The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1920-05-13

they are after me. I just escaped
them-they were going to burn me at
the stake"
1 glanced aside at Tim his rife was
flung forward. Then I looked quickly
back at the man, who had already
dropped from his horse, and seemed
scarcely able to stand. Was this true,
had he ridden here unknowing whom
he would meet. with no other thought
but to save his life? Heaven knows
he looked the part-his swarthy face
dirtied, with a stain of blood on one
cheek, his shirt ripped into rags, bare
headed, and with a look Of terror in
his eyes not to be mistaken. Villain
and savage as I knew him to be, I still
felt a strange wave of pity sweep me
pity and tenderness; mingled with
hatred and distrust. /.
"Kirby," I said, and strobe in be-
tween him and Tins leveled weapon.
'"There is no friendship between us
now, or at any time. l believe you to
he a miserable, snarltng dog; but !
would a W even q from Indian tor.
ture. Did you know we were here?"
mo, SO help me God. saw the
cabin, and hoped TO find help"
"The savages are following your"
"Yes-yes; see! Look down there
there are half a hundred Of the
devils, and-and Black Hawk"
"By the holy smoke, Cap, he's right
there they are !" sung out Kennedy,
pointing excitedly. "The cuss amt a
lynn. Whatm we do?"
I saw them also by this time, my
mind in a whirl of indecision. What
should we do? What ought we to do?
We should have to fight to the death
there was no doubt of that. An at
tempt to get away was manifestly inn
possible. But what about this rene
gade, this Internal %scoundrel, this hell
hound who had been trailing us to kill
and destroy? Should we turn him back
now to his deserved fate, or should we
offer him the same chance for life we
had? He might fight; he might add
one rifle to u defense; he might help
us to hold out until rescuers came.
And then-then-after that-we could
settle our score. Tins voice broke the
silence. 81
II reckon we amt got much time"
he said grimly. Its one thing, 'er the
other. I'm fer givin' the d. beggar
q chanel. l can't turn no white man
owe ter Injuns-not me-. Kirby's got
a gun, an I reckon we're goin' fer ter
need 'em all afore this blame fracas
Is over WITH,
"And I agree with you, Mr.. Ken
nedy," said Eloise, clearly, speaking
from the open door. Lieutenant
Knox. no one here has more to forgive
than T. We must give the man refuge
lit would be inhuman not to"
.Go inr I said, grimly, to Kirby,
looking him squarely in the eyes. And
then play the man, if you care to live"
I fingered there upon the outside.for
q moment, but for a moment only. The
advancing cloud of savages YER al
ready coming up the slope, gradually
spreading out into the form of a fan.
The majority were mounted, although
several struggled forward on foot.
Near their center appeared the omin-
GUS CLEAN of q red blanket, waved
back and forth as though in signal, but
the distance was too great for my
eyes to distinguish the one manipulat-
ing It. We were trapped, with our
backs to the wall.
There but few preparations to
be made. and. I gave small attention
to Kirby until these had been hastily
completed. The door and window were
barred, the powder and slugs brought
up from below, the rifles loaded and
primed, the few loophole4 between the
logs opened, and q pail OF water placed
within easy reach. This was oil that
could be done. IN
Kennedy made use of the fellow, Or
dering him about almost brutally, ana
Kirby Obeyed the commands without