The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-04-02

l AOOO. NOOOU AALA AAAS uAS SAASA
fascination, the singular personal magnet
ism which belongs to extraordinary quail
ity of mind and physique.
A light shone from the Rochon house
while Orion was gazing, a mere flicker
like the flame of a lamp. In an instant
he felt what it meant, for already a roll Of
black smoke was tumbling above n Of
the out-houses. The beautiful place wa
in the hands of its enemies. A glance
northward showed two or three of Gar
Gins smacks and his schooner rounding
Magnolia point. Truly the departure
from Rochon place had been none too
soon. A swivel was fred from the
schooner, probably as a signal, and at the
same time it was plain that pursuit was
intended.
The Lily, admirably handled by Bobo
and Lalie, was gaining steadily upon the
sloop. 1t soon would be within gun2shot.
Orion said nothing more to his men until
the time came for decisive action and
even then he knew not what was best.
He could not order them to fire upon the
little boat. How could he do that? How
could he say to one of those dark, brutal
sailors: "Shoot Lalie Garcin!'
A shot from the Lily whistled over the
sloop's deck; nothing but the motion of
the vessels could have thwarted the girls
faultless aim. Another flash at the bow
of the little pursuer and one of the sailors
clapped his hand on his ear where the
bullet had touched it. The two vessels
now flew apart, not having the same
course. Orion could not see plainly, but
he knew we'll who had fired those shots
and he felt that the time had come when
he must act; but how2 Two Of his men
had brought up their heavy muskets and
were excitedly preparing for the mex ap-
proach Of the Lily.
"Put down your guns" he ordered,
firmly but kindly, ."and listen to what I
say"
They obeyed, rather sullenIy and with
a dull look of inquiry.
"There is a woman in that boat" he
went on, ga woman who is my friend.
If you fire you may hurt her. IF you can
kill the man without endangering her, do
it; but" and here he handled the hammer
Of his own gun, eff you hurt her I will
kill him who does it; remember that"
Meantime the Rochon mansion was
showing fire through every window and
d IGdNH C1Ouu VI UdIh SL1Oh6 w DIS S1dlLIL0
upward and away from the roof.
It was just as the flames burst out at
many places with a great fare and flash
lighting up the water and finging a wild
light over the breeze-tossed woods, that
Orion heard Felicie's voice. Turning
about he saw her coming upon deck. She
was very pale and the reflection Of the
distant freight in her face exaggerated
her appearance of excitement.
Meantime the Lily had come about and
was heading so as to cross the course of
the sloop and very near her bows. Felicie
lifted her elasped hands above her head
and looked fxedly at the wavering
tongues of fame that were tapping the
roof of the mansion.
Fol the moment Orion forgot every
thing else in the rush of tender feeling.
He hurried to where she stood and pass
ing an arm gently around her strove to
take her back to the cabin again. She
scarcely noticed him. The scene upon
which she was looking seemed to have
fixed her to the floor. In a little while,
however, she had realized the whole situa-
ton and she strove nightly to be strong
and brave.
OdEClu VESSELS were uOG DIS IdSG DIS LI1G
sloop. They fell back gradually and soon
found it as we'll to give over the chase;
but the Lily, like some courageous little
bird worrying a hawk, swept back and
forth, now and again coming near enough
for the gun to flash it's spiteful fire in the
direction of the sloop's deck. But quite
a sea was on, the waves rising higher
every moment, and the little boat was so
tossed and tumbled that accuracy of aim
from her deck was altogether impossible.
Orion, however, remembering with a
shudder that Felicie had been the especial
mark of that gun, almost forced her back
into the cabin.
1t was just as they started down the
narrow little stairs that Orion felt a heavy,
numbing blow on his arm which still en-
circled Mile. Rochon's waist. At the same
time rang out the sharp, slender report of
Lalie's gun almost under the PROV of the
,sloop.
Felicie uttered a quick cry of pain and
sank as if fainting, while Orion with
greatest difficulty prevented her from fall
ing below. He knew that she was hit in
the side, for the bullet had passed through
his arm making a slight wound. AS he
SUd02CICu UOWA O1IC OO11 WILL 1IS ap1C-
cious burden he saw the flames all meet
in one grand blaze above the sinking roof
of Rochon place.
The rough crew of the sloop were not
the men to tamely bear a thing Of this
sort. No sooner was Orion out Of sight
than they hurriedly rolled forward a
clumsy little carronade loaded to the
muzzle with musket balls; at the same
time the sloop's course was changed
several points, so as to bring her quickly
within range of the Lily, which was again
coming about. The explosion shook the
sloop from jib-boom to stern-post. The
LILY was fairly lifted out of the water, not
so much by the missiles hurled against
her, as by the sudden side-fow which just
then struck her. It was a critical moment,
even without the blast from the carronade,
and when a ball struck Bobo in the head
he tumbled overheard and the boat was
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