The National tribune., 1896-11-12

Then all was quiet save the "tick, tick"
Of the Sheriff's watch. When the time
lacked but a few seconds of being out,
woman's figure hurriedly glided from be-
| hind the rocks and FASTENED up the mount.
| ain.side. The left baud pressed a handker-
chief to the eyes, but the right hand pointed
back ward toward the rocks. Scarcely mo-
ment later mans figure emerged and made
| a wild dash for Lost Creek waterfall. There
was no mistaking the apparel. 1t was the
same suit of well-worn "butternut" jeans,
and the same old brown peaked slouch hat
| that Tom Houston had worn when he dis
| appeared. Perhaps it was the recollection
OF their promise, or perhaps it was only the
suddenness of the apparition at any rate,
| not shot was fired until the figure made a
final leap before disappearing into the deep,
| dark hole into which the water fell. Just
as it was poised in midair half dozen rifles
rang out clear and loud. High above the
multitudinous mountain echoes which they
woke, wild, sbrill scream arose. Every
| man in the posse rushed pel-mell to the
black hole, but when they peered into its
depths nothing could be seen, and nothing
was to be heard save the roar Of the fall and
| the swish of the foam.
"Those rocks ON that side would give a
fellow plenty of foothold," remarked one
man to the Sheriff. "Air 20 a-goin' in ?"
Naw," answered that official. Il amt
hankering to run afoul of Tom Houston's
shootin-rons in the dark"
However, he put his face in at the dark
opening and shouted Surrender. though
his voice was well-nigh drowned by that Of
the water. Then very cautiously he pushed
big revolver into the darkness and pulled
the trigger. A long, reverberating cavern
ous below was the only response.
"Jeeminy!" he calculated. " 1t sounds
like q million Of devils might live down
there!"
Then sudden thought seemed to strike
him.
"See here!" he shouted. about half of
you fellows run down the mountain-quick
and stand guard at the place where Lost
Crick comes out again."
His meaning was eomprehended in an in
slant, and about half the posse dashed away
to execute his orders.
so that was Mag's little game, was it
continued the Sheriff. "She thought Pd
call in my picket lines an then Tom could
slip out of the lower end of this hole-guess
nobody knows it better than him-and she'd
have her $50 besides. She was sharp to get
her money beforehand. wonder where she
is now.
She was nowhere to be seen. It seemed
that during the tumult she had slipped
away unobserved The Sheriff made no at
tempt to follow her perhaps he remembered
his promise not to do so.
"It don't make no difference" he re-
marked. We've got Tom in hole this
time, sure, with both ends of the hole
guarded It's only question of a little
| time now. IF we don't drive him out we
| can easily starve him out. / think some
| fellow winged him when he jumped, any
how"
| That night three men with rifles in their
hands stood guard at the lower opening of
| the underground passageway of Lost Creek,
and three stood at the upper one. The next
day they were relieved by others, and so it
continued for full week. Tom Houston
did not appear. One afternoon at the end OF
this period Toms big peaked slouch hat
foated out into the sunlight at the lower
| entrance The watchers examined it with
| all the eagerness of intense excitement.
Something else is goin' to float out
pretty soon now" exclaimed one in an awe
struck whisper.
| Sure enough, NOT half an hour later
something else did float out
| Look out! It's comin'!" exclaimed the
| first one who saw it.
7 As it reached the first faint rays of day
light the watchers peering in could reeog-
nize the well-wOrn suit of "butternntn
jeans which Tom Houston had been used to
| wear. When it reached the full light OF
! day they saw that wealth of soft brown
hair had fallen hack from the marble brow
| of woman They had to take a second
glance to realize that it was Mag. The old
| radiant beauty was uncOnquered, even by
death; but the old look of naughty defiance
was gore, and in. its place was a look of ten
derest restfn1ness that was new to them.
The only sign of a struggle was the black
| welt On the face where Tom had struck her
| when she went to him to unfold her plan
| for saving his life. As the watchers gazed
| at the placid features the various details Oi
her self-sacrifce came to them one at a time.
Il bet she had him hid in this place all
along" whispered one. "The only trouble
was that the lines was drawed so tight
around that sine couldn't get him out"
| "She changed clothes with him mighty
quick that evenin'," said another.
''Tom slipped off with her clothes on, but
| I bet she had some others hid out some
where's for him to put on. l wouldn't
doubt but she gave him them $40 to 60 on.
Lord knows where he is by this time-in
Halifax, mebby.o
"She thought she could make her way
down here and slip out before we'd think te
head her off. She might "a done it, too, il
some fellow hadn't winged her when she
jumped" said one of the guards, lifting hel
right arm; it seemed to have been shattered
by rifle ball"
"She was powerful sinful woman." said
another.
"Yes. but she loved Tom Houston ar
awful sight" said the third.