The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-06-08

ing such precious lives and names in
the defense of q government official who
had been 80 wreckless as to part with
his guard and put himself and his funds
in such a predicament? From the 9TH
or room, in which the major now lay,
feebly moaning, no word of remon-
STRANGE came. Even in their extremity,
then, the soldiers Of the government
would not urge that he stay and en-
counter further peril in their defense.
One Of the dragged troopers was begin
ming to regain some atom of sense, and
sitting up was miserably asking what
had happened, what was the matter
now.
| go and douse water over your id
worthless head, Mullan, he heard the
sergeant say. So Feeny was evidently
alert as ever and must have heard the
proposition from without. At his feet,
huddled close to the floor where the
thick smoke was least distressing, Fan
ny and Ruth still chung to one another,
the latter trembling at the sound of the
voice from without. But Fanny had
quickly, eagerly, raised her head to lis
ten. For moment no reply was made.
Then came the impatient query Har-
vey, do you hear? You have no time
to lose. You have but a minute in
which to answer
Major" he burst forth at last IN an
agony of doubt, "you hear what they
say, you see how am fixed. If were
here alone, you would never need to ask
my services-I'd fight with you to the
bitter end-but think of my father, my
mother, if anything befall my sisters.
Can nothing be done?"
From the lips Of the stricken paymas-
ter there came only groan in reply.
81 fear he cannot hold out long, Mr..
Harvey" muttered the clerk. "Idoubt
If he heard or understood YOU"
"Well, why not let them have the
safe if they'll guarantee that that is all
they wantr How much have you therep
I feel sure my father would make it
good"
"There's over $25, 900, Mr.. Harvey"
well, If it was only % cents, Mr..
Ned Harvey, all I've got to say is devil
wan of them would they get so long
as could load shot or pull trigger.
Go you, if you will. Take the leddies
by all means if you think it safer, but
before I'd trust the wan sister ever
had-God rest her soul-to the prom
! Use of any such BLACKBOARD party as
this, I'd bury my knife in her throat.
An awful stiffness followed Feeny's
words. For an instant there was no
| 1,.k AL tc fIn
mutterings and complainings of poor
Mullan, staggering about in search Of
his carbine, the quickened breath and
low moaning of poor old Plummer.
Then again came the loud hail from
! without:
"Once more, Ned Harvey, will you
come out and be saved or stay there
and roast? Surrender now and you re
all right; but, by the God of heaven,
if you refuse it. the last chance for you
or those you were fool enough to bring
here. Think for your sisters, man.
There's no hope for one Of you if you
delay another minute
And then it was a woman's voice,
tremulous but clear.
"Ned, wasn't it to save us that Major
Plummer sent his men? Wasn't it for
our sake he gave up all his escort?"
"It was, Fan, yes-at least he thought
So"
And now you would desert him,
would you? Leave him to be murdered
, by these robbers, the worst gang we
ever had or heard of? l say you shall
not. L for one will not go into their
hands. Ruth cannot go without me.
Stay and fight it out, Ned, or you re
not your fathers son."
"Fan Fan! you're trump! God
bless your brave hearth" cried Harvey.
"It seemed cowardly to go, yet the re-
sponsibility was more than 1 could
BEAR"
"May the saints in heaven smile on
your purity face for all eternity" NUT
tered Feeny in rapture of delight
"The young Teddy is right, Mr.. Har-
vey, though it wasn't for me to say it,
Shure you can't trust those scoundrels.
They d stab we in the back, sir, and rob
you of your pretty sisters and drag them
away before your dying eyes. That
man Pasqual is devil, sir, nothing
less. Shure we'll fight till rescue comes,
for come it will. tell you tho boys
are squirting toward us, hill to split,
from every sue now, ana we~II whale
these scoundSals yet.
Then from without came the final
hail:
"What answer, Harvey? Now or
never
"Go to h--1l, you son Of an ape and
worse than a greaserv' yelled Feeny.
eff you had dhrop of Irish blood in
yer veins, ye'd never ask the ques-
ton. Now, if you think you can take
this money, here's your chance. No
Harvey ever went back on his friends. "
Even brain muddled Mullan felt a
maudlin impulse to cheer at Feeny's
enthusiastic answer. Even poor old
Plummer gave half stifed cry. Pos
j ~