San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-04-26

They will not miss me, she said.
STOPPING to pick up shawl which she
had thrown upon her bed. IN go. and
if fall Poor Ike! | am no better
than he-and he has just laid down his
| life for MS all"-
She hastily threw the 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 a
few moments she stole cautiously up the
stairway and noiselessly 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 fiat upon 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,
but 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 intentions
become known to any one at the inn 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 were 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
a prisoner, it was probable that they
might shoot her down at first sight with
out discovering her sex.
But in 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 ..a
She suppressed cry of terror that al
most rose to her lips, but it was only a
jack rabbit that leaped from the grass
and disappeared like a shadow across the
prairie. ~. ....
For nearly a quarter of a 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 a 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 besiegers' lines some.
where, but she had seen no sign of them.
The darkness had now grown more
dense, and she realized as she saw the
thickening clouds gathering across the
sky that it was a most favorable oppor.
tunity for the work before her.
AS she drew near the spot where the
horses were she could see only few
PAGES in advance of her, and a sudden
fear assailed her that the horses had
been taken away, but low whinny
soon told her of her mistake.
1t was Fanny's purpose to mount one
of the horses, using the picket rope as a
bride, and ride to 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 few moments fol
her to arrange the long RATA into a rud,
sort of bride; then springing to tn,
horses back she turned his head to tn,
north and rode away.
She had not travelled hundred yard
when she caught the sound of footsteps
in the grass to her left. Then came tn,
sharp click-click of. weapons and a gruf
voice demanded
who goes thereT
CHAPTER XII.