Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-27

wooden veil was tied around her head and she
rubbed snuff with subdued enjoyment. Silury
mountain side, above the springs, a ledge
of lone gray rocks jutted out. Dismount-
ing at level spot in the pathway,
Dough, then with the gun grasped in her hands,
she crept through the underbrush to the rocks
She trembled with excitement for daring
thought had come to her, scheme whereby she
might deliver her father from his captors. She
crouched down behind the rocks and waited
praying that she might be calm, that her eye
might be true, her hand steady when the time
came.
Evidently the campers had heard of the raid,
and were intending to sit up until the officers
PASSED with the prisoners, for several time dur
ing that tagging hour OF suspense Silury spent
behind the boulders, the man walked out into
the road to listen for sounds of travel.
81 low they comm at last, - he said, clos
ing his knife with sharp click, and his wife
put up her snnffbox and Joined him on the road
side.
sillury's heart gave great thump. thump.
against her side. She started into more erect
position, bringing the barrel of her rife to level
with the rock. The tramping sound of horses
feet could be distinctly heard on the road. and
presently the cavalcade rode up, the prisoners
in the middle. The officers were feeling COM
paratively secure. No rescue had ever been at
tempted at Buckhorn Springs. Friends of pris-
country above. but this raid had been unmo-
Tested. They had been riding hard, and so they
halted for few minutes at the springs, and
some of then dismounted for drink.
Sllury saw her father astride powerful mule,
his hands tied together, but his lower limbs
free. He looked haggard and unkempt, his
long, black hair falling to his shoulders, his
beard tangled. He bore the marks of his So
iourn in Jimson's Brake and of his resistance to
arrest.
poor pai''
Did ne hear that trembling, plying whisper?
He threw up his head, his black, deepset eyes
flashing an eager glance around. The officer at
his side fell back little to speak to a comrade
It was the girls chance. She suddenly rose
head and shoulders above the rails, the camp
ffof Inro hoo
Look out, pa; look out!'' she screamed in
shrill, piercing tones, and fired.
He saw her, read her purpose, and, as the ami;
from its back like panther and disappeared in
the underbrush.
It was all so quick, SO unexpected. Through
the curling wreath OF smoke from the rifle,
Silury's face appeared for moment to the
amazed eyes of the officers; then they realized
tack, put spurs to their horses and hustled their
other prisoners away, leaving the dead mule
in the road.
The next morning, as the rising sun giIded the
mountain tops with gold, the revenue officers
rode through the streets of the market town
with two prisoners, telling a thrilling story Of
the moonshiner's ambush at Buckhorn Springs
and the escape OF Am9Zah Cole.
It was about that same time that Silury stood
again on the doorstep of home, her face aglow,
her eyes radiant, in spite of the sleepless night
spent abroad on the mountains. Bolivar
crouched against her feet, or licked her hands
in his Joy at her return, but she scarcely no
ticed HIM. She was looking at the unfinished
supper, cold on the hearth, the gray, freless
ashes in the deep fireplace, and her mother
asleep in her chair.
wake up. ma, wake up she cried, joy
ously; pa is here
Mrs. Cole started up and rubbed her eyes as
she saw her husband and daughter standing in
the doorway. did I dream it all?'' she muir
INJURED hopelessly. 81 thought the raiders were
takin' you to jail. Amazah.''
$50 they were, an I'd be there right now
if he stopped, choked with emotion, and his
hand stroked Silury's head.
''An' he's never Roin' to be moonshiner
again, ma, never. Amt we glad,'' Silury
slipped across the floor to wake the younger
children. Her fathers proud eyes followed
her.
tits all OWN to you. all OWN to you, Sill
ury.''