The Red Cloud chief., 1922-11-16
"Yassun.-

Ephralm went swiftly and Erskins
followed along the hedge and through
the rose bushes to the kitchen door.
Barbara, standing in the hall door
way, heard his step.
"Erskine !" she cried softly, and she
came to meet him, with both hands
outstretched, and raised her lovely
face to be kissed. "What are you do.
ing here?"
81 am on my way to Join General
Lafayette"
But you will be captured. 1t is dan.
gerous. The country is full Of British
soldiers"
$50 1 know" Erskine said dryly.
"When did you get hereT"
Twenty minutes ago. l would not
have been welcome just then. / watt
ed In the hedge. 1 saw you had com,
pany."
"Did you see them?' she faltered.
II even recognized one Of them
Barbara sank into a chair, her elbow
on one arm, her chin I'm her hand, her
face turned, her eyes looking outdoors.
She said nothing, but the toe of her
slipper began to tap the floor gently.
There was no further use for indirec-
tlOn or cOncealment.
Barbara" Erskine said with some
%sternness, and his tone qulckened the
tapping OF the slipper and made her
little mouth tighten, ''what does all
this meanT"
'Did you see," she answered, with
out looking Mt him, that the crops
were all destroyed and the cattle and
horses were all gomez"
"Why did they spare the house?'
The girls bosom rose with one quick,
defiant intake of breath, and for a
moment she held 1t.
"Dane Grey saved our home"
"HowY"
"He had known Colonel Tarleton In
London and had done something for
him over there"
"How did he get in communication
with Colonel Tarleton when he was
an officer I'm the American army?'
The girl would not answer.
"Was he taken %prisonerT" Still she
was silent, for the sarcasm in Ers-
klne's voice was angering her.
"He fought once under Benedict
Arnold-perhaps he is fighting with
him now"
"No!" she cried holly.
"Then he must be "a"
She did not allow him to utter the
word.
why Mr.. Grey Is In British uni
form Is his secret-not nine"
"And why he Is here is-yours."
Exactly" she famed. "You are a
soldier. Learn what you want to
know from him. You are my cousin,
but you are going beyond the rights
Of blood. I won't stand it won't
stand it-from anybody"
IL don't understand you. Barbara
I don't know you. That last time It
was Grey, you-and now" He
paused and. in spite of herself, her
kline saw 1t, drew himself erect,
bowed and strobe straight out. Nor
did the irony Of the situation so much
as cross his mind-that he should be
turned from his W home by the
woman he loved and to whom he had
given that home. Nor did he look
back-else he might have seen her
sink, sobbing, to the floor.
When he turned the corner of the
house Barbara's old nanny and
Ephraim were waiting for him ut the
kitchen door.
"Ephraim," he said as he swung
upon Firely, "you and nanny keep
a close watch, and If I'm needed here,
come for me yourself and come fast"
"Yassuh. Marse Grey Is sutn'ly up
to some devilmint no which side he
iightln' fer. i got n gal oveh on the
aige o. dc Grey plantation an she tel
me dat Marse Dane Grey don't wear
dat white uniform all de time"
whats that-what's that?" asked
Erskine.
"NO, sub. She say he got an udder
uniform, same as yOse, an he keeps
it ut her uncle Sans cabin an she's
seed him go dar in white an come out
in our uniform, an al'ays at night,
Marse Erskine-al'ays at night"
The negro cooked his ear suddenly 4:
"Take to de woods quick, Marse
Erskine. Horses comm down the
road"
But the sound of coming hoOfbeats
had reached the woodsman's ears
some seconds before the black man
heard them, and already Erskine had
wheeled away. And Ephralm saw
FREELY skim along the edge Of n
blackened meadow behind its hedge
of low trees.
"Gawd"." said the black boy, and
he stood watching the road. A band
of white-coated troopers was coming
In a cloud of dust, and at the head
of them rode Dane Grey.
Has Capt. Ersklne Dale been
hereY" he demanded.
Ephraim had his own reason for
being on the good side of the ques-
toner, and did not even hesitate.
"Yassuh-he jes' lef'! Oar he goes
now!" With n curse Grey wheeled
his troopers. At that moment FREELY,