The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1884-02-28
minutes later she heard words which

minutes later she heard words which
caused her to stop and listen.
Il don't like ter say anything
against thet kid O. yOurn, neighbor,
one of the men was saying, shut i
hes kinder seemed ter me all the
while's though she sorter he'd some
} at on her mind like. You dom
'spose she knows anything bou-
} thet young felIer, arter all2''
Sacramento's father laughed a
this as though it was too absurd tC
be considered.
The other, however, was not to bt
laughed out of his suspicion.
EUR we all know" persisted he
"she may hev him hid here some
where on the premmysis."
"It's easy enough to see," return
ed the proprietor of the said prem.
mysis,' testify. oWhere dye think
she's hid him? In her bedroomf p
AS he said this Sacramento, who
was now near enough to see into the
kitchen, saw her father rise fiom
his chair and step to the door of
the room. where she had concealed
the 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 clus search of it
while we're about it" she heard him
say within. e IS
And then she stood there in ter
rible suspense upon the porch, ex-
pecting every instant to hear the
shout that would follow the discov-
cry of the fugitive.
But no such shout was heard land
instead of it, a moment after the
two men came out again, her father
still laughing at his friend.
What could it mean? Had the
young man been able to conceal
himself in the room and so evade
their search? That was not possible.
Then she thought of the window.
Could he have escaped from the
room by that? The window was so
small she could scarcely believe
that he could have crept through it.
Anu yOb AO muS0 nave uOu6 So
She went hurriedly to the back
of the house and then down beyond
the horse shed. Fo one could be
seen. She halted a moment under
a live-oak tree just at the edge of
the garden. The evening was very
calm and still, and the twilight
shadows were deepening last. Was
it the rustling Of the wind in the
boughs overhead that caught her
ear? She listened.
Hist! l am herein the tree"
The words came in a distinct
whisper from directly above her.
She stood and thought a single
moment before replying. Then she
said "You must get away from here
at once" in an eagsr whisper. 'sOne
of the men suspects something, and
they may at any moment make a
search of the place. / am going
into the house a minute. Get down
at once and go through the garden
and across the trail to spring that
you will find there. It's at the
foot of a big cottonwood tree. Stay
there until / come"
Then she went back hurriedly to
the house. The three men were
still sitting at the table, and Sacra-
mepto felt rather than saw that one
of them still regarded her suspi-
ciously as she came in. She did not
speak to them at all, but went di-
rectly through the kitchen to her
own room, and in a moment came
out, went about her work in the
kitchen, and took up her pail ap-
parentiy to go to the spring for
water.
Ten minutes later, standing in
the shadow of the cottonwood,
young Somers heard step,and then
Sacramento, leading Bueno all sad
died and bridled, appeared. He
started forward.
''Hushr' she said, ''they may
come out any moment. Listen to
what 1 say. Your life depends upon
it. You must ride straight down
the trail for a quarter of a mile.
Then, close by a big cotton wood,
just like this, you will strike path
to the left. Bueno will know it,once
you get him in it. 1t will bring
you out, half mile on, at cordu
roy road that crosses the swamp.
This end of the corduroy has got
out of order and there are some
logs laid. Lead Bueno across and
then pull the logs away. If you can
do that it will make trouble for
those who follow you. Beyond the
swamp is big plain. Strike
straight across it, keeping the moon
square on your right-the moon
will be up by that time-.and three
hours riding will bring you to the
new railroad. After that-God help
you to get safe awayp'
Sacramento paused and put out
her hand "Can you remember she
demanded.
Ell can, but 1 never forget"
"Never mind that. Here, take
this. 1t is some money. You will
need it. Now mount and ride
slowly a little way, and then for
your life
The young man still had hold of
her hand. The tears came into his
eyes. The next moment he was
gone.
The next morning Sacramen into
told her father the story and coax
ed him into 1orgiving her. And,
the following afternoon man
brought Bueno over from the rail
road town; and then she knew that
the fugitive was safe.
Six weeks later a lawyer from
Santa Barbara appeared with let
ter from Walter Somers. He was
with his. friends at New York, and
he begged Sacramento to accept, as
a gift of gratitude, at least the
amount OF the reward that had been
offered.
And so it was that she went down
to San Francisco to school that win
ter, after all.-Youth's Companion.