Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1896-09-24


point, his spirits and his courage rose
wonderfully He was saved a job that
from the first lie did not like, not because
he would hc.itate TO DO murder, but be
cause, Ike AL men of his class, lie WIS
at heart 4 coward He went directly to
the pi,.c, wh,re The sisters were sitting,
and When 7, in few feet Of them he
threw himself On the ground, saying at
the s-4l1, t4.ac:
This is mighty dark night, Ia
dies"
The ladies made no reply, whereupon
he repeated
"Its a mighty dark night, ladies,
and looks as ii we mout have right
smart Of storm. ="
Still no T. Fly.
Don't you hear me?" he asked an
grily.
"We do, replied Alice.
"Then why don't you speak?'
''Why should we speak,"
Because it's perlite, and when ak
a civil question Of man or woman.
blow me, but l like civil answer. "
''But you did not ask question. You
simply volunteered an opinion" said
Alice with the calmness of tone that dis
tinguished her.
"Waal, we won't quarrel about p 'ints
like that. l amt much on the talk. I'll
confess, and mebbe young ladies like
you uns mout think me a bit rough,
but when you git down under the husks
even if l do say it myself, thar amt
many better fellows than me-"
After exchanging a meaning glance
with her sister, Alice Blanchard became
more gracious to Patch, and that mon
ster, delighted at the change, then and
there declared that if they would trust
him he would take them to their friends
without cent Of pay" In response to
Clara's question he told how this could
be done, nor did he dream that the Sis
tiers had themselves planned to get away
from the outlaws that night.
When, at length, Patch left, the sisters,
with more light on the question, renew
ed the conversation. Their horses We're
below the camp, and, believing that it
would be safer and easier to ride than
to walk, Clars. PROPOSED that they should
attempt to secure them. She had the
Weldon decision of character Securing
on their persons few necessary articles
from their saddlebags, including a
knife, they waited for the storm to
break with as much eagerness as those
in profound darkness wait for the light.
At first the fury of the storm alarmed
them, but they soon became calm and
hailed its roaring as the voice Of Il
friend. The rain fell in deluge. but
this they did not mind 1t shielded
item from their foes. At first the light
ming was so vivid and continuous that
it kept the camp and the surrounding
landscape lit up. 1t revealed to them
the horses and, joy! two of them were
saddled with their own saddles and an
other near by bore q mans.
IF they follow us ON horseback"
thought Alice, "ihe danger will be in
creased. must free all the animals. p"
She made Clara wait in the bushes by
the river, and, knife in hand, crept for
ward and began to cut the ropes that
held the uneasy horses to the stakes. Ev
cry one was freed. She secured the two
on which she and Clara were to ride and
hastily led them to the river. Both We're
expert horsewomen. To avoid the camp,
Alice decided to cross the river. They
were III the act Of descending the bank
when the lightning again flashed out,
and they heard maddened shout be-
hind them. Alice looked back, and not
ten yards away she saw Sim Bliss ges-
ticulating like madman and shouting
all the time. Answering shouts came
back from the Camp. The borses. dis
covering they were free, went snorting
and plunging madly about Pistols were
discharged, and the whole camp was in
an uproar that drowned out the crashing
Of the story.
keep close to my side, Clara Now
for liberty, in God g name'' said the he
roic Alice.
They turned their horses to the river
and boldly dashed in. The banks on both
sides were low, but the rain had already
swelled the bed, and the cold current
rose to the girths and soon began to float
the names of the horses. 1t was SO dark
that they could not see the opposite
bank and so had to be guided wholly
by the frantic shouting and shooting be-
hind them The instinct of the horses
served them we'll The animals, though
forced TO swim down 200 yards by the
mad current, kept their nostrils pointed
TO the opposite shore and went on TIL
they stood dripping ON the otl'er bank
"Away from the campP' replied Alice
in answer to her sisters question. 1--WE
know not IA destination. We must only
think of the place we fly from. Our des-
tination cannot be worse than our start
ing point The kind Providence that has
so far aided us must still be our reliance
and our guide"
They had no fear of immediate pur
suit, for they knew that the horses were
beyond the control of the outlaws and
that it would be impossible for them to
get them together before daylight They
also knew that Bouton and his men
were in the mountains, as were Black
Eagle and his warriors, but recapture
would not, could not, make their condi-
ton worse. The sisters kept their horses
close together--so close that they coula
have talked had not their hearts beer
too full for utterance.
They rode from the time they left
the river at quick walk. The tenden-
oy Of the horses was to dash away, but
they submitted to the restraint of the
bit
''We may have to test their speed, F"
said Alice when starting off, so let us
reserve their strength"
They could tell when they entered the
mountains by the movements of their
horses. Indeed they reasoned that they
were on trail. Whether this trail led
TO friend or foe they knew not-only
the future could tell Just as the day
was breaking both horses came to a halt
and no urpinp could force them on