The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1896-06-25

of kerosene filledahe air.
What WAS thatt noise?" asked
the otheE. &
Kits that thar blame, bottle o. coal
oil, that's what hit Ms; hits done
busted an runall down into my boots"
replied the first; and they moved for
ward and disappearetabehind the corner
of the house.
Ringbramd kept them in sight as long
as he could, and .thenean across to the
clump of barrels, going down on his
hands and knees and staring intently
into the gloQsn until he found them
again, two darker hlots of shadow
,rouching in tbe angle formed by the
bay window in the parlor. While he
was straining his eyes to catch the
CLEAN OF the match which would be the
signal for their return, he,did not hear
the stealthy steps of man who was APP
progched him from behind, nor did he
know of it's presence when the gliding
figure came quite close and stood with
dubbed gun. waiting for him to rse.4
The appearance of the third brother
upon the scene was due to the fact that
Ludlow had chosen his position Mnfor-
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 inn
pulse born of desire to know il his
"arning to Hesterhad accomplished its
purpose. Looping the horses brides
together and throwing them over the
branch of tree, he followed noiselessly
N the footsteps of his brothers; and
coming out on the open lawn intime 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 quick circle in the
air and descended with blow that sent
him back to his knees with a thousand
scintillating notes dancing before his
eyes; for a single confused instant he
thought the end had come, and then he
felt the revivifying 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,
GREATNESS struggle. a fierce clutching
Cor 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 as 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 colonela his son both hes
itated, and Bud confronted Ringbrand
just as the latter recovered himself
from the grapple with Jed. There was
no time for delibcration, and, realizing
that the mountaineer could not use his
rife at close quarters, he flung himself
upon the newcomer, taking him un-
awares and throwing him heavily just
as bright blaze sprang up beside the
house and howl OF agony rang out on
the still air of the night. A single
glance revealed the cause of both. There
was terrible picture Of a man wrapped
in a winding sheet of flame and
running toward him-a yelling human
torch blazing from head to foot and
swinging its fiery arms frantically as it
ran.
At such crisis, thought and action
are one. Shaking himself loose from
the grasp of the struggling young
brother, Ringbrand quieted him with a
single deliberate blow with the butt of
the pistol; the next instant he had
tripped the shrieking firebrand and was
rolling it over and over in the damp
grass when the colonel and Henry ran
up. 1t was all over quickly, and they
were binding Jed and Bud when Ludlow
joined them. The colonel sent Henry
10 arouse the negro servants, with or
ders to get the horses and the farm
wagon ready at once, and then an awed
little group gathered around the burned
man while Ludlow examined his in
juries by the light of the lanterns.
"Iguess he's past help" he said, quiet
ly. How did it happen?"
Ringbrand answered: 1T was kero-
sene. .He had bottle in his pocket,
and broke it Just as they passed me.
lie was carrying an armful of wood
Ludlow glanced at the other two:
Il missed my man, but see you have
him. How did you manage ?"
Il didn't manage it: 1t was managed
for me- replied Ringbrand, lowering
his voice at the sound of slight noise
at one of the upper windows of the man
sion. when got upon my feet behind
the laurels there, some one knocked me
down with a dubbed gun; | tried il
again, and threw the fellow just as the
other came up. closed with that one
to keep him from using his rifle; and as
we fell, | saw the third man in blaze
Henry's post had been nearest to the
bay window, and he told how jeff had
tried twice to light the kindlings, and
how the blaze had enveloped him as he
was making the third ATTEMPT. While