Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1896-11-12

risk their iiyes for IL.
Ills look and attitude were deer
mined .nd ferocsous. and sArrs HAS 80
tie doulu that he w0nld do his best -
fulfill his threat.
.-cUwarxss~' cried Sir HarelL fellsE
ne. those who are not afraid and. OIL
ns.in ihongh ~ a be moHate2 tie
ladder with agility.
As me reached tie top G-idley dEel
A sharp report. 6 wrath OF smoke
aud a sudden cry: but the cry prScert-
ed from tho lips OF Ernest. who ex-
pccsrsl 10 see his father fall a corpse -
the ground: hut the old baronet stu
stood erect. The pistol had been dis
charged SO full in bis face that his
whiskers were singed. bur a sudden
movement had wrcIched his head
from out OF the li-e OF fire. and he was
uniDjured
He rliSi,ed Ge.e eIy 2: G=taayy and
grappled With him.
Those two. left so themselves. the
elder mar wouli have Jared but bad
~: but others were coming 10 his as
slstance; and John Griiiey. seeing that
lie would be- cVerpowarei IL he re-
NAMED there, thrust Sir Harold from
kim, and spraaZ up a second ladder
watch led through 4 trap door into the
loft.
Huge trusses OF stra blocked mp rhe
platform. and reached nearly 70 the
t%rap-door: AMI consequently. tl.e tra.
bic which GridIey took To draw up the
short ladder after him into the loft.
was Of little avail for. by means OF
the masses OF straw. II was coIupara-
ftFatT aaavr "a F.~gf. 81. av4~H Glfa
which formed tire sole entrance 10 the
upper portion Of the old barn.
As one of Miss Henwood's servants
climbed rapidly upwards. a hand bold
ing a pistol was thrust through the
trap.
There was another sharp repoTt: the
man threw bis arms Over his head.
staggered. ard fell lIfeIess.
'On-0n.' cried Ernest. before be
has tine 10 reload Both barrels are
empty. end lie Gan 10 YOU no harm"
Caleb, who had remained passive
hitherto. ct the sound OF his masters
voice. sprane forward, ard. with mon
key-like agility. swung himself through
the trap. and cast himself headlong at
John tiridley. and bore him down.
ToSethe- the two bsttled furieusly.
each striving for the llastery-the re-
gro pouring forth a vocabulary OF
choice epithets, as he struggled and
kicked. ard bit wildly. in his yain ar
tempts to secure the nov ~doubly-guilty
man.
The others. more slowly but in the
tarhe manner IA the negro. managed
10 effect IN entrance into the loft: and
then John Gridiey's chance OF escape
seemed hopeless.
Together they esSayed TO bind him:
but he seemed 10 be endowed with SUI
%perhumlaR strength. He burst assun-
der all their bonds and with glaring
eyes he dashed down his antagonists
amt inflicted many serious wounds
npon them in this his life or death
struggle.
From where he lay Ernest could gee
Ia strife. and he watched il. as may
be supposed. with GREATNESS interest.
His attention had been so fixed upon
the struggle in the loft that he had not
ooticed a faint blue wreath OF smoke
curling up from one OF the trusses OF
straw.
Fire. fire." shouted Ernest with the
whole strength or his lungs; but no ona
regarded him.
Father he almost screamed in &c.
srzilr. "tile barn is on iirei In another
minute il will be too later,e
This time his voice reached the ears
OF Sir Harold. who, In a moment, saw
the truth of his sons words.
With the flames about them on every
side they managed to drop through the
trap and so regain the floor of the
barn without mishap.
All except John Gridiey.
"Ah. ha.' he laughed savagely.
What matters IL what death / die?
If you could all have roasted with me
1 should have rej1iced! / will no stir.
| WIZ not bulge IN inch. Let the
-han-eS ONE to me and claim me for
their lawful prey! II will be a grander
and nobler death than the hangman's
noose.'
There was something terrible in the
way in which that man calmly remain
ed waiting a dreadful death. Much as
he had sinned. wicked as he was. no
one could choose but feel pity, mingled
with horror, at the thought of his rap
idly approaching fate-a fate so dread
FIJI aS 70 wiring cries of agony from the
brayest.
The baronet with his son left the
burning barn a rapidly as possible,
calling upon the servants 10 do the
same. an order which they speedily ex-
ecuted.
The barn was formed of dry wood
principally, and was highly inhamma-
bic. while the straw slowed away in
side fed the flames till they darted into
the air like crimson-tipped spears,
shedding a lurid giara upon all around
ard lighting UP the faces OF the fright
ened villagers who fiocked from every
direction to the scene of the coniagra-
ticn.
A portion Of the ignited wadding
from the pistol Gridley had fred had
settled In the straw. For some time
1t lay there s~mouldering till famed
into kfe by some little gust Of wind.
Thus it was that, Indirectly, John
Gridley caused his own terrible fate.
In a very short time the timbers
which had supported the roo of the
barn were burnt through. and then,
with a terrific crash and amidst a
shower Of brilliant sparks, the roof fell
in.
Then Ii was that far away at a cor
-. - - ~. n----