The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-10-31

A moaning cry from the sands below
broke on her spell.
With white face and dilating eyes
she started back, and at that moment
the thread was drawn from her hands,
although she had held it in convul-
sive grasp.
But she did not fly; perhaps some of
that dauntless tide that had warmed the
veins of the Macivors was hers. AT
any rate, after the first recoil she leaned
over the cliff once more, every sense on
the alert.
IF it be a spirit it Gamma harm me :"
she told herself, Z" but it didna sound
like that. 1t had human sound"
Up from the sands below it came
again-a moaning cry for aid.
Throwing herself fiat on the rocks,
the girl bent forward and looked down
Many feet below, on the wilderness of
the sand, she could see dark mass,
and once more. fainter this time, she
beard that call for aid.
SOMEBODY has fallen from the rocks
1t maun be poor blind Dan," she whis-
pered. "I'll e'en run down and see."
She sprang to her feet, 1.-THE as a
young deer; gathered the plaid around
her, and ran lightly along path peril
Gus to feet less sure than hers, which
ran along the edge of the cliff and led
directly to the white baroness below.
The fact that it was a November
night, and she had come out to try a
spell of which her aunt did not approve,
was forgotten as she sped down the
path, light and sure footed as a chamois
on its native hills.
At last she reached the base of the
cliffs, and then some of the dauntless
courage forsook her, and she shivered
in the night air.
For great black steed lay PROSTATE
before her, struggling and kicking out
the sand, but evidently unable to rise.
Near him, but beyond reach of the
frantic hoofs, as though, having drawn
himself so far from danger, life and
fear and all things else had fallen from
him, lay man, with white face up
turned to the smiling calm of the sky.
Janet subdued the shrinking that
came over her, hurried to the side of
the fallen figure, knelt, and scanned
the features closely.
1t is the laird's son, Douglas Cam
eron" she cried, with a start, " and
heaven befriend him-he is dead! "
AT her voice pair of heavy eyes
opened slowly and fixed themselves
upon her face. They were dim with
pain and faintness, but she could not
know that in the moonlight.
"Nay, lass?" he answered, laboredly
Il am crushed bit, and my leg is
broken, but it takes much to kill a
Cameron"
With the last word he tainted dead
away.
Janet was no dainty maiden, beauti
full and useless; she had been taught
early to forget self often and do for al
who were i'll or in need as much as il
her lay; so, never thinking of shrek
ing or fainting herself, she drew off hel
plaid, folded it, and placed it under hi
head. AS she did so she saw her bal
of yarn clutched tightly in one of hi
rigid hands, and her pretty face flushed
But she could do nothing for hin
there, so she flew up the steep path lik,
a swallow and on through the night t
the cottage of old blind Dan, who hat
two Draw lads"
1t was not long ere she was leading
the sturdy fellows to where she had lief
the laird's son.
They found him conscious and able
to tell them how, IN riding home, h,
had lost himself in dream, and no
needed that his horse was on the yer,
edge of the cliff until stumble of thu
animal had sent steed and rider owe
the rocks, down to the sands below.
"My Bonnie Raven will ma harm M
mair," he said in conclusion. He i
in pain. Can one of you shoot?"
"Nayn They told him.
Lift me a little, then. / canno
lift myself"
"They did so, and he drew re
volver from his bosom. Janet, with
shudder, turned away, as, with tn
weapon lifted and his face white a
death, he took aim at the restless hea'
of the injured steed. A report Wen