The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-11-29
groan. Shuddering, I sped on through

SIOau. ouuuuo[luS, i Sp0O Ou LuIOuRl
the garden, up toward the cider press
over the stone wall, down the hollow, ul
the hillside, over the fields. No step
followed F.; no voices shouted after me
I ran down to the second bars, and le
them down. It began to rain few grea
drops, then fast, then it poured. Iva
wet to the skin. ran on, for I heart
advancing wheels coming rapidly.
stood in the road and cried: Father
father !" The chaise stopped. Anothe
chaise behind stopped also. It was ou
next neighbor's, who lived quarter o
a mile further on.
Cam, my child. Good heavens
What is the matter What has hap
penedf"
I told the whole in few words, amid
eager ordinations of Joy at my safety
of surprise, even of anger, because
Thomas had left me alone.
"Don't blame him, father I insisted
on his going"
A hurried consultation took place
My father was very brave. Our neigh
Dor was very timid. He proposed going
on to his house and returning with
weapons. In the meantime I had got
into the chaise and crouched down al
my mothers feet, who was half crying,
and wholly thankful to feel me there.
We rode on, and came to our gate
under the willows. There were lights
in the house, but all was still. Nothing
moved. My father put the reins in my
mothers hands, and opened the other
gate that led up the lane.
"Will you go home with Nathans'
said he,
"And leave you here9 No."
"Take your wife home, Nathan, il
you will, and come back"
"We will stay by you"
"Let us reconnoiter, then, little. u
They got out, leaving us sitting still.
The rain fell less heavily. They got
something that would do for weapons
from the Toulouse. They went all
round the house-all was quiet. They
wsnt in. We sat still, speaking few
words, my hand clasped in my
mothers.
"Thomas is comings" I exclaimed,
eagerly. ct hear the wheels"
We called to him as he came to the
gate, for he could not see us. He drove
through and called out:
"What is the matter2"
We told him sufficiently, and he left
Betsey and Hannah, and went in al
once, with only the heavy whip. We
did not sit long. Nathan came out di'
rectly.
"What have you found? Who is
there2"
"Nothing. Nobody"
care they all gomez"
eyes, with some of the silver and 8
few things. We don't know what
yet."
The horses were put under the shed
and We all went in. Father said,
calmly:
"We will take lantern, Thomas, and
look round out of doors little"
knew they would go to the old well
I stood and looked out of the window
and saw the gleam of the lantern as il
moved. In very few minutes they
came back.
"One OF them is dead" said my
father, "and the other lies at tie bot,
tom and groans. The third has es
capped"
They laid boards across some barrels
in the shed, and brought up the dead
man and laid him on them. His com
rade, who fell in the we'll, bad shot him
in the head as he plunged through the
boards. His ugly face was still uglier
1t was the Raven. That night my
fathers prayers were very solemn, ano
his embrace was close as he gave me
my goodnight kiss.
The robber in the well was bruised
but not seriously hurt. The law tool
him to punishment. The third escaped
I was never left at homa again alone.