Adventure, February 20, 1922 — page 116: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

114 fe _ My forced position left me but poorly con- cealed from any keen eyes in the manor house, but it was the best shift I could make as a lieutenant of the light infantry now emerged from cover and stood a dozen feet from me. Behind him slouched the rustic with the ax. And he was trying to explain: ‘ “Why, sir, it was a fairish stretch. If it ha’ been a old bone I'd ha’ thought nothing. _ But a fresh, new ham bone——” ad an’ it well might be “You’ve said all that. How long ago? An hour? Two hours? What?” , Mayhap a hour, but I kept no reckonin’, two——” The officer was much irritated and cried: “Listen, dolt! Last night a fresh smoked ham was stolen from an out-house on the Altwood estate. Your dog is found gnaw- ing a ham bone. Did you steal that ham?” “‘_. strike me dead if I did! Why, good lack! There be hams for us all for the takin’ on our own farm,” protested the rustic. ‘The dog ran into the bushes after a squirrel, it bein’ his way. He didn’t foller me, an’ when I went back I found him at the bone. He was that mortal sorry to leave it I fetched it along with me, him _ bein’ too tiny to fetch it. Then I meet your nor——”’ “Enough of that. We are hunting for a rebel spy. Five hundred guineas goes to _ the man who catches him.” “——— help us! Five hundred! I'll split him to the chin for five guineas!”’ exclaimed the thoroughly excited farm-hand. “Nay! Nay! Five hundred if taken alive. Two hundred if dead. Go arouse your neighbors. If there are any dogs that __. can follow a scent get them. The man must be in this neighobrhood. Now step sharp.” The fellow ran like a deer toward = ‘manor house. | 4 THE lieutenant mumbled to him- S self, and I gathered that he was much exasperated. At last he turned back into the woods a short distance ‘and began blowing a whistle. This signal meant his red coats would be overrunning the countryside shortly, and I desperately looked about for an exit from the trap. I saw the rustic run into the big barn. He ‘was out again almost immediately with two men following at his heels, one carrying a scythe, the other a spade. They came toward my hiding place, ; Adventure anxious to rejoin the lieutenant. Hearing his whistle they dashed by me. Immedi- ately I scurried for the barn, remembering Buck’s advice to hide where the enemy would be least likely to look. I glanced back toward the wood. My flight had been | unobserved. I darted through the doorway and collided with old Socrates! He reeled back against a cart and I wheeled to flee. The front door now was impossible as the rustics and the officers were standing in full view of the buildings. I resolved to block Socrates from giving the alarm, but was too late. The four men were walking toward the barn and the butler had stepped into view of them even as I dodged back. “Into de harness-room,” he directed without turning his head. Being at his mercy, I did as bid, his voice quietly calling after me—‘‘Don’ shet de door.” I crawled behind some blankets piled high on a box and found time to wonder why I had deliberately walked into the trap. “Hi, you black man, what do you mean by dodging back and forth like that for?” called out the officer. “T seen somethin’ in de woods make de bushes teeter up’n down,” excitedly an- swered Socrates. ‘“‘Right back dere, near where yo’ come from. Mebbe cow, mebbe @ man.” The lieutenant approached no nearer, but exploded a few oaths and commanded: “Stop dodging in and out of that door, black man, or you'll get a bullet by mistake. You only think you see things.” Then to the rustics: ‘‘Right about face! Beat up that patch of woods! He’s there! Drive him out so I can get a crack at him!” The silence was at last broken by old Socrates’s throaty chuckle and his shuffling steps to the door of the harness-room. “Now yo’ can come out en git to.de house by de back way.” I crawled from behind the blankets and stood before him. He scrutinized me sharp- ly and his eyes began to roll. Lord sake!”’ he gasped. ‘‘Marse Ambrose Kerry lookin’ like er stable-boy!”’ “Show me a way out so I won’t be seen,’ . I demanded, reaching inside my coat for @ pistol. “Canaan’s blessed land!” he muttered. “En I s’posed yo’ was {jest some com- mon desartin’ pusson! Young Marse Am- brose——” “Fo’ de good — COME SS 100 * » —_— = — ey ee (ECO ~