Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-02-18

the beslegers. and she would feel strong
impulse to combat them in some mar
ner as she thought OF the heroic life they
had taken that night
"if We're only man." she muttered
vehemently. old
She stopped abruptly and clinched her
hands together IN mute despair Sud
lenlv SOM thought seemed to strike
nei and rising quickly from her mar!
couch she paced up and down the n,,r
row chamber with Il quick. eneTGo &c
step
For several minutes she walked rest
lessly to and fro in the darkness. strange
thoughts running riot through her brain.
Something must be done, she said.
half aloud her breath coming in sharp
drawn gaSps. "l-l-am only girl,
bit I'll do It.!
She stopped abruptly and listened.
No sound came to her ears save the mov-
ing of the men on the floor above and
the occasional note of some hooking
bird. winch poured its tlill Of varie-
gated song upon the air Of night.
THEY will not miss me. she said,
stoOrl., to pick up shawl which she
had thrown upon her bed. "Ill 90. and
If | fall Poor Ike. | am no better
than he--and he has just laid down his
life for us ALL
She hastily threw tie shawl over her
head, and crossing the chamber she
halted by narrow ground stairway that
led from the cellar to the outside Of the
house After listening intently for
few moments she stole cautiously up tho
stairway and noisclessly lifted the door.
Thrusting her head through the opening
she glanced quickly about the place, but
no one was in sight. Then, crawling
through the narrow doorway. she quick
ly threw herself into the grass that grew
close to the wall. Keeping herself low
in the grass she crept forward swiftly
for fifty yards before she paused. Then,
lying flat uron the ground. she listened
intently to ascertain whether or not her
departure from the house had been dis
covered by her friends.
CHANGING backward she could see one
of the guards not twenty yards away,
Crouching behind a bunch of sumachs,
out she was convinced that he had not
seen her. She could hear the tumultu-
Gus beating of her own heart as she lay
there in the wet grass. She hardly dared
to proceed for fear the slightest move
ment might lead to her discovery.
She knew that should her attentions
become known to any one at the m she
would be compelled to abandon her haz-
ardous undertaking. she therefore had
double chance Of having her plans
frustrated, and was compelled to not
only guard against being discovered by
the enemy but must also avoid the
watchful guards at the inn.
After assuring herself that her depar-
ture from the inn had not been discov-
cred, she began to crawl cautiously for
ward through the grass, listening to
every sound with painful throbbing Of
the heart
What if she We're to be discovered by
the besiegers she shuddered at the
thought, for well she knew that though
they might not do worse than make her
IA prisoner, it was probable that they
might shoot her down at first sight with
out discovering her sex.
But i'll spite of the dangers which she
knew beset her she was determined to
let nothing swerve her from her course
of action. Every moment now she ex-
pected to be confronted by some Of the
enemy who might be hiding in the high
grass. The thought sent chill to her
heart and
She suppressed a cry Of terror that al
most rose to her lips, but it was only II
roll bat q Ia,
and disappeared like a shadow across the
prairie.
For nearly a quarter of mile she
crawled in a nOrthwesterly direction;
then turning to the left. she crept toward
the spot where the horses had been
picketed. 1t required half hour for
her TO reach the little ravine where the
horses were, so cautiously did she move.
She was now confident that she had
passed through the besicgers' lines some
where. but she had seen no sign Of them.
The dar,Mc., had now Srown mMo
dense, and She realized Is she saw the
thickcning clouds gathering across tho
sky that ii WAS Il most favorable oppor-
tunity for the work Lcfore her.
AS she drew near the spot where the
horses Were she could see only a few
PAGES III advance Of her, Gld sudden
fear assailed he" t'.., t..t L...cs had
been taken away, bat II low wAilny
soon told her of her mistake.
1t was fauny~ purpose to mount one
OF the horses using the picket rope as a
bride, and ride 80 the settlements to the
north, where she would make known the
condition Of affairs at the inn and i'm,
plore help.
Still Using the greatest caution in al
her movements, she now approached one
Of the horses. which proved to be the
very one she wanted a trim made black
which she had named jet
1t only required "A few moments fo!
her to arrange the long RATA into a rude
sort OF brdle: then springing to the
horses back she turned his head to the
north and roue away.
She had not travelled a hundred yard,
when she caught the sound Of footstep.
in the grass to her left. Then came thu
fl1,a ,,1,