The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1916-07-27
CHAPTER XII.

some time during the night Duane
aWoke A stiffness seemingly SO thick
ana neaNy as to have substance blank
eteo the black willow brake. He could
not see a star or a branch or tree-trllnl<
or even his hand before his eyes. He lay
hna "altins, listening, sure that he
llau oeen awakened by an unusual
SOUND: Ordinary noises Of the night in
ne wilderness never disturbed his rest
ms faculties, like those Of old fugitives
ana hunted creatures. had become
, to a marvellous keeness. A long
~" breath OF slow wind moaned
through the willows, passed away.
some stealthy, soft-footed beast trottad
ny MN in the darkness there was a
fustilnG among dry leaves; fox bark
ga ionesomely in the distance. But
none of these sounds had broken bis
Slumber fNeii LIS
suddenly, piercing the stiffness, came
bay Of a bloodhound. Quickly Duane
SAT up, chilled to his marrow. The act
loll MAGE a., MN aware Of his crippled
am linen came other bays, lower,
again, all the more oppressive and 7,la,1
aclng IN his suspense. Bloodhounds had
peen put on his trail, and the leader wa
not Tar away. All his life Duane had
Deen familiar with bloodhounds. ana
II ne knew that if the pack surrounded
rim IN this irnpenetrable darkness he
would be held at bay or dragged down
as wolves dragged a stag. Rising to his
ieeL preparing to flee as best he could
ne wanted to be sure in the direction
lie should take o
me leader Of the hounds broke into
cry again, a deep, full-toned rinpino
ray, strange, ominous. terriblv SIM
meant IN It's power. 1t caused n cold
sweat 10 ooze out all over Duane,s
bouy. He turned from it, and with hia
IN uillhjured arm outstretched to feel for
, as ~ minoWs ne CROPPED his way along
AS IS was impossible to pick ont ti5a
narrow passages, he had to slim and
squeeze and plunge between the Weld
ing stems. He made such a crashin.
that he no longer heard the baving ~
Tn tle MOUNDS. He had no hope to el,de
tllehl. lie meant to climb the first bot
tonwood that he stumbled npon y, ~,
pllnd Tight. But it appeared he never
was gong to be lucky enough To RIM
against one. Often he fell, sometimes
Iiat, at others upheld by the willows
w ia. maze the work SO hard was the
TACT that he had only one arm to open
clump of close growing stems and
ms Ieet would catch or tanele in tho
narrow crotches. holding him fast He
nag ia TO struggle desperately 1t was as
II the WILLOWS We're clutching hands. his
enemies, fiendishly impeding his mo
gress. He tore his Clothes on sharn
branches and his flesh suffered MANY
prick But in a terrible earnestnasa
he Kept on until he brought up hard
against cottonwood tree.
mere ne leaned and rested He found
hlmself as nearly exhausted as he had
ever been. wet with sweat, his hands
torn ana burning. his breast laborine,
ms legs singing from innumerable
piulses. While he leaned there to catch
ms breath he listened for the pursuing
J mounds. For long time there was no
sound from them. This however, did
| not deceive him into any honef,1lnasa
mere were bloodhounds that bayel
often on trail and others that ran
mostly silent. The former were moro
| valuable to their owner and the latter
more dangerous to the fugitive Pre-
sently Duanes ears were filled by q
shorus OF short ringing yelps The pacls
4 had found where he had s!ept. and now
the trail was hot. Satisfied that thew
would soon overtakc him. Duane set
about climbing the cottonwood, which
4 in his condition was difficult of ascent
4 II happened to be a fairly large tree
with n fork about 10 feet up, and
branches thereafter in succession
Duane climbed until he got about the
1 cnshrouding belt Of blackness. a pale
gray mist hung above the brake, and
i through IT shone line of dim lights.
4 Duane decided these were bonfires
made along the bluff to render his es-
4 cape more lifficult OF that side. Away
4 round in the direction he thought was
nortn he imagined he saw more fires.
but, as the mist was thick, he couldSnot
! be sure. While he was there pondering
4 the matter, listening for the hounds. th,
/ mist and the gloom on one side liEllt !
A ed; and this side he concluded was east
and meant that dawn was near. Sat
Iisfying himself Of, this score, de de-
seconded to the first branch of the tree
tConllnued mex, week,
NI r