The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-10-31
CHAPTER VI.
AT BAY.

During the Journey home wards Flora re-
manned silent. 1t was in vain that her
father tried to draw her into conversat. on.
She remained Oh lurate, cold and hard as
the granite OF her native city.
When they changed horses MacAllister got
out and left her to hers IF and sorrow,
while he mounted and rode the rest of the
Journey with Deempster, who by this time
was savagely drunk. Decidedly, Danl was
not pleasant company Black care sat he
hind him, and fair head dabbled in blood.
when it was not before him, was beside aim
ALWAYS. So the two men rode on in silence
till they reached Aberdeen.
Flora found JEANNE MACPHERSON lowering
'twixt life an DEATH The name of the per-
petrator of The outrage was darkly limited
among the servants, but no one dared to
speak out. OF course Flora had her owl
suspicions.
1T is an i'll wind that blows nobody
GOOD and it was we'll for the girl that hel
Young mistress had returned, or MacAlliSter
would have found that his brutality had be
trayed him to murder. Poor Jeannie's suf
ferings somewhat diverted Floras mind
from her own trouble. Her first duty now
was to her faithful handmai1en, whom she
nursad with assiduous tenderness.
Next morning at daybreak, when the fish
e,mau went out to cast their nets, they
found Curly lying, bathed in blood where
he had fallen the night before. Save for
some faint pulsation of the heart. he was to
all appearance quite dead. MacDiarmid
and three or four of the men carried MIN to
Sandy's cottage, where the COOL wife APP
ulIel lamentations and for hours AMI hours
chafed the frlgd limbs till they slowly re-
vlyed TO life, but consciousness and speech
had wholly left him. At last they succeeded
in forcing a spoonful or two of whisky and
milk down his throat, and thus they kepu
bod. AMI soul together for some days,
AT len tn David Donaldson had go5 the
letter If his fall, and was for returning to
the forry. He had kind heart had houest
Dnyie and when he saw poor Curly III tins
wolul plight he forgave him hS own
crac,l on the head, which was stinger, an /
remembered only that Curly hal given him
nine golden sovereigns. Thea ne volun,
teared TO go to Dundee AM spring a
guinea for surgeon.
Mkt day he returned with DR.. Dixon, the
famous theatrical physician, who racog-
uizei Curly instantly, despite his battered
condition.
Cool Golr exclaimed the doctor, 'this
| is an awful business. Concu sion OF the
brain-compound FRACTURED Who did it
It's murder or manslaughter, at the least
No accident hore, but foul blow. Who did
| itl Dye hearH
MacD,arm,d replied:
"Dfil . me kens, or any o thae chap
| pointing to the group of fishermen. 1--WE
found the puir laddie lying at the foot o
| the great mucAle hill, yestre'en was week
past" :,
hat was all the information Dixon could
| obtain. Doubtless MacDiarmid and Davie
had their suspicious as to how the outrage
had occurred, but they kept their own coun
| sci for the pres Mt
Dixon wasted no time in words He de-
cided that his patient must be taken t.
| Dundee at once. Without delay the poo
| follow was carried down to the coach, anc
| MacDlarmid and Elspeth accom- panied Davit
and the doctor, the cool wife tenierly
nursing Curly's head upon her lap all tn.
WAY. and never quitting HIM till he wa:
safely ensconced III the intirmary. The
moor soul had son of his age fighting the
aueen's battles lar away in lnda-so she
! kissel his fevered brow and muttered:
"Puir BARN! It's my heart that's sar fol
We. Puir laddie! pulr laddie! It's wac fol-
! the mither that bare yc.
When MacDiarmid led her from the room
she Kissed in his ear. SANDY, twas yor
muckle lang Icon with the corbie's beal
and the evil cen that did it. But he'll never
nrospsr with the lassie, nor with aught else.
Curlv's case was one that almost battle
the faculty, but DIR. Dixon was not to b'
beaten; he had made up his mind to saw
his patient, and save him he did at last
Perchance it had bean better for the poo
fellow had he died then and thera Th
good Samaritans at the intirmary nurset
him by day, watched over him by nigh
with unceasing tenderness and care, antici
mating his every wish. his every look.
When at length, after months OF darkness
and delirium, the light Of reason began Z
! dawn there was general rejoicing through