The Elk Mountain pilot., 1924-06-12

women who waved back to him.
rounding the bend, he sent swift
glance over his shoulder. There was
put one hgure at the gate now: she
blew a kiss to him.
Nearly three hundred horsemen
moved out of Lafayette that forenoon
amidst the greatest excitement and
enthusiasm. Most of them swan their
horses across the river, too eager to
wait for the snail-like ferry to trans
port them to the opposite bank. They
were fearfully and wonderfully armed
and equipped for the expedition. Guns
OF all descriptions and ages pistols,
axes, knives and diligently secured
swords; pots and pans and kettles
blankets, knapsacks and parcels of
varying sizes; in all 4 strange and
motley assortment that would have
caused troop of regulars to die of
laughter. But the valiant spirit was
there. Even the provident and far
sighted gentlemen who strapped cum
bersome and in some cases voluptuous
umbrellas because of their extraneous
contents) across their backs alongside
the guns, were no more timorous than
their swashbuckling neighbors who
scorned the tempest even as they
scoffed at the bloodthirsty redskins.
-Four heavily laden wagons brought up
the rear.
Kenneth Gwynne rode beside the
ubiquitous Judge" Billings, who
cheerfully and persuasively sought to
swap" horses with him when not 9th
erwise employed in discoursing upon
the vast inefficiency of certain specifi-
cally named officers who rode in all
their plump glory at or near the head
of the column. He was particularly
out of sympathy with loud-mouthed
lieutenant.
"Why," said he, "if the captain was
to say halt suddenly that feller'd lose
his mind tryin to think what to do.
No more head on him than a grass
hopper. And him up there givin' or
ders to lot Of bright fellers like you
I'd like to be hidin' around where
could see the look on the Indians face
that scalps him. The minute he got
through scrapin' little hide an hair
Off of the top O. that fellers head he'd
be able to see clear down to the back
of his Adams apple"
Historians have recorded the expert
ences and achievements of this gallant
troop of horse. 1t is not the intention
of the present chronicler to digress.
Nine or ten days after they rode out
from Lafayette, the majority of the
company rode back again and were
received with acclaim.
As matter of fact, Black Hawk
was at no time near the Indiana bor-
der. His operations were confined to
northwestern Illinois.
Kenneth Gwynne did not go back to
Lafayette with the main body of
troops; he decided to join Captain
McGeorge and his undaunted little
band of Adventures.
He would have been amazed. even
shocked, could he have known all that
transpired in Lafaytte on the day fol-
lowing his departure. He was not to
know for many day, as 1t was nearly
three weeks after the return of the
main body of troops that McGeorge
and his little band rode wearily down
through the Grand Prairie and entered
the town, their approach being her
aided by a scout sent on in advance.
Kenneth searched eagerly among
ha rivar honk Cnnkinp
the face that had haunted him
throughout all the irksome days and
NIGHTS. he looked for the beloved one
to whom his thoughts had sped each
night for communion at the foot OF
the blessed elm. She was nowhere to
be seen. He was bitterly disappoint'
I'd. A. soon as possible he escaped
from his comrades and hurried home
There he learned from Rachel Carter
herself that Viola had gone away
never to return to Lafayette again
Mid-morning on the day after the
troops rode away, Rachel Carter ap-
peared at the office Of her lawyer An
drew Holman. There, in the course OF
the next hour she calmly, unreserved-
ly barred the whole story of her Ire
to the astonished and incredulous gen
tleman.
She did not consult with her daugh-
ter before taking this irrevocabie step
She put it beyand her daughters power
TO shake the resolution she had made
ON the eve Of Kenneth's departure
she knew that Viola would cry out
against the sacrifice and she was sore
" afraid of her own strength In the
presence of her daughters anguish
"I shall put 1t all in the paper" she
said, regarding the distressed perspir-
ing face of the lawyer with GRIM
almost taunting smile, as If she actu-
allv relished his CONSERVATION. "What
7 want YOU to do, first OFF, Andrew Is
to prepare some sort of afhdavi,' set,
ting forth the facts, which Will sign
and swear to. 1t needn't be a long
aoo,mapt The shorter the Detter'