
ct amt aim, 10 it,"
no: he must have tahea the otAes
road after ALL" with . slieht laugh.
We've been on . wild-eeOse chase.
However, it's too late nov te catch
the fellow on this trip"
Peter rubbed his bald pate, his eyes
On Ne.
"An' whstm We DO with this lsl!"
he answered Arawlinsly. Turn hin
loose?"
Bring him along. Wen Anl est to-
morrow Who he is, and what his BUSH
ness may be. Men ere not riding these
roads at midnight without some psr'
pose"
He wheeled his horse, anA, With .
touch Of the spur. disappeared IN the
DARKNESS ahead Peter cianheFsl bach
into the Saddle. and gripped NJ peiA.
Come 0a," he said aisUusAs11y, kice-
ing the black IN IT, siAs. ''lt's ways
| pet afsse yer lie 1swa."
We v81e stesAily, 80 q . Ooo4
pace. Occasionally ths ea1se nao
swOre solemnly. but Rstss nevss ~
tered q sound, nSt evea turning HE
head at my attempts to draw him into
! conversation. The situation mystiRed
me, but it became more and more evi-
dent that l should have TO wait until
morning before learning the truth.
Neither Peter nor the Indian seemed
/ to belong to the class with which the
army WAS recruited. Peter appeared
more like q well-traineA servant. end
his riding was atrocious. Anl the lieu-
I tenant! There came hack to ne the
1 haunting memory that he had Joined
Delavan ss . volunteer-the Dragon
uniform SUFFICIENT proof that he wss
neither Of the original foraging party
of Hessians, nor 0f Grants AetacA-
ment Of Rangers. Yet these others
wore green and white, and must, there
/ fore, have been in Grants command
How did the four manage to escape
from our attach, evidently animated
by one purpose? Why was Grant -
anxious to learn n l had seen the lies
tenant, and whether We had . party
out seeking him? Not one Of these
questions could ! answer; not one
could ! even gvess at with any degree
of satisfactiOa.
We were coming out Of the low.
swamp lands into q more thickly St
tied. and cultivated region. Rail and
stone fences could be seen on either
side the road. and we passed swiftly
by a number Of farmhouses, some sim
pie log structures. although one or tive
were more pretentious.
N may have been two miles further
along. when the lieutenant, and his In
dian companion. wheeled suddenly 10
the right, and. without slackeninG
speed. rode through an open gate. anl
up graveleA roadway, circlins
through a grove Of trees to the front
door Of a great square mansion. 1t
was dark and silent. . wide porch In
front supported BY huge pillars. .
broad flight II steps leading from the
driveway The Indian ran up these.
leaving the lieutenant holding his
horse, while we drew mp some yards to
the rear ! heard the boom Of the
iron knocker, followed by a gleam Of
light through a lower window. Thea
a negro's voice spoke, and the front
ioor opened, disclosing two fgures,
one with sputtering candle in hand.
The two exchanged a dozen words be-
fore the lieutenant asked impatiently:
rs it all right Tonepah?"
The taciturn Indian made no at.
tempt Ut speech, but gave an expires
/ sive gesture. and the young oficef
| turned in his saddle.
4 Take the prisoner to the lower
room. Peter" he ordered curtly. III
decide tomorrow il he can be Of any
use to us"
The two fellows loosened the rope
about my ankles. and Peter waddling
/ aLead. the graybeard gripping my
I arm. We climbed the steps, and en-
tered the hall. A tall slim negro. evt