Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1895-06-18

relief Ferricr looked to right and to left
until happening to glance straight dowr
at his own feet he saw to his astonish
ment q man lying fiat upon his face
upon the ground. with arms and legs al
a-sprawL
So unneryed was he at the sight tha
he leaned up against the wall with hi'
hand to his thorat to stife his inclina
ton to call out His first thought wa
that the prostrate figure was that OF
some wounded or dying man. but as hC
watched it he saw il writhe along til,
ground and into the hall with the RI
pidity and noiselessness OF serpent
Once within the house the man spranp
to his feet, closed the door and revealed
to the astonished farmer the fierce fac,
and resolute expression Of jefferson
Hope
Good GodP" gasped John Ferrier.
How You scared mel Whatever made
you come in like that!"
Give me food. the other said hoarse.
ly. II have had no time for bite or sup
for eight aud forty hours " He flung
himself upon the cold meat and bread
which were still lying upon the table
from his hosts supper and devoured II
voraciously Does Lucy bear up well|
he asked when no had satisfied his han
ger.
Yea She does not know the dan
ger, her father answered
That Is we'll The house Is watched
ON every side That is why crawled
my way up to it They may be earned
sharp, but they're not quite sharp
enough to catch q Washoc hunter
John Ferrier felt different man nov
that he realized that he had devoted
ally He seized the young man $ leath
cry hand and wrung IL cordially
You 70 o man to be proud Of, hc
said There are not many who would
come 10 share our danger and oar trou
bles -
You've hit it there, pard. the
young hunter answered II have arc
spect for you. but il You were alone in
this business Id think twice before !
put my head into such hornets nest
It's Lucy that brings me here, and DO
fore harm comes OH her guess there
will be one less o. the Hope family IN
Utah.
What are We TO dor
Tomorrow is your last day, and un-
less you act tonight yoa are lost |
have mule and two horses waiting in
the Eagle ravine. How much money
have your
Two thousand dollars in gold and
five in notes.
That will do have rs much more
10 add to it. We must push for Carson
City through the mountains. fou had
best wake Lucy. Ii is as well that the
servants do not sleep III tile house.
While Ferrier was absent preparing
his daughter for the approaching jour
ney jefferson Hope packed all the eata
bles that he could find into small par
Gel and filled stoneware jar with wa
ter, for he knew by experience that the
mountain wells Were few and far be-
tween. He bad hardly completed his
arrangements before the farmer return
ed, with his daughter all dressed and
ready for start The greeting between
the lovers was warm, but brief. for min
utes were precious. and there was much
10 b. done
I'VE must make our start at once,
said jefferson Hope, speaking IN low
but resolute voice, like one who realizes
the greatness Of the peril, but has steel
ed his heart to meet il. The front and
back entrances are watched, but with
caution We may get away through the
side window aud across the fields. Once
OH the road we are only two miles from
the ravine where the horses are waiting
BY daybreak we should be half way
through the mountains.
What il We are stopped?' asked
Ferrier.
Hope slapped the revolver butt which
protruded from the front of his tunic.
IF they are too many for Us, we shall
take two or three of them with u, no
said, with sinister smile.
The lights inside the house had oil
been oxtiLs1i4htl, ;..!l from the dark
ened window Ferrier peered over the
fields which had been his own, and
which he was now about 10 abandon
forever. He had long nerved himself TO
the sacrifice, however. and the thought
Of tho honor and happiness Of his daugh'
ter outweighed any regret at his ruined
fortunes. All looked SO peaceful and
happy-the rustling trees and the broad.
silent stretch Of grain land-that 1t was
difficult to realize that the spirit OF
murder lurked through it all. Yet the
white face and set expression OF the
young hunter showed that in his ap.
proach to the house he had seen enough
TO satisfy him upon that head
Ferrier carried the bag Of gold and
notes. Jefferson Hope had the scanty
provisions and water, while Lucy had
. small bundle containing few Of her
more valued possessions. Opening the
window very slowly and carefully, they
waited until a dark cloud had some
what obscured the night, and then one
by one passed through into the little
garden. With bated breath and crouch
ing figures they stumbled across 1t and
gained the shelter Of the hedge, which
they skirted until they came TO the gap
which opened into the cornfeld. They
had Just reached this point when they
Young man seized his two companions
and dragged them down into the shad-
ow, where they lay silent and trem-
bling
Il was as we'll that his prairie train
ing had given Jefferson Hope the ears
of lynx. He and his friends had hardly
crouched down before the melancholy
hooting Of u mountain owl was heard
within few yards of them, which was
Immediately answered by another hoot
st small distance. At the same mo-
ment vague shadowy figure emerged
from the gap for which they had been
making and uttered the plaintiye signal
cry again, OIL which second man ap-
peared out Of the obscurity.
Tomorrow at midnight. said the
first, who appeared to be in authority,
when the whippoorwill calls three
times
ut il well." returned tho other
"Shall | tell Brother Drebbery'
pass it OIL to him and from him to
the Others. Nine 10 seven"
"Seven to five, repeated the other,
and the two figures fitted away in diff
ferent directions. Their concluding