The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-03-15

vey, do you hear? You have no time
to lose. You have but 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. II doubt
if he heard or understood you.
well, why not let them have the
safe if they'll guarantee that that is all
they want? How much have you there :?
feel sure my father would make it
good
There's over $25, 900, Mr.. Harvey"
We'll, if it was only 25 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
ise of any such blackguard party as
this, I'd bury my knife in her throat.
| An awful stiffness followed Feeny's
words. For an instant there was no
sound but quick beating hearts, the
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 s 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 woman's s voice.
tremulous but clear
Med, WASH t it to save us that Major
Plummer sent his men? Wasn't it for
our sake he gave up all his escort?''
1t 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? | say you shall
not. 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 a trump! God
bless your brave hearth cried Harvey.
1T seemed cowardly to go, yet the re-
sponsibility was more than I could
bear.
MAY the saints in heaven smile on
your purity face for all eternityn' NUT
tered Feeny in rapture of delight.
The young Teddy is right, Mr.. Har-
vey, though it WASH for me to say it.
s,hure 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
fnan Pasqual is d devil, sir, nothing
less. Shure We'll fight till rescue comes
for come it will. l tell you the boys
are squirting toward us, h-ll to split,
from every side now, and we'll whale
these scoundrels yet. -
Then from without came the final
hail:
What answer, Harvey? Now or
never
$50 to h-ll, You son of an ape and
worse than a greaser!' yelled Feeny
If you had a dhrop of Irish blood in
yer veins, ye'd never ask the ques
tion. 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
maudlin impulse to cheer at Feeny's
enthusiastic answer. Even poor old
Plummer gave half stihed cry. Pos
sibly he dreamed that rescue was at
hand, but there was little time for re-
.. Springlng back whence he
',..-i., the unseen emissary was heard
shouting some order to his fellows. The
next instant the rifles began their crack
ing on both sides, and the bullets, with
furious spat, drove deep into the adobe
Or whizzed through the gunnysacks
into the barley. The unseen foe was
once moro investing them on every side
and not shot could be wasted in re-
turn.
Once more the furious crackle and
roar of the flames were heard close at
hand, and then the smoke grew thicker,
the heat increased, and poor Ned Har-
vey, his eyes smarting, knelt, steadfast,
at his post and prayed for the
coming of rescue, for the return of the
loved father. all the gallant troop at his
back-and then, even as though in an
swer to his prayer, there came sudden
lull in the fight.
Something S comingn' shouted Fee
ny excitedly. They see or hear some
body sure. Look, Mr. Harvey, amt |
that two of their fellows scudding away
westward out therep'',
Surely enough. In the glare Of the
burning sheds the besieged caught
glimpse of two of the gang bending low
in their saddles 100 yards away and
scudding like hounds over toward the
open plain.
"Is it rescue? Are our people COM
ing?'' was the query that rose to every
A