Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1896-08-20
fcopyrieht, ,sss. BY J. B. uppneost Col
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ecuting, was merely fantastic idea OF
proving himself in some way knight
without fcar-a modern type OF gor-
tcsque mctlaeval parsonage who went
about Staying impossible dragons and
disemhowelling neurological giants.
1t was Observation-Disclosures
ous! and from this point in the argu-
mcnt the descent to the Avernus of ter
ror was easy. At tthc end of half-hour
he felt the prcmonitory spinal chill
hcralding return of the wcll-known
symptoms; in five minutes more the
raroNysm was upon him, and he was
struggling furiousIy in the grasp OF his
familiar demon, blind, deaf and help
less, with every fiber of his being strain
ing itself for fight in an impulse so real
that he turned and grasped at the rough
bark of the tree to keep himself from
being carried bodily away by the whirl-
wind of terror.
The attack did not last long, and
about the time the blood began to tinglc
in his veins again he heard the muflicd
trampling of horses approaching along
the dusty road. At the signal the very
recollection of his lnte discomposure
seemed somehow to vanish into the
limbo Of remote past; his pulses
quickcned and his muscles thrilled
with the vibrations OF an accumulating
energy that sang joyously as it leaped
through the tense nerves and the throb-
bing arteries. His sharpcned senses
were unnaturally acute; he heard the
woody clink of the rails as the men
made breach in the zigzag fence, then
the smothcred hoof-bcatS of the horses
coming across the soft turf of the lawn;
4 moment later, in an interval OF silence,
he fancicd he could almost hear the
whispered instructions given to jed.
When the two men emerged from the
deeper shadows Of the grove he saw
them quite distinctly in the starlight;
they came directly toward his hiding
place. and when they paused within
few feet of the trees he could scarcely
restrain the eager feroctty that prompt
cd him to rush out upon them. In the
instant of hesitation he had time to note
llut one of them carried an armful of
kindiing wood; the man gathered it
into a iirmer hold while they paused.
and there was a smothcred tinkle OF
breaking glass. and the pungent otlor
OF kerosene filled the air.
What was that thar noise?" asked
the other.
Hits that thar blame bottle O coal
oil, that's what hit is; hits done
bn'sted an run all down into my boots,"
replied the first; and they moved for
ward and disappeared behind the corner
OF the house.
Ringbrand kept them in sight as long
rs he could, and then ran across to the
clump of laurels, going down on his
hands and knees and staring intently
into the gloom until he found them
again, two darker blots of shadow
crouching in the angle formed by the
bay window in the parlor. While he
was straining his eyes to catch the
glcam OF the match which would be the
signal for their return, he did not hear
the stealthy steps of n man who was ap-
proachcd him from behind, nor did he
lnow of its presence when the gliding
figure came quite close and stood with
dubbed gun waiting for him to rise.
The appearance OF the third brother
upon the scene was due to the fact that
Ludlow had chosen his position unfor-
tunately and so was unable to see the
men when they disnounted. For this
reason, he waited until he was sure that
the two incendiaries had started FOR
the house, and the delay gave the holder
of horses time to yield to sudden lin
pulse born OF q desire to know il his
warning to Hester had accomplished it's
purpose. Looping the horses brides
together and throwing them over the
branch OF q tree, he followed noiselcssly
in the footsteps OF his brothers; and
coming out on the open lawn in time to
catch glimpse of Ringbrand as he ran
across to the laurels, he crept forward
until he stood with uplifted gun behind
the unsuspecting sentinel. When Ring
brand rose at the flash of the match,
the poised rifle cut a quick circle in the
air and descended with blow that sent
him back to his knees with Il thousand
scintillating notes dancing before his
eyes; for single confused instant he
thought the end had come. and then he
ielt the revivifyiny breath of the spirit
of battle which seemed to inspire him
with the reckless and invincible courage
of his warlike ancestors. Leaping to
his feet, he fell upon his assailant with
irresistible fury; there was sharp,
breathless struggle, a fierce clutching
FOR under-holds, and then Ringbrand
swung the slight form of his antagonist
over his head and dashed it, limp and
helpless, against the bole of the oak.
While this bit OF by-play was going on
behind the laurels, another incident oc-
cured which further disarranged Ring
brands plans and left Col. Latimer and
Henry in doubt rs to what they should
do. When the elder Bynum stopped to
light the pile of kindlings, Bud started
back toward the ambush alone; and as
the first match went out, the younger
brother had time to reach the clump of
laurels before jeff could find and light
another. Seeing but one OF the men
appear, the coloneland his son both hes
itated, and Bud confronted Ringbrand
just as the latter recovered himself