The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1882-12-09

up the dwellers in Kelly Gulch. The
faces of all three were stern ard forbid
ding, and they evidently bad been riding
hard. They dismoupted together.
"Sac," began her father as he entered
the door, "bev ye seen anything of a
young chap, afoot or a-horse back, coming
this way2"
Sacramento had expected the question
and was ready for IL; and she meant, il.
it were possible, to answer it without a
lie.
"a young chap about eighteen years Of
age and Ave feet and half high, rather
good-looking, and with red-top boots
on?" replied she.
Eyes! yes! That's him." cried one of
the other men, eagerly. "Have you
seen himp Has be been hert?"
II was only quoting from this hand
bill, said Sacramento, taking tho paper
from the shelf where she hud laid it.
"Then you hain't seen him at alp"
asked her father.
II Lave been right here all day, and
nobody has gone by, except Pete Larra-
bee. 1t was ne who gave me the bill.
Are you sure he came this way, the-the
-horse-thief?"
"No; but we don't know but he might
or. The chances is that he sloped off to
the mountains meanin' ter go through
Stovepipe Pass. They'll git him, though,
afore sundown."
Its sundown now," observed Sacrl-
mento,
"Then they've got him now," was the
sententious response. "And we should
be too late for the hangin' eff we sh'd 60
back. Leastways'-this was added to
his companions" you'd better come in
and have bite afore ye CO."
So presently tie three men sat down to
the supper that the young girl quickly
prepared for them. And while they were
eating she herself, at her fathers bidding,
went out to take the saddle off Bueno,
his horse, and give him his feed. As
she approached the door once more few
minutes later she heard words which
caused her to- osstop'an listen.
Il don't like ter say anything against
tibet kid o'yourn, neighbor," one of the
men was saying, "but it hes kinder SEEM
ed ter me all ther while's though she sort
er he'd som'at on her mind like. Ye
don't 'spose she knows anything bout
thet young feller ar.er all?"
Sacramento's father laughed at this as
though it was too absurd to be econsidered.
The other, however. was not 10 be
laughed out OF his suspicious.
Fur all we know" persisted he, "she
may hev him hid here somwhere on the
premmysis,
ITS easy enough to see," returned the
proprietor of the said 'premmysis, testi-
ly. Where dye think she's hid lin?
In her bed room?"
AS he said this Sacramento, who was
now near enough to see into the kitchen,
saw her father rise from his chair and
step to the door of tho room where she
had concealed tho fugitive. Her heart
almost stopped beating as she saw him
push open the door and enter the room,
followed by his companions.
"We'll make a clus search of it while
we're about it, +" she heard him say within.
And then she stood there in terrible
suspense upon the porch, expecting every
instant to hear the shout that would fol-
low the discovery of the fugitive.
But no such shout was heard; and IN
stead of it, moment after, the two men
came ouS again, her father still laughing
at his friend.
| What could il mean2 Had the young
man been able 20 conceal himself in .he
room and so evade their search2 That
WAS not possible. Then sho thought of
the window. Could he have escaped from
the room by that2 The window was so
small she could scarcely believe that be
could have crept through it. And yet he
must have done so.
She went hurriedly to the back of the
house and then down beyond the horse
sheds. No ole could be seen. She halt.
ed moment under live-oak tree just al
the edge of the garden. The evening
was very calm and still, and the twilight
shadows were deepening fast. Was it the
rustling of the wind in the boughs over
head that caught her eaI2 She listened
"Hist, am herein the tree.
The words came in distinct whisper
from dire city above her.
She stood and thought q single mo
meut before replying. Then hhe said
"You must get away from here at once,
in an eager whisper. 'One Of the mGr
, suspects something, and they may at an!
, moment make a search Of the place.
am going into the house in a minute
Get down at once and go through tn,
garden and across the trail to a sprini
/ that you will find there. It's at the foo
of big cottonwood tree, Stay righ
there until come.
Then she went back hurriedly to tn,
house. The three men were still sitting
, at the table, and Sacramento felt rathe
than saw that Que of them still regarded
) her suspiciously as she came in. 81,
| did not speak to them at all, but wen
4 directly through the kitchen to her owl
/ room, and in moment came out, wen
) about her work IN the kitchen. and tool
' up pail apparently to 90 TO the sprinl
for water.
e Ten minutes later, ,standingin the shad
D ow of the cottonwood, young Somer
heard step, aud then Sacramento, lead
y ing Bueno, all saddlsd and bridled, AZ
. peared. He started forward.