Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-09-27


all the hopes of her solitary life center
~i. She confirmed this sudden impres
sion by whisperingi
Tell Lin don't do nawthing. sleepil
'noh wakin. but list a.thinkin Of hin
and a.prayin Tor the wah 20 end that h
may come hack and take mo 10 live ul
Bridgeport way"
I promised 20 do this, and with {
heart full of gratitude for ths brave CIR
We babe her goodby.
"whar In h-lis ron uns gwine 20 tot,
mey- was Hugh McNeils salutatioi
when made him rise and walk down {.
where the horses were waiting.
THAT depends on how you behave
said.
lie made no response. but indicates
his feelings by muttering strings ol
oaths and assuring us that we should al
t,s '.co,ched and hanged" before We 10,
out of the hills. lie was forced 20 mount
the spare hor,s. but that he might b,
able the better TO retain his seat hi,
hands were fastened In front 20 that hs
could rcst them on the pommel. but the
bridal rein was In tho hands Of Q mar
who rode by his side.
That our work Was quick can 10 In
ferrcd from the fact that We wer,
mounted and moving out Of the valley
before the powder nAsks and arms. lef,
In the fire b~for. the cabin. began TO eI,
plo.ie: and then u sounded for some 80
onds a. II light were going on up the
hill. and the flaming brands hurlci int
the sky help~d TO incrcass the imprss
sion.
The moon ruee about nine o'clock. bu,
- u was cloudy and threatening rain
was forced every ten minutes 30 strike {
light In the dark woods through which
we were travelling entirely by compass
Two hours after leaving McNeirs cabir
II was decided 10 halt for the night, tha,
the men and hor-cs might be fresh fol
the rapid march which Il was hopesl
would take us to our friends on the NOR
row. Our little hand was divided int
three rrlief.. The horses were pickete,l
and unsaddled and the prisoner va,
made ~ comfortable ~ was consisten,
with his safety.
Toward morning 10 b-gan 10 rain. and
when daylight came . dense mist made
Il impossible 20 see q hundred yard,
ahead. We ate of the corn bread and
bacon procured from our prisoner the
night before. giving him his share,
though by no means As much ~ hs
wanted. When we were again rrady to
move forward Mcneil bcckoncd me %
him. Tor I hal forbidden loud talking
and Asked
"Do you uns know whar this place isy
and he made sweep about his head
with his hound arms.
"very we'll. replied.
"wharY' aud he stuck out his chin
and glAred at me as 10 he wcr. gloaiing
over my Ignorance.
I'VE propose to get through all right.
Hugh ! said.
"But whs ef - bc you uns should
run into right smart bunch Of grays,
shY'
In that event. Hugh. the tirst sho,
fred will b. In your BRAIN
"Do you uns mean that 10 dead ear.
nesty'
"we do
"well may I b- d-d.- lie shook his
shaggy heal AMI look u actual horror
took the plac. ~ the fierce glitter In his
blush gray sy... "Ef - t- I'm gwine
30 - shot 90 soon "a you run into the
enemy. and you uns look "a II you uns
meaui hit. I reckon hit'd bs more like
fah play 10 give me chance to get this
crowd on the night track"
"Go on; I will listen 10 you. ] said.
"Now. b you uns gwine down Steven.
con wayr
I'VE will 20 In that direction.
(which way from harf
I showed him my picket COMPASS. u
was evidently the first he had ever seen,
but like all ignorant men he had .
coni.inpt for scientific appliances and
meth0ls
III you uns trust 10 that cussed little
wobblin thing" hs said. "hit'll git 20
home bouts well cz bline man on
crutchea I've h-ern of them things.
but I've never lowed thar was anything
In 'eIn, and now that ! sees QUE I'm dead
shuah they Amt worth ia. Now you
uns 1. 90 maxim southwest WAL. that
means confclA on har. and he mo
toned 10 the northwest. lis the way I'd
go Fl % be I was . YAnk aud found my
elf lot In the wociA Now rm a-tellin
you uns all this. not coz want 10 help
but coz don't want % bs kilt
This was good reasoning. and ! should
have followed the advice had ! not
known that Il would take me away from
the place where ] expected to Ind the
rest of the men under Brown and Ar
thur. Al compromise took course
between the two aud pushed ahead
About Q mile froin our camping place
We came upon trail that led due west
and this Il was decided To follow 20 long
a. Il did not deviate from the course eel
down.
About the middle OF tho forenoon,
when we were pressing through = par
ticularly dense stretch Of woods and un'
dergrowth. the prisoner sat very erect
and looked eagerly about him. ! could
see he was very much excited. and
reasoned that this must be due TO some
thing hs heard OF saw. Lat once called
. halt, and initiating me the men ben,
forward In their saddles TO listen.
Here again I heard the call Of the
whippoorwill that had 70 puzzled me
when We wers near Chattanooga two
nights before. Soon the whippoorwil
call was changed TO that OF . cry ol
alarm. between . shrill shout and
hoarse whistle. such - had nevel
heard before. knew the source OF thu
noise, but made no comment. while
listened and watched McNeils face.
could see that he was unconsciously tug
ging ut the rope that held his wrists
and Il was the same involuntary i'm
pulse that led him to respond. ~ Lin
Moore had done on our hst meeting
with the idiot. by initiating the "bol
white call Of the quail.
We were now quite prepared for th,
coming Of Hugh McNeil's Hen. He hst
evidently found N without following
trail, for he burst into our midst from
the thick underground TO the hight. snt
st once ran up TO his father and begai
stroking his knees beside the horse. Jus
a have seen dog manifest affection
He must have expected some return o.
this demonstration, but - u was no
made hs looked up and saw that hi
fathers hands were bound before him
A few seconds Of dumb, unutterabl'
.,vrvi.s. ths idiox looke<i vonderinRl,