Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1890-05-17


would be doing most charitable act II
you would only aid me to escape"
The girl opened her magnificent dark
eyes wide In wonder.
And you are not ghost" she asked,
a slight doubt perceptible in her tone.
DO look like one?" returned the
prisoner, laughing.
AS l have never seen q ghost" re-
piled the girl, with a saucy smile, Il
am not certain that I am capable of
Judging of such thing"
"Oh, believe me, fair lady, :" exclaimed
the prisoner, In a voice of mock en-
treaty, Il am mortalI"
Shall I enter the enchanted castle
and unlock the door of your prison
cell ?" asked the girl, in a merry tone.
NO." said the prisoner, after a mo-
ment's thought; at would not be safe.
Although 1 have seen nor heard none
of the Tories this morning, some of
them may be lurking about the house.
You had better go home and
send, at least, half dozen of
your neighbors to my aid. Tell them
to come armed, for, if the Tories are not
here now, they are liable to return at
any moment"
Il will do your bidding, Sir Knight
of the enchanted CASTLE" said the girl;
"and before the sun reaches the zenith,
you shall be free. And now,R she
added, with CLEAN of merry mischief
in her eyes, before 1 bid you adieu, let
me introduce myself to you. I am Mis-
tress Marjorie Rowland, the only child
of Colonel Rowland, whose plantation
is about mile up the river"
II am pleased to make your acquain-
lance, Mistress Marjorie, " returned the
prisoner. Il am Francis Talbot, and
my home is in Trenton"
The girl made low courtesy, in &C
knowledgement of the introduction;
and then, taking up the oars, she rowed
up the stleam and soon disappeared
round the bend in the river.
Two hours later a boat, with eight
armed men seated in it and two stalwart
negroes at the oars, shot down the river.
As the craft neared the old manor.
Francis Talbot waved his hand from the
window, and the signal was at once re-
sponded to by one of the men in the
boat.
The next instant Francis heard one !
OF the windows below him opened. and |
man, whose voice he recognized as
Albert Sherman's, sang out:
If you approach three yards nearer
we'll shoot you. There are fif-
teen of us, and we have plenty
Of ammunition and can hold this house
against a hundred men for month"
At the conclusion of this speech, one
If the men in the boat raised bis rife
% his shoulder and fired. The ball
passed within two inches of Albert
Sherman's head.
The shot was Immediately replied TO
~ volley from the house; and, with
,roan of agony, one of the negroes fell
o the bottom of the boat.
"We cannot help the young man {
Iow," Francis heard one of the men in .
he boat say. ave will only throw our I
wn lives away if we try to rescue
im." I
Then one of the men took the negro's {
lace at the oar, and the boat was s
ulled rapidly up the river and was S
Don out of sight
With his last hope of escape gone, '
'rancis Talbot paced up and down his G
rison room all the long, dreary after @
DON. None of the Tories came near a
i'm. 1t seemed as if the whole world O
ad forgotten him. The sun sunk be- G
w the mountains in the West and left
lie river in shadow. Twilight merged n
to darkness; and as the moon rose
Dove the Eastern hills and shed its I
livery light over the sleeping land p
Ipe, he approached the window and G
Ized out upon the sparkling surface Of il
@ river. 7
A small craft glided noiselessIy down 6
g stream and paused beneath the o.
indow. Its only occupant was D small, b
rlish figure; and as she gazsd up at
e window, Francis recognised the el
city, delicately feStares of n
arjorie Rowland. ct
She motioned for him to stand aside, al
ID, as he obeyed the silent command, o.
flew into the room arsd fell
the floor. Nv
Picking the object up, he found it to e.
, ali dIIOMs " WHICH, WAS ldSJfucO d
ender thread. b
Drawing the thread into the window, N
, found it fastened to a strong cord. IL
be cord, which was in turn drawn into m
e window, was tied to the end of q st
out, knotted rope. Il
Francis lost no time in making one
ID of the rope fast 10 the leg of q 1
,avy oaken table; and then, grasping m
70 rope with his hands, he let himself cl
it of the window and descended to the ii
,at. o.
"Do not make any noise" whispered IL
e girl, as he seated himself in the
,at and took up the oars. "The Tories 81
e in one of the rooms on the other side ID
the house. I saw their light as I
me round the bend" tt
Francis piled the oars with both o.
ill and strength, and soon the frail 81
aft shot round the bend and out of ic
ght of the old manor. Then, resting
n the oars, he said: ID
Mistress Marjorie, I thank you for
hat you have done for me tonight