The record-union., 1894-04-07

It had been scratched hastily with two
strokes of some gypsy heel. The head
of the cross-the immemorial gypsy pat
teran-pointed silently but surely in the
direction the gypsies had taken. Others
were discovered further along the road.
| This was enough for the two who hast
ened across the fields to the edge of the
nearest lake. They eagerly scanned its
shores. On the opposite bank, mere
| specks, it was SO far away, men and boys
were seen leading horses to the shore
| edge to drink. Night coming down these
| objects were shut from view, hut soon,
like far, faint, yellow stars, lights broke
| through the darkening film. Then the
watchers knew they were looking upon
the nighttires OF gypsy camp and that
| Lucetta was still near them among the
brown and hooded tents behind the dis
| tant shore.
That night Bob Stanley, with consum-
mate gypsy cunning, crept like fox into
the lakeside camp, crouched and list
ened and learned until all was STILL
crawled TO Lucetta's tent, whispering in
her startled ear the plan of rescue for the
| succeeding night, when she was simply
to leave her tent for the lake side at his
| signal, the cry OF a hoooting owl, and
made his escape without awakening the
vlgilant Mrs. Fall, or disturbing those
matchlessly alert Romany sentinels, the
voiceless gypsy campside dogs.
! A rescue by the lake was chosen, as
they discovered there was but one craft
upon its entire shores which would float,
a huge "dugout' canoe which they Sc
cured, thus providing against pursuit by
water, and still more dangerous pursuit
upon the fleet gypsy horses and their
riders by land, and it was early in the
evening of the next day when their canoe
bumped softly against huge tree which
! lay PROSTATE at the lake edge short dis
| tance from the gypsy camp.
| Northup held the craft in readiness
while the tinker disappeared in the dark
ness beyond. The camp was so near that
the watcher could hear its laughter, chat
ter and song, and now and then he
caught glimpses of the old gypsy, by the
| light OF the campireS, as he crept stealth
lily from hiding place to hiding place.
1t seemed an age to wait before the
| tinker's signal was heard. There was a
moment of ominous silence, when a rust
! ling and rush were heard alongshore
above the waiting craft.
Like a whirlwind Bob and Lucetta
swept down the bank over the fallen
tree and plunged into the canoe beside
him.
Fur th' Lords sake.sIMaster North
up" gasped Bob Stanley, fling Cetta
| flat in tn bottom. Lay ye flat aside her.
Give me th paddle. They're arter us!''
And surely enough they werei They
steadied the craft for an instant, and Bob,
springing from the log. gave the canoe a
push which shot it far out into the lake.
just as Jem Boswell clambered upon the
| fallen tree and shrieked in the Romany
| tongue for their return. He saw it was
too late, He bounded back to the camp
| which was now in wild confusion. Men,
women and children rushed frantically
along the shore, and a whinnying and
scattering, mingled with oaths and loud
halloas, were heard among the tethered
animals behind the camp.
Then came a loud splash as Jem Bos-
well, astride horse. without saddle or
bride, plunged into the lake inI fierce
pursuit, and soon other horses and riders