Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1896-10-15
N.-CoNTINUED.

AT such a Crisis, thought and action
are one. Shaking himself loose from
the grasp of the struggling young
brother. Ringbrand quoted him with a
single deliberate blow with rhc butt of
the pistol; the next instant he had
tripped the shrieking iircbrand and was
rolling il over and over i'm the damp
grass when the colonel and Henry ran
up. Ii was all over quickly, and they
ire binding Jed and bud when Ludlow
bed them. The colonel sent Henry
ironse the nSnSS>rrvants. with or
der y horses and the farm
wal Fre5dy 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 il happen?"
Ringbrand answered: 1T was kero-
sene. lie had a 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 ia"
Il didn't manage il: 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; l tried it
again, and threw the fellow just as the
other came up. closed with that one
TO keep him from using his rife; and as
we fell, saw the third man IN a blaze"
-Henry's post had been nearest 10 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
he was telling about il, the front door
of the house was opened from within.
and the colonel left the group and stool
for some minutes talking with some one
IN the hall. Presently he called out:
"You-all didn't get hurt, did you, Mr.
Ringbrand?"
Not worth mentioning" was the re-
ply, and Ringbrand was sufficiently
human TO give place TO the hope that
Hester had seen something of the strug-
gle, and TO rejoice in the thought that
her anxiety had prompted the inquiry.
The door closed again when TIE
wagon was driven up, and the colonel
helped the others TO lift the injured
man TO the bed of straw in the deep box
When he had been made as comfortable
as possible, the two others were swung
up behind and tied securely; and the
colonel, Ludlow and Ringbrand drove
down to Tregarthen with their prison
ers.
The colonel said little until the
wagon stopped on its return to THE
Laurels" TO set the two younger men
down at Ludlow's gate; then he rose
and held out his hand to Rirgbrand.
Il reckon you. 'preciate how feel, Mr..
Ringbrand, an I'm mighty proud 10
acknowledge my obligations, an the
obligations of the whole family, TO you,
sch.- Veal amt gwine TO fo'get this
heah night The longes' day thah's a
Latimer livin',"-the colonel's idiom
grew stronger under the influence of
emotion-''aR' want to say right heah
afore Tom Ludlow. sch. that as long as
thai is a Latimer Twin. he'll be proud to
tell his child'en an his grandchildren
that veal are beholden to you, sch, for
Duh lives an for Duh property"
Ringbrand saw through the thin
mask of grandiloquence. and FASTENED
TO assure the colonel that he was only
too glad TO have been in time. ''0nly
don't call it an obligation, colonel" he
added; 1.-The motive was purely selfish
in a way that you'd hardly understand
If tried TO explain IT,"
The colonel said much more to The
same purpose, and would not leave them
until he had extracted a promise from
Ringbrand to extend his visit. When
they had finally hidden him goodnight
and Ludlow was opening the house
door with his lstch-key. Ringbrand
said: IF you lore me, Tom, let me
sleep all day tomorrow if can: I'm
about dead on my feet"