Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-08-02

spirited away before now, aad their
goods given over to the church. lie
was brave man, but he trembled at
the vague, shadowy terrors which
hung over him. Any known danger he
coald face with firm lip. but this sus-
pense was unnerving. He concealed
his fears from his daughter, however,
and affected to make light of the whole
matter, though she, with the keen eye
of love, saw plainly that he was i'll at
| ease.
He expected that he would receive
some message or remonstrance from
Young as to his conduct, and he was
not mistaken, though il came in
an unlooked-for manner. Upon rising
next morning he found, to his sur
prise. a small square of paper pinned
on to the coverlet of his bed, just over
his chest. On it was printed in bold,
struggling letters:
| TWENTY-FIVE DAYS ARE GIVEN YOU
| FOR AMENDMENT, AND THEN
The dash was more fear-inspiring
| than any threat could have been.
How this warning came into his room
puzzled John Ferrier sOrely, for his
servants slept in an clubhouse. and the
|
cured. He crumpled the paper Up and
said nothing to his daughter, but the
incident struck chill into his heart.
The twenty-nine days We're evidently
! the balance of the month which Young
had promised. What strength or cour-
age could avail against an enemy
armed with such mysterious powers?
The hand which fastened that pin
| l. L -
and ne could never have known who
had slain him.
Still more shaken was he next morn
ing. They had sat down to their
breakfast when Lucy, with a cry of
surprise, pointed upward. In the CEN
ter of the ceiling was scrawled, with Il
burned stick. apparently. the number
IS. To his daughter it was unin-
telligible, and he did not enlighten
her. That night he sat up with his
gun and kept watch and ward. He
saw and heard nothing. and yet in the
morning a great - had been painted
upon the outside of his door.
Thus day followed day; and as sure
as morning came he found that his I'M
seen enemies had kept their register,
and had marked up in some conspicu
Gus position how many days were still
left to him out of the month of grace.
Sometimes the fatal numbers appeared
upon the walls, sometimes upon the
floors: occasionally they We're on small
placards stuck upon the garden-gate
or the ratings. With all his vigilance
| John Fcrrier could not discover whence
these daily warnings proceeded. A
horror which was almost supersti-
tious, came upon him at the sight OF
them. He became haggard and rest
| less, and his eyes had the troubled
look of some haunted creature. He
had but one hope in life now, and that
was for the arrival of the young hunter
| from Nevada.
Twenty had changed to fifteen, and
| fifteen to ten: but there was no news
of the absentee. One by one the num-
| bers dwindled down. and still there
came no sign of him. Whenever a
horseman cIattered down the road or a
driver shouted at his team, the old
| farmer hurried to the gate, thinking
| that help had arrived at last. At last,
| when he saw five give way to four and
| that again to three, he lost heart, and
abandoned all hope of escape. Single
| handed, and with his limited knowledge
| of the mountains which surrounded the
settlement, he knew that he was pow
| less. The more frequented roads were
strictly watched and guarded. and
none could pass along them without
| an order from the council. Turn which
! way he would. there appeared to be no
avoiding the blow which hung over
him. Yet the old man never wavered
| in his resolution to part with life itself
| before he consented to what he re-
garded as his daughters dishonor.
He was sitting alone one evening
bordering deeply over his troubles.
and searching vainly for some way out
of them. That morning had shown
the figure . upon the wall of his
house. and the next day would be the
last of the allotted time. What was
to happen then? All manner of vague
and terrible fancies filled his magma
ton. And his daughter-what was to
become of her after he was gone?
Was there no escape from the invisi-
BILE network which vas drawn all
round them? He sank his head upon
the table and sobbed at the thought of
his own impotence.
What was that? In the silence he
heard Il gentle scratching sound-low.
but very distinct, in the quiet of the
night. 1t came from the door of the |
house. Ferrier crept into the hall and |
listened intently. There was pause |
for a few moments, and then the low, |
insidious sound was repeated. Some |
one was evidently tapping very gently |
upon one of the panels of the door. |
Was it some midnight assassin who |
had come to carry out the murderous |
order of the secret tribunal? Or was |
it some agent who was marking up |
that the last day of grace had arrived?
John Ferrier felt that instant death |
would be better than the suspense |
which shook his nerves and chilled his |
heart. Springing forward, he drew the |
bolt and threw the door open.
Outside all was calm and quiet. The !
night was fine. and tie stars were |
twinkling brightly overhead. The |
little front garden lay before the |
farmers eyes, bounded by the fence |
and gate; but neither there nor on the |
road was any human being to be seen. |
With sigh of relief Ferricr looked to |
right and to left, until happening to |
glance straight down at his own feet |
he saw to his establishment man lying !
fiat upon his face upon the ground, /
with arms and legs all asprawl
SO unnerved was he at the sight |
that he leaned up against the wall with |
his hand to his throat to stifle his in
clipat;ou RI call ont His first thought |