The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1912-01-26
CHAPTER xXvIIl.-Continued.

4 say. Cap" he said. Jerking the
words out to the mules hard trot. and
grasping his saddle pommel desper-
ateiy, Il sorter reckon as how therll
he some fun back thar afore long less
all signs fail"
Why" | stared at him, now thor.
GuShiy aroused to the thought that
ne. had important news 10 communi-
cate.
wal, he explained slowly, "whin
ye wint off. | sorter TUX a notion ter
look bout a bit. Used ter be an oil
Stompin' ground o. mine. So Dutchy
an me clumb tibet big hill back O.
~har We halted. and by gum. Gown
thar In Their gully on L other side
shars a burned big camp O. fellers."
] relned up short, and with uplifSed
hand signalled the men behind TO
halt.
Why didn't you tell me this be-
FORE" ] questioned sternly. How
many were there? and what did they
look like?"
lie scratched the back of his head
fhoughtfully. and answered with care
kHl deliberation. "Durn IL, ! didn't
.Bne We till after y'd started, an
reckon as how it took me all o. tew
mile ter git this yere blame muel up
Ser whar | cud talk. Thar's quite a
apart bunch. but they had some pick
ais ont, an ] cudn't git close 'nough
%r tell zackly. Dutchy thought thar
1nR nigh onter two hundred o. 'em.
sE jist don't know. They wusn't
dressed like sojers O. either army. an
. reckon they're out o. Their hills"
j glanced at my little handful OF
ken, scarcely knowing what decision
u might be wise to make. Undoubt-
edIy they would fight II occasion
arse, Blu the odds were terribly
heavy; besides. If Brennan came, and
his party got away that same even
Ing. as was planned for them TO de.
then Ii might not be necessary for us
10 strike a blow. | was certainly IN
no mood to expose my small command
merely to save the empty house from
destruction.
"Ebers," ! said, turning toward the
Sergeant. who sat his horse with ex-
pressionless face, you were with the
guide when he discovered this camp.
HOW many do you think 1t contained?
arc who were they?"
Vel, dere vos more as two gom-
yantas, Captain. und dere vos some
horses, but dey vos dressed-vot you
calls ity-all ober not ner same"
mot In uniform?"
Dot vos It,"
xaything that looked suspicious" |
asked, glancing around into the diff
JercBt faces.
Maybe | did," answered one OF the
troopers named Earl. LAS we rode up
TIE first hill after leaving the house
a.: horse picked up a stone. and | had
81 stop and get 1t out. reckon | fell
behind a quarter Of a mile or more.
AID just as | started | looked back.
and a party of ten or twelve fellows
was just riding In through them big
gates onto the front lawn. But them
fellows was soldiers for sure: they
TldS regular like. and all OF thsm
were cape. 1t was SO far of l couldn't
sell .be color of their clothes. but
ahem caps made me think they was
Feds"
chose my course at once. This un-
Soubtedly must have been Breunan's
EArty.
THANK you. my man: 1t would have
Been better II y had reported that
20 me at once" l said. However. |
understand the situation much better
low. Sergeant. We will go into camp
1ere. Post pickets In both directions
hat put your most careful men on
dat hill yonder. Let them report
Sromptly any signs OF IRE to the
southeast. or any sound OF gums"
We completed all our cooking be
ssre dark. and when the night nnall,