Morris tribune., 1880-07-15

0NAov ONO4 uAAO HuANO4Ah& 44AD oAxNA 4tA4
down the fair cheeks in torrents. She
pressed her hand to her heart as she
fancied that CLEAN of redder light shot
athwart the northern sky, and she
thought of terrible bonfire that would
rage and glow above the northern hori-,
zon if she failed to bring timely warn
ing of the danger. How her heart
throbbed with thankfulness as she gal
loped through an avenue of giant oaks
at a crossroads where she remembered
with her father one day! He
had told her it was half way from Glen
vile to Warrington. He had watered
their horses there and she remembered
every word of pleasant badinage he had
addressed to her as they rode home.
Had one ever before so dear, so tender
q parent? The tears came again, but
she drove them back with half-invol-
untary laugh. "Not now, not now"
she said. "No, nor at all. They shall
not come at all for I will save him.
Oh, God, help me! I am but weak
girl. Why did the letter come SO late?
But IaUiU save him Help me, Heaven!
Guide and helpl"
She glanced at her watch as she
passed from under the shade of the
oaks, and, as she held the dial up to the
moonlight, gave q scream of Joy. 1t
was just past the stroke of 8, She had
still an hour, and half the distance had
been accomplished in half that time.
Still on and ON the brave..horse bore
her with untiring limb. Half the re.
manning distance is now consumed, and
she comes to place where the roads
fork, not once, but into four branches.
It is in the midst of level old field,
covered with thick growth of scrubby
pines. Through the masses of thick
green are white lanes which stretch
away in every direction, with no visible
difference save in the density or fire.
quency of the shadows which fall across
them. She tries to think which of the
many intersecting paths leads to her
destination. She tries this and then
that for few steps, consults the stars
to determine in what direction Glen
vile lies, and has almost decided on the
first to the right, when she hears a
sound which turns the blood to ice in
her veins.
A shrill whistle sounds to the left
once, twice, thrice-and then it Is an.
swered from the road right in front
There are two others. Oh, God if she
but knew which road to take She
knew we'll enough the meaning of those
signals. She had heard them before
The masked cavaliers are closing in upoI
her and, as if frozen to stone, she sits
ON her horse in the clear moonlight, anc
cannot choose.
She is not thinking of herself. It j!
not for herself that she fears but there
has come over her a horrible numbins
sensation that she is lost, for she does
not know which road leads to those sht
seeks to save and ct the same time
there comes the certain conviction tina
to err would be fatal. There are but TIVE
roads now to choose between, since sh,
has heard the fateful signals from tn,
left and front but how much depend
upon that choice cit must be this,
she says to herself and, as she says it
the sickening conviction comes "No
no; it's the other !" She hears hoof
strikes up the road in front, on that t.
her left, and now, too, on that whicl
turns sheer to the right. From one t,
the other the whistle sounds-sharp
short signals. Her heart sinks within
her. She has halted at the very rendez
vous of the enemy. They are all aroun'
her. To attempt to ride down eithe
road is to invite destruction.
She awoke from her stupor when tn
first horseman came in sight, an
thanked God for her dark horse AM
colorless habit. She urged Young Lol
lard among the dense scrub pines whicl
| grew between the two roads from whicl
! she knew she must choose, turned hi
head backward toward the place of in
tersection, drew her revolver, leane
over upon his neck, and peered throug
the overhanging branches. She pate
her horses head and whispered to hi1
softly to keep him still.
Hardly had she placed herself in hid
ing before the open space around th
intersecting roads was alive with dis
| guised horsemen. She could cate
glimpses of their figures as she gaze
| through the clustering pines. Thre
men came into the road that ran alon
to the right of where she stood. The
were hardly five steps from where sh
lay, painting but determined, on til
faithful horse which moved not muscle
Once he had neighed before they cam
SO near; but there we're so man
horses neighing and shutting that n
one noticed it. She remembered littl
flask that Maggie had put into her pocl
81. It was whisky. She put up her n
volver, drew out the flask, opened i
poured some in her hand, and, leanin
forward, rubbed it on the horses nose
He did not offer to neigh again.
Considerable confusion arose canon
the gathering riders. who, mad some di
terence of opinion) AMI LILY, with be
revolver ready cooked IN her HAND
turned, and cautiously made her way
the road which had been indicated b
their talk as the one that led to Gle1
vile. Just as her horse stepped into til
path, an overhanging limb caught hs
hat, and pulled it off, together with til
hood OF her waterproof, so that her ha
fell down again on her shoulders. Sh
hardly noticed the fact in her excit,
ment, and if she had could not hay
stopped to repair the accident. 81
kept her horse on the shady side, wall
ing upon the grass as much as possib
to prevent attracting attention, watcl
ing on all sides for any scattered men
bers of the Khan. She had proceede
thus about $50 yards, when she came |
a turn In the road, and saw sitting b.
fore her in the moonlight one of Il
disguised horsemen, evidently sentr,
who had been stationed there to 81
that no one came upon the camp une
pectediy. He was facing the other wa.
but Just at that moment turned, AM
seeing her indistinctly in the shade,
cried out at once: