The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1885-06-11
IuuKs careIessiy up ana says suiKily:
Hf,opd duy purspu ~

/ kitchen. The matter was soon concisely
I stated, aud at the close. us the reverend
gentleman paused dOubtfully for the re-
Z ply. Tim brought his great clenched
| hand down with crash upon the table
and exclaimed vrhcmcntly:
! "Parsun. I've always rCkoncd you a
! squar man, but ! want you To under
/ stand that my gal don't marry no
/ preacher. You hear thatl It's every
word I've got 90 say, and if that be all
| yer want yc can 20.
/ Gordon rose to his feet nj the harsh
words, with "a flush Of anger reddening
each check. aud for "a moment the
/ men stood there in the little low kitchen,
1 looking with hot eyes into each others
faces. Then, with an effort. the feeling
/ was conquered 10y u strong will. and the
/ younger, without trusting himself to
speak "a word. turned To the opened
I door, and never glancing back went out
/ into the sunshine. As he stepped into
| the barren yard destitute Of care or
| flowers. he felt half In a dream and un-
/ conscious of surroundings, but in that
moment his dull eyes saw something
/ down the mountain that brought back
I all his faculties with a sudden shock. A
moment he looked downward earnestly,
and then sprang back into the room.
The revenue officers" he cried eX-
citcdly. "They will be- here inside Of
| five minutes You must net quickly"
For once In his wild life old Tim Chcs-
wick was completely taken of isglnrd,
Hnd Gordon was quick tO see his cundi-
/ ton of helplcssncss.
Get into the bushes" he said rapid
ly. Il will keep them back until you
spread the alarm.
do you mean II, panony' Tim ask
cd. scarcely credltlng his own ears.
Yes, every word. Come, move quick!
| II Is for her sake and not yours
IL understand that" Cicswick found
time to retort. and then STOPPING low
ran to the low bushes In whose close
thickcts he disappeared Gordon, with
Il little sigh of pain, walked apparently
unconcemed into the duoryard aud
waited for the switt-approacling end,
In his heart for AN instant there ragged
u fierce conflict butwern the demands
ui duty and love; but love proved the
stronger and conquered. There WAS
scarcelya sound as hr waited. yet the
man felt that Bellies eyes were upon
him from some creyicc in the old house,
and that ChcswiCk speeding away would
soon indeed call Bald Mountain again
Ia arms. Then came the swift advance
of the party below, first the sound of
horses hOOfs shifting the lliuty rock,
then u jingling of their accOutrements,
and close following the body of horse
men. riding cumpaCtly together, swept
around the edge of the high bank. and,
turning into the little clearing, advanc-
cd straight toward the house.
"llullo.' exclaimed the man riding
ahead suddenly, refining in his horse as
lac caught sight of Gordon. IL SAY,
stranger, where's old man Chcswicky'
II cannot tell exactly was the per-
fcctly cool reply, for the reverend I'M
dcrstood that the only thing he could
hope to do was in gaining time.
well, where do you suppose he isY'
Numbered the man.
probably somewhere upon n section
known in the aliases of this region as
Bald Mountain and the speaker look
ed the leader in the eye.
"See here, now" the latter said, "it
don't pay TO fool with us, you know.
We are officers of the law, and we want
Chcswick. DO you know where he isP"
NO, | do not" with emphasis.
when | saw him last he was going to-
ward town.
How long agoY" sweeping the val
ley with "A hasty glance. Come, speak
quick, my man.
Il have no watch Gordon said slow
~, but it was some time ago.
Perhaps that's so, and perhaps 1t
isn't, ~ the officer said with sneer. I'm
go through the old den anyhow for
luck, and he tossed his bridle-rein to
the man next TO him and swung down
from the saddle.
The thought Of Belle being question:
ed and possibly even roughly handled If
they once entered the house fired Cor
don s hot blood in an instant
mo, you will not" The words ex-
hiblted no trace of anger, but the tone
In which they were spoken meant bust
ness, and the minister's broad should
ers blocked the doorway.
"Wcll, who will prevent mcYr the
man questioned roughly.
If possible | will. You have no au-
thOrity whatever for entering this house.
You say you are officers of the law
that is all ! know about IL. tell YOU
now that there Is no one within save the
women, and ! have right 10 expect
that you will accept my word when |
state, as do now, that | am the minis
Ter regularly in charge Of the church at
Three Forks
The leader looked as he probably
felt, incredulOus, and there was mo-
ments painful pause. Then he laugh
ed sneeringly.
such chHit,' he said; two of YOU men
come here and hold this man. At the
command they advanced together, and
with the energy of despair Gordon
struck out rapidly right and left and
! his college training stood him in good
! stead, for one of the assailants went
/ down. but the others closed in iiercely:
| there was an instant's breathless strug-
! gle, then he was flung bleeding and UNI
conscious upon the ground and the men
| entered the door. Twenty minutes later
| they came out and. leaving him lying
! I. ere like dead man, rode hastily away
down the mountain.
Gordon never knew how long he rest
| ed uncared tor but when he did finally
come back again to life his head resting
upon Bells lap, her soft hands were
| bathing his brow and her eyes bent low
| ingly above him, Frightening as they
met his own.
The sun was going down behind the
mountan-top, and standing there be-
! fore him, In the fun. rich glow of its
setting, WIS Tim Cheswick looking on,
the light reddening his bronzcd cheeks
and playing IN the shadows of his gray
hair, He SAW the opened eyes Of the
injured man wander nquiringly from
the girls face to his own, and in an
awkward, uneasy fashion, peculiarly
his own, endravorcd to set AL fears at
rest.
YES. Parson. IFS all right he said
| hmriCdly.. The Officers thought they'd
done fer you this time sure, and lit out
right smart fer the valley; and-well, rs
the gal seems determined ter hay ye,
reckon as how III have ter let her go. ]"
And the old man. whose voice trem-
! bled strangely at these last words, as II