The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 6, 1903, Page 4

Ty 0 LTSN the opposite side, and when the dawn be- gan to gray in the sky ahead we were well out of the broken mountain region and into the opener forest of the hill country. The sun jvas yet below the eastern horizon wheh we came to the fording of a larger stream than any we had crossed in the night. Its course was toward the nnise, hence I took 1t for some tribu- of the Catawba or the Broad. Tis the Broad itself,” said Ephraim Yeates, in answer to my asking; “and yit it ain't; leastwMse, it ain’'t the one you know. 'Tis the one the Parleyvoos claimed in the old war, and they call it the Frinch Broad.” “But that flows north and westward, if 1 remember aright,” said L “So it do, so it do—in gineral. But hereabouts ‘twill run all ways for Sun- day, by spells.” £ this be the French Broad we are not yet out of the Tuckasege country, as I take it.” “Mighty nigh to it; nigh enough to make camp for a resting spell. I reckon ye're a-needing that same pretty tole'ble bad, ain't ye, little gal?” this to Mar- gery. Weary as she was, she smiled upon him brightly, as though he had been her grandsire and so free to name her how he pleased “I shall sleep well when we are out of danger. But you must not stop for me, or for Jeanne, till 'tis safe to do so.” “Safe? Lord love ye, child! ‘safe’ is a word beyond us yit, and will be till we sot you down on your daddy’s doorstone. But we'll make out to give ye a bite and sup and forty winks o' sleep immejitly, if not sooner, now So, on the farther side of the stream the hunter led the way aside, and when we were come to a small meadow glade with good grazing for the horses, he called a halt, lifted the women from their saddles and came to help me ease Dick down. The poor lad was stiff and sore, having no more use of his joints than if he were a bandaged mummy; but the fever delirium had passed and he was able to laugh feebly at the tree-limb contrivance rigged to hold him in the saddle. “How did we come out of it, Jack?" he asked, when we had let him feel the comfort of lying fiat upon his back on the soft sward. “As you see.” We are all here and all fair fettle, saving yourself. You're the heaviest loser.” He smiled, end his eyes languid with the fever sought out Margery, who would not come a-nigh while I was with him. “That remains to be seen, Jack. If my dream comes true, I shall be the richest gainer.” “What did you dream?” He beckoned me to bend lower over him. “I dreamed I was sore hurt, and that she was binding up my bruises and crying over me.” Twas no dream,” I said; and with that I went to help Yeates make a bough shelter for the women, while Uncanoola was grinding the maize for the breakfast cakes. "Tis not my purpose to weary you with a day-by-day accounting for all that be- fell us on the way back to Mecklenburg. Suffice it to say that we ate and slept 4 rose to mount and ride again; this for five days and nights, during which Jennifer's fever grew upon-him steadily. At the close of the fifth day our night halt was in a deserted log cabin at the edge of an unfinished clearing in the heart of the forest. Here Richard's sickness anchored us, ‘and for three full weeks the journey paused We nursed the lad as best we could for a fortnight, dosing him with stewings of such roots and herbs as the Catawba could find in the wood. Then, when we were at our wits' ends, and Yeates and I were casting about how we could com- pass the bringing of a doctor from the settlements, the fever took a turn for the better—of its own accord, or for Un- canoola’s physickings, we knew not which—and at the end of the third week Dick was up and able to ride again, this time without the forked stick to hold him in the saddle. After this we went on without mishap, and with no hardship greater than that of living solely upon the meat victual provided by hunter’s rifie; and you who know this plough-dressed région at this later day will wonder when 1 write it down that in all that long faring, or rather to the last day's stage of it, we saw never a face of any of our kind, or of the Catawba’s You may be sure the month or more we spent thus in the heart of the wild- wood was but a sorry time for me. While the excitement of the pursult and rescue lasted, and later, when anxiety for Richard filled the hours of the long days and nights, T was held a little back from slipping into that pit of despair which 1 had digged for myself. But when the strain was off and Dick was up and fit again, the misery of it &l. came back with added goadings. I had never dreamed how cutting sharp ‘twould be to see these two together day by day; to see her loving, tender care of him, and to hear him babble of his love for her in his feverish vaporings. Yet all this I must endure, and with it a thing even harder. For, to make it worse, if worse could be, the shadow of com- plete estrangement had Tallen between Margery and me. True to her word, given in that moment when I had be- sought her not to speak aloud for her own safety’s.sake, she had never opened her lips to me: and for aught she said or did 1 might haye been a deaf-mute slave beneath her notice. And s she drew’away from me, she seemed to draw the closer to Richard Jennifer, nursing him alive when he was at his worst, and giving him all the womanly care and sympathy a sick man longs for. And later, when he was fit to ride again, she had him always at her side in the onward faring. As I have said before, this was all as T would have it. Yet it made me sick In my soul's soul; and at times I must needs fall behind to rave it out iIn solitude, cursing the day when I was born, and that other more unfortunate day when I had reared the barrier impassable be- tween these two. What wonder, then, that, as we neared the fighting field of the great war, I grew more set upon seizing the first chance that might offer an honorable escape from all these heartbirnings? ‘'Twas a weakness, if you ‘choose; I set down here naught but the simple fact, which had by now gone as far beyond ex- cusings as the underlying cause of it was beyond fergiveness. ‘Twas on the final day, the day when we were riding tantivy to reach Queens- borough by evening, that my deliverance came. 1 say deliverance because at the moment it had the look of a short shrift and a ready halter. We had crossed our own Catawba and were putting our horses at the steep bank on the outcoming side, when my ped. Dismounting to tighten {\r(h, Y ?.lled to the others to press should overtake them The promise was never kept. I scarce had my head under the idle flap be- fore a couple of stout knaves in home- spun, appearing from I know not where, N\ N 4 \ had me fast gripped by the arms, whilst a third made sure of the horre. “A dispatch rider,” said the visger of the two who pinioned me. “Seaich him, Martin, lad, whilst I hold him; then we'll pay him out for Tarleton's hanging of poor_Sandy McGuire.” I held my peace and let them search, taking the threat for a bit of soldler bullyragging meant to keep me quiet. But when they had turned the pockets of my borrowed coat inside cut and ripped the lining and made it other- wise as much the worse for their mis- handling as it was for wear, the third man fetched a rope. “Did you mean that, friend?—about the hanging?’ I asked, wondering if this should be my loophole of escape from the life grown hateful. “Sure enough,” said the big man, coolly. “You'd best ‘be saying your pray- ers.” . I laughed. “Were you wearing my coat and I yours, you might hang me and welcome; in truth, you may ai it is. Which tree will you have me at?’ The man stared at me as at one de- Then he burst out in a guffaw. if you bean't a cool plucked ve a mind to take you to the colonel.’ “Don’t do it, my friend. Though I am something loth to be snuffed out by the men of my own side. we need not haggle over the niceties. Point out you tree.” “No, by ,God! you're too willing. What's at the back of all this?" Nothing save a decent reluctance to spoil your sport. Have at it, man, and let's be done with it.” “Not if you beg me on your knees. You'll o to the colonel. I aay. and he may hang you if he sees fit. You must be a most damnable villain to want to die by the first rope {ou lay eyes on.” “That is as may be. Who Is your colonel 7" “Nay, rather, who are you?" I gave my name and circumstanc? und was loosed of the hand-grip, thoush ‘he third man dropped the cord and siepped back to hold me covered with his rifle. “An Treton, you say? Not little Jock, surely!” “No, big Jock; big enough to lay you on your back, though you have a hand as thick as a ham.” He ignored the ghallenge apd stuck to his text. “I nevey thought to see the son of old Mad-bull Rodger wearing » red coat,” he said. “That is nothing. Many as good a Whig as I am has been forced to wear a red coat ere this, or go barebacked. But why don’t you knot the halter? In common justice you should either hang me or feed me. 'Tis hard upon noot, and I breakfasted early.” “Fall in!"” sald the big man; and so I was marched quickly aside from the road and into the denser thicketing of the wood. -Here my captors blindfolded me, and after spinning me around to make me lose the compass points, hur- ried me away to thelr encampment, which was inland from the stream, though not far, for I could still hear the distance-minished splashing of the water. When the kerchief was pulled from my eves I was standing in the midst of a mounted riflemen’s halt-camp, face to face with & young officer wearing the uniform of the colonelcy in the MNorth Carolina home troops. He was a hand- some young fellow, with curling hair and trim side whiskers to frame a face fine- lined and eager—the face of a gentleman well born and well bred. “Captain Ireton?’ he sald: by which I guessed that one of my captors hgd run on ahead to make report. A “The same,” I replied. “And you are the son of Mr. Justice Roger Ireton of Appleby Hundred?” “I have that honor.” He gave me his hand most cordlally. “You are very welcome, captain; Davie is mvy name. I trust we may come to know each other better. You are in dis- guise, as I take it; do you bring news of the army?” “On the contrary, T am thirsting for news,” I rejoined. “I and three others have but now returned from pursuing a British and Indian powder convoy lnlvo the mountains to the westward. We have been out five weeks and more. He looked at me curlously. “You and three others?”’ he queried. ‘‘Come apart and tell me about it whilst Poshpey is brofling the venison. I scent ¢ whole Iliad in that word of yours, captain Ire- ton.” ¢ “One thing first, if you please, Colonel Davie,” 1 begged. “My compaxions are faring forward on the road to Queens- borough. know naught of my de- tention. Will you send a man to over- take them with a note from me?” The colonel indulged me in the most gentlemanly manner and when.my note to Jennifer was dispatched we sat to- gether at the roots of a great oak and T told him all that had befallen our lit- tle rescue party. He heard me through patiently, and when the tale was ended was good enough to say that T had earn: ed a com sion for my part in the af- fair. < “QOur spies are thick in Cornwallis’ camp.” he sald, “but what is needed is some master spirit who can plot as well as spy for us. Major Ferguson moves as Cornwallis pulls the strings. Could we know the major's instructions and de- gigns we might cut him off, bring the Tory uprising to the groand and so hearten the country beyond measure. I say we might cut him off, though T know not where the men would come from to do it.” “Well?” said T when he paused. “The preliminary is some better infor- mation than our spies can give us. Now you have been an officer in the British service, and—" I smiled. “Truly; and I have the honor, iIf you please to call it so, of his lordship’s acquaintance. Also I have that of Colonel Tarleton and the mem- bers of his staff, the same having tried and condemned me as a spy at Appleby Hundred some few weeks before this chase T have told you of.” His face fell. “Then, of course, it is out of the question r you to show yourself in Cornwallls’ headquarters.” I rose and buttoned my borrowed coat. “On the contrary, Colonel Davie, I am more than ever at your service. Let me have a cut of your venison and a feed for my horse and I shall be at my lord’s headquarters as soon as the nag can carry me there.” CHAPTER XXXIL This adventure In the very lion's mouth, undertaken in sheer recklessness of love's despair, was destined to be passing strange indeed. Fortified with a letter from Colonel Davie to a «friend in Charlotte, who unhapplly was all overcrowded and had passed me on to a friend of his in turn, I now stood on the doorstone of a familiar mansion but one remove from the corner of the Court- house green. I thought my Huzzar dis- guise complete, but since the street was busily astir with redcoat officers and men coming and going, and any squad of these might be the questioners to doubt my threadbare courier tale, I lost no time in running up the steps and otam- mering a 1 with the huvfi knocker. Through the sidelights I could see that the wide entrance 1 was for the mo- ment unoccupied, but at the knocker lift- ing I had a fiitting (ng:e of one —a little man all in sober black—com- ing down the stair. There was no im- medjate answer to my peal, but when I would have knocked agaln the door was swung back and I stepped quickly within to find myself face to face with—Mar- gery. 1 know not which of the two of us ‘was _the more dumfounded, but this I do know that I was still speechless and :filr v‘;mestl 'hes she swept me a low- pped curtsy and gave me my greeting. g bid you good evening, Captain Ire- THE FUNDAY CALL. ton,” she said coldly and then with still more of the frost of unwelcome in her voice: “To what may we be indebted for this honor?” Now, chilling as f{hese words were, they thrilled me to ‘my finger-tips, for they were the first sha had spoken to me since the night of my offending in the black gorge of the fa*-off western moun- tains. None the less they were blankly unanswerable, and had_ the door been open I should doubtless have vanished T had come. Of all the houses in the town this was surely the last I should have run to for refuge had I known the name of its master, and it was some up- flashing of this thought that helped me find my tongue. . “I never guessed thls was your fath- er's house,” I stammered, bowing low to match her curtsy, “I beg you will par- don me and let me go as I came.” She laid a hand on the door-knob. “Is —is there any one here whom you would see?’ she asked; and now her eyes did not meet mine, and I would think the chill had melted a lttle. “No. I was begging a night's lodging of a friend whose house is full. He sent me here with a note to—ah—to your father, as I suppose, though in his haste he did not mention the name.” She held out her hand. “Give me the v,” said I; “tlat would be but thankless work. owing me, your father must needs conceive it his duty to denounce me. “Give it me!" she Insisted; this with an impatient little stamp of the foot and an upglance of the compelling eyes that wolild have constrained me to do a far foolisher thing had xhe asked it. S0 1 gave her the letter and stood aside, hat in hand, -while she read it. There were candles i1 their sconces over the mantel and she nioved nearer to htve the better light. Then suddenly the beautiful eyes were alight and warm and pleading eloquent. “Oh, why did you come? Are you— are you what they said you were?" “A spy? If I am t’ou would scarce ct me to confess it even to you.” 'Tis dishonorab'e—most dishonor- able!” she cried. “I could respect a brave soldier enemy; but a spy—" There was a clattering of hoofs in the street and a jingle of sword-scabbards in the doorstone. I wheeled to face the newcomers, determiried now to front it boldly as a delrenta man at bay. But before the fumbling hands without could find the door-knob Margery was beside me, all aflutter in a trembling fit of ex- citement. “Up the stair quickly, pour 1'amour de Dieu! The town is agog with news of your coming,” she whispered, and we were at the clock landing when the great door opened and some half dozen king's officers ¢ame in. On the moment I be- held the skulking black figure of the lit- tle pettifogging lawyer and made after him, but ne vanished in the darkness, Jeaving me face {o fact at an open door that held my Lord Cornwallis himself. He knew me at a glance. “Ah. Captain Ireton, 'tis you, is it? We are well met at last. They told me you were gone to Join the rebels, did they not”” Here was an opening for a bold mfll} and I took it. A lle is a lie be it spoke: in never so good a cause, and with my Lady Madge hating me for it I teok it and, wonder of wonders, concluded my story to the tune of an appointment to no less than my lord’'s personal staff. An hour later when I again sougint Margery where I was now quartered as an honored Austrian officer and where I had thought to find but an insecure hid- ing place, she left me in a fury. and I in hot resentment of her behavior must dash forth in reckless disregard of the danger that still lurked about me. I would take a soldier's chance to acquit myself or forfeit all else I held dear In the market place I heard news of a star chamber meeting of my Lord Corn- wallis and his stafft. Here was my chance. if I could but strike one good blow for the cause. The old courthouse of our greater Mecklenburg was such as some of you may remember; a stout wooden building raised upon brick pillars to leave a story underneath. In the time of the British occupation this lower story served as a market house and tue public entrance to the courtroom above was reached by steps on the outside. In my boyhood days this outer stair was the only one; but now in wandering aimlessly through the market place beneath I found another flight in a corner; the “jury stair,” they called it, since it provided the means of egress from the jury box above. The sight of this inner stair set me plotting. Could I make use of it to come unseen into the council chamber of Lord Cornwallis and his officers? The market place was well thronged with venders and soldier buyers, the pa- triotic Mecklenburgers were not averse to the turning of an honest penny upon the needs of their oppressors, as it seemed. I watched my ohance, and when there were no prying eyes tq mark fit, made the dash up the steps. Happily for the success of the adven- ture there was an angle in the narrow stair to hide me while I lifted the trap door in the courtroom floor a scant half- inch and got my bearings. As I had hoped, the trap opened behind the jury box, and I was able to raise it cautiously and so to draw myself up into the room above, unseen and unheard. A peep around the corner of the hig jury stalls showed me my lord and his suite gathered about the lawyers' table in front of the bar. Of the staff I recog- nized only Stedman, the commissary gen- eral; Tarleton, looking somewhat the worse for his late iliness; Major Hanger, his second in command, and the young Irishman, Lord Rawdon. At the moment of my espial, Cornwal- lis was speaking and I drew back to lis- ten, well enough content to be in ear- shot. For if my good angel had timed my coming I could not have arrived at a more opportune moment. “What we have to consider now is how best to reach Ferguson with an express instantly,” his lordship was saying. ‘Chi: rising of the over-mountain men is likely to prove a serious matter—not only for the major, but for the king's cause in the two provinces. Lacking posi.ve orders to the contrary, Ferguson will fight—we all know that; and if he should be defeated ‘twill hopelessly undo his work among the border loyalists and set us back another twelvemonth.” “Then your lordship will order him to come in with what he has?” said a voice which I knew for Colonel Tarleton’s. “Instanter, had I a sure man to send.” “Pshaw! I can find you a hundred among ~ the late royalist recruits.” 'Twas young Lord Rawdon who 1d ‘Damn them!” sald his lordship short- 1 would sooner trust this new aid of mine. He comes straight from the ma- Jor and can find his way back again.” Tarleton laughed. “I fear we shall never agree upon him, my lord. I know not how he has made his peace with you, but I do assure you he is as great a ras- cal as ever went unhung. 'Tis true, as vou say, I did not go into the particu- lars; but were Captain Stuart or Sir Francis Falconnet here, either of them Houlfl convince your lordship in a twink- ng.” There was silence for a little space following the colonel’s denunciation of me, and then my lord broke it to =ay: “I may not be as credulous as you think, colonel. Rebel spy or true-blue loyalist, he is safe enopgh for the pres- ent. In the meantime {n this matter of reaching Ferguson we may make good use of him.” Tn what manner, your lordship?” asked one whose voice I did not recog- nize. “He has come stralght from Major Ferguson, as I say; and, loyalist or rebel, he can find his way back to Gilbert Town.” ’ “But you'll never be trusting him with dispatches!” sald Lord Rawdon. “There's no need to trust him. He can be given the dispatches with some hint of their purport, and of how much the king’s cause will profit by their safe de- liver. Again a silence fell upon the group around the lawyers’ table, and then some one—'twas Major Hanger, as I thought— sald: ‘“’Tis an unread riddle for me as vet, my lord.” Cornwallis laughed. *“Where are your wits this morning, gentlemen? If he be loyal, and true, the dispatches will go safe enough. If, on the other hand, he be a rebel and a spy, he will doubtless tamper with them; but in that case he will none the less ride straight enough to Major Ferguson's' headquarters in the west. your lordship is still too deep said Tarleton's second in com- mand. “If he be a rebel and a spy, why, in God's name, should he carry your lordship's letters to any but some rag- tag colonel of his own kidney?” My lord laughed again. “Truly, major, you should go to a dame's school and learn diplomacy. If we tell him before- hand what our object is, how could any rebel of them all defeat it more surely than by going to Fergusom with a gar- bled message that would make him stand and fight a losing battle?” “But, my lord—the risk! cut in the commissary general. “There need be none. An hour after he sets out we shall send a mounted detail after him with an Indian tracker to nose out his trafl. The lieutenant in command will carry duplicate dispatches. At the worst, Ireton will guide these followers to Ferguson’'s rendezvous; and. so far as we know, he is the only man who knows exactly where to find the major.” T had heard enough. Under cover of the chorus of bravos raised by Lord Cornwallis’ explication of a plot within a plot, I lifted the trap door and made my exit as noiselessly as I had come. Guessing that no time would be lost in putting the plan into action, I made haste to be found inquiring hither and yon for the commander in chief when my lord and his suite came down the outer stair; and when we were nfet 1 was quickly told of my assignment to courier duty. . “Make your preparations to take the road within the hour, and report to me at Friend Stair said my lord, most affa- bly. “We shi put your new-found loy- alty to the test, Captain| Ireton, by in- trusting you with a most important mis- sion. Go with the commissary general and he will ind you your mount and equipment.” Thus dismissed, I went with Stedman, and was accorded a more gentlemanly welcome than my overhearings had given me leave to expect. On the way to the horse paddock the commissary general told me of a plan of his to write a history of the campaign; a bit of confidence which set me laughing inwardly and wondering if he would put one John Ireton, sometime of the Scots Blues and late captain in her Apostolic Majesty's Hussars, between the covers of his book. 'Tis small wonder that he did not. 1 haye sfnce had the pleasure of reading his histoPy of the great war, and I find it curiously lacking In those incl- dents which did not redound to the honor and glory of the king's cause and army in the fleld. Not to digress, however, my makeshift mount was soon exchanged for a better; I was allowed to draw what I would of accouterments and provender from the king’s stores: and so, to cut it short, I was presently at the door of my lord’'s headquarters fully equipped and ready for the road. I did hope in those last few moments for me, that T might have a chance to exchange a word with my dear lady; might ask her forgiveness, or, failing so much grace of her, might at least have an- other sight of her sweet face. But even this poor boon was denied me. I was scarce out of the saddle when an aide came to conduct me to the gen- eral, and I saw no one in the house save my lord himself. As you would guess, my instructions conformed exactly to the plan outlined by Lord Cornwallis in the council. I was intrusted with a sealed packet for deliv- ery to Major Ferguson, and, for safety’s sake, as my lord explained, I was given the meat of the message to deliver ver- bally should the need arise. Ferguson was to be ordered to come in instantly by forced marches, If necessary, and he was on no account to risk a battle with the over-mountain men. You may be sure, my dedrs, that I scarce drew breath till I was ahorse and out of the to#n and galloping hard on the road to that ford of Master Mac- gowan's which afterward became famous in our history under the misspelling “Cowan’s Ford.” 'Twas too good to be true that I should be thrust thus into the very gaping mouth'of opportunity, angd now and again T would feel the packet buttoned tight beneath my hussar Jacket to make sure ‘twas not a dream to vanish at a touch. In the mad joy of it the spirit of prophecy came upon me, and I saw as if the thing were done, how at last I held the fate of the patriot cause in all our west country in the hollow of my hand. CHAPTER XXXVII OF WHAT BEFELL AT KING'S CREEK. Skipping lightly over the happenings of the two days following my departure from Charlotte on the king's errand, I may say that after passing the British outposts at the crossing of the Catawba, I met neither friend nor foe and from noon on I rode to the westward through a pitiless, drizzling rain, splashed to the belt with the mire of the road, and hav- ing little chance to inquire my way. This last lack grew with the ing hours to the size of a threatening h: rd. As you may have guessed, I knew no more than a blind man the route I should take; knew no more of the where- abouts of Gilbert Town and Major Fer- guson’s rendezvous than that both were some eighty miles to the westward. At the outset I had thought to feel out the way in general by cautious inquiry along the road; but when I came to con- sider of this, the risk of betraying my ignorance to those who followed me was too great to let me turn aside to any of the wayside houses; and as for chance passers-by, there were none—the rain kept all within doors. 8o I was constrained to gallop on without pause; and throughout that com- fortless afternoon and the scarce less miserable day which followed there were no incidents' to break the dull monotony of the blind race save these two; that once the clouds lifted enough to give me a glimpse of my pursuers in a far reach to the eastward; and once again I had a sight of an awkward horseman in the road before me—saw him and tried to overtake him, and could not, for all his clumsy riding. Now I was curious about this lone horseman ahead for more reasons than one, but chiefly because my glimpse of him seemed to show me the back of a man whom I made sure I had left safe behind in the British guardhouse in Charlotte, to wit, the scoundrelly little pettifogger. At first I scoffed the idea. Saying he were free to leave Charlotte, how should he be riding post on my haphazard road to the westward? 'Twas against all rea- son. and yet the tittuping figure of which I had but a rain-veiled glimpse named itself Owen Pengarvin in spite of all the reasons I could bring to bear. 'Twas close on eventide of the second day, the early evening gloaming of a chill autumnal rain-day, and 1 had been ___—_—____W'—‘ since morning dubiously lost in the som- ber trackless forest, when an elfish cry rose, as it would seem, from beneath the very hoofs of my horse. “God save the king! The bay shied suddenly, standing with nostrils a-quiver; and I had to look closely to make out the little brown dot of humanity, clad In russet homespun, crouching in the path, its childish eyes wide with fear and its lips parted to shrill again: “God save the king!" I threw a stiff leg over the cantle and swung down to go on one knee to my stout challenger. 1 can never make you understand. my dears, how the s'ght of this helpless waif appearing thuc unac- countably in the heart of the great for- est mellowed and softened me. was a little maid, not above three or four years old/and with a face that Master Ra- phael might have taken as a pattern for one of his seraphs. “What know you of the king, one?” 1 asked. - “Gran'dad told me.” she lisped. “If I was to see a soldier-man I must say, quick, ‘God save the king,’ or 'haps he'd eat me. Is—is you hungry, Mister Sol- dier-man?" “Truly I am that, sweetheart; but I don’t eat little malds. Where is your grandfather?” “Ain’t got any gran'favver; I ‘gran’dad’ “Well, your gran'dad, then; take me to him?" “I don’t know. No fear of that, my dear. as If I ate people?” She gave me a long scrutiny out of the innocent eyes and then put up two little brown hands to be taken. “I tired,” she said; and my sore heart went warm within me when I took her in my arms and cuddled her. After a long-drawn sigh of contentment, she said: “My name Polly; what's yours?” “You may call me Jack, if you please— Captain Jack, if that comes the easfer. And now will you let me take you to your gran'dad?" She nodded, and I spoke to the bay and mounted, still holding her closely in my arma. “Tell me quickly which way to go, Polly,” I sald; for besides being, as I would fear, far out of the way to Gilbert Town, the last hilltop to the rear had given me another sight of my shadowing pursuers riding hard as if they meant to overtake me. The little maid sat up straight on the saddle horn and looked about her as if to get her bearings. “That way,” she said, pointing short to the right; and I wheeled the horse into a blind path that wound in and out among the trees for a long half mile, to end at a little clearing on the banks of a small stream. In the midst of the clearing was a rude log cabin; and In the open Coorway stood a man bent and aged, a patriarchal figure with white hair falling to his shoulders and a snowy beard such as Aaron might have worn. At sight of me the old watcher disappeared within the house, but a moment later he was out again, fingering the lock of an anclent Queen’s-arm. I drew rein quickly, and the little mald sat up and saw the musket. “Don’t shoot, gran'dad! she cried. “He's Captain Jack, and he doesn’'t eat folkses."” At this the old man came to rieet us, though still with the clumsy musket held at the ready. “These be parlous times, sir,” he sald, half in apology, I thought. 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