Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1913-06-13

skulk in. To deal with such he need.
ed to be alone, and free.
He must have crawled thus Tor thir-
ty yards, hands and knees aching hor-
ribly, his eyes ever peering over the
edge of the bank, his ears tingling to
the slightest noise. The tiny glow Of
the fire far away to the left was alone
visible in the intense blackness; the
vino brought to hin no sound OF
movement. The stiffness was pro-
found, almost uncanny; as he paused
and listened he could distinguish the
throb of his heart. He was across
the trail at last. for he felt and traced
the ruts of wheels, and where the
banks had been worked down almost
to a level with the prairie. He crossed
this opening like a snake, and then
arose to his knees beyond, where the
gully deepened. He remained poised.
motionless, scarcely daring to breathe.
Surely that was something else-that
shapeless blotch of shadow. barely
topping the line of bank! Was it ten
feet away? Or five? He could not
tell. He stared; there was no move
ment, and yet his eyes began to dis
Germ dimly the outlines-the head and
shoulders OF a man! The Sergeant
crept forward-an inch, two inches. a
foot. The figure did not stir. Now
he was sure the fellows head was
lying fat on the turf, oddly distorted
by a feathered war bonnet. The
strange posture, the utter lack OF
movement. seemed proof that the
tired warrior had fallen asleep on
watch. Like a cat Hamlin crept up
slowly toward him, poised for a spring.
Some sense of the wild must have
stirred the savage into semi-conscious-
ness. Suddenly he sat up, gripping the
gun in his hands. Yet even as his
opening eyes saw dimly the Sergeant's
menacing shadow, before he could
his alarm, or spring upright,
the revolver butt struck with dull
thud, and he went tumbling backward
into the ditch, his cry Of alarm ending
in a hoarse croak. From somewhere,
out of the dense darkness in front a
voice called, sharp and cultural, as If
its owner had been startled by the
mysterious sound of the blow. 1t was
the language of the Arapahoes, and
out Of his vague memory OF the
tongue, spurred to recollection by the
swift emergency, Hamlin growled a
hoarse answer, hanging breathlessly
above the motionless badly until the
"ugh!" of the fellows response proved
him without suspicion. He waited,
counting the seconds, every muscle
strained. with expectancy, listening.
He had a feeling that some one was
crawling over the short grass, wig
Cling along like a spske, but the faint
sound, If sound it wss, grew less dis
tinct. Finally he liftel his head above
the edge of the banl, but saw moth
ing, not even a dim shadow.
They are closing IN, l reckon" he
thought soberly, "and it isn't likely
there will be any more of these gentry
far back as this: looks as though
this gully turned west just beyond.
Anyhow I've got to risk it."
He returned more rapidly, knowing
the passage. yet with no less caution.
the unconscious girl lying ex-
actly as he had left her. AS he clasped
her form in his arms, her lips uttered
some incoherent words, but otherwise
she gave no sign Of life.
Eyes, yes" he whispered close to
her ear. hoping thus to hold her silent.
is all right now; only keep still"
(TO BE CONTINUED.)