The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1874-06-11

per Of the hedge, and Doncap's eyes
upon him, Helen saw tho thick black
brows drawn passionately together; tho
big veins start like knotted oords, and
tho strong teeth set hard in thu neither
lip. She saw this, and even: then her
heart sank with an unde6ued fear ; but
it was not until some days Afterwards,
when the braes were ringing With tho
mysterious disappearance of Niel Les.
ley, that the full Significance of that
look was revealed to her.
ie4 II.
Many and various we're the reports
circulated, until by tho expiration Of
four days they all settled down j Into ons
strong judgment : agaiust Nisl,La
judgment which Helen's outburst Of
griet and pale, stricken face dnwittins e
ly strengthened !; and it was firmly be-
liaued that Mel having won ber: love,
had grown tired of her, and, to rid him:
self of her snd'his debt Of gt.tituds ! to
her father at once, had made l moon.
light fitting. Duncan openly took lit.
tie part in all that was ssid,,5'so much
SO much so, that those busy people Who
are always, IN all ranks, lookin g sttsr
their neighbots' Affairs, began 70 hold
him up as an example If unssl6sh' gsn-
erosity. There was one. however, to
whom his silence had 1 different siR,nni.
fio.'ion, and that va. Helen; Who, from
the day the alarm ~ givaa, had re-
membered that afternoon when she
saw, as plainly as il: written In blaok
and white, the hatred unto death
stamped in Dunoan's face. She alone,
Watching u none other could, heard the
impatient manner Of speech, and; sax
the strange look that had come upon the
mans face; aud . horrible suspicion
aud dread filed her mind, harder to
bear than oil the cruel things raised
against Niel's character. There was
one small ray Of comfort lsft,-a colley
dog she had given Mel had disappear
ed the same day he was missed. He
must be alive if Moss was with him :;
if he had run away, a. the people said,
he would scarcely take such continu-
al sting to his conscience, as the faith
full dog must be. So, in spite Of tho
deadly fears that would At times over.
~helm her, Helen held tast by hope,
hiding her anxiety as best she could BY
getting away anon gst tho hills, and
wandering about where she would
meet no one to pity or eondols with
her.
The fifth day had come; it va !
busy time, toe, for they wore gathering
the aocks of the hills previous b tht
shooting season, and 20 il came about
that Helen fell in with . flock in .
lonely pass on the road to Ben -Ledi,
and, eager to escape the shepherds, she
scrambled up the banks and hid her,
self among the whios.
Down the pass came the sheep, ill.
ing the air with their voices. stopping
now aud then to snatch msuthful Of
heather. Presently, g]ancing away to
the hillside, Helen caught sight Of q
dog bounding down over scaur and
bush ; but not until it was nearer, and
diverted by the sounds in the glen, had
turned aside and taken it's stand upon
. rock along the foot of which the
sheep were passing, did she recognize
her old celley, the very Moss she had
given Mel. Helen's heart leapt to her
mouth as she leant forward to watch
tho dog, who, falling into his old trade,
stood yslping and bowling over the
flock, waking every echo in the pass,
and rousine q perfect storm of bleating;.
Helen tried to whistle, but her lips
were: sinking and dry. Then she
called him by name. Tho dog came
rubbing up to her, and was soon whin.'
ing at her side, licking her hands lnd
face. As soon a. she could ses. any
thing clearly through the tsars that
were binding her, she saw th,t = blue
ribbon vas tied round Moss's neck.
nearly hidden amongst tho thick wool.
Helen recognized the ribbon j; il had
once been hers s. and she knew no
hand but Nieps could, ha1s ,j.tisd it
there, and But suddenly abe oesssd
thinking. She had unfastened the
string, and to1nd little bit of white
calico, and read on it, written in blood,
the words, "Help ! Reieers Crag."
Helen cannot tell to this day how
she got home but in little more than
half an hour tho claohan was deserted,
and men and women were all on thei1
way to the Reiver's Cr.g, = barren rock
among the mountains, from which 1t
was said Cumberland reiver had been
flung in the old days. The miles of
moss and nuirlsnd were soon crossed,
and by evening Mel Lesley was res
oued from living death, aod safe, but
not sound, At Tam M'Gregor's, Sound,
poor lad |! they whispered, be never
would be again.
"He had clipped over the Orag, and
in going down had caught at 4 whin.
bush, which checked the impetus Of
his descent, and instead Of going to
the cleft, he had fallen on ledge.
Here Moss had followed, bat il was The
fourth day before hs could got tho faith
full dog to leave him, and bear home