The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1896-05-14
CHAPTER III.

The fiery finger-marks of autumn no
longer lit up the faded foliage of the
little wood; only a few brown leaves
chung to the skeleton branches of the
tree, the rest lay in rotting heaps
around the roots. fitting grave clothes
for the dying ferns, until the chill
blasts should arise again and scatter
them abroad.
Approaching the same spot along
widely-diyerging paths came two fig
ures, the one tripping lightly and the
other slouching along with slow, limp
ing strides. Though the method of
their advance was different, the rate
of their progress was about equal, and
they met just at a point where the two
paths formed a junction with the main
road.
Daisy, who had all along had her
| eyes fixed upon the last visible point
of the steeply-sloping main road, looked
up when she heard the shutting fot-
steps, and, with a start, recognised
Dumb Dick.
Dumb Dick, who had seen and
known the first flutter Of Daisy's
dress in the distance, now halted; and
his red eyes peered out strangely from
the tangled masses of hair which hung
over his face.
IT, AL~t nrn,h ninl-Iuae
feared and stunned by everybody; she
had heard evil things reported of his
doing. and she was not Il little startled
at finding herself alone with him. She
wished he would pass her: but he
stood quite still and seemed to wait
for her to speak.
rs your hand better, Dick?' she
asked, TOUCHING her own wrist.
lie seemed to understand, for he
thrust his hand clumsily forward. An
ugly, deformed and much-knotted
hand it was; but, to her surprise,
Daisy noted that it was now quite
clean, and its great claw-like nails had
been closely cut. Dumb Dick pointed
to a purple scar on his wrist with a
finger of the other hand, and Daisy
saw that this other finger was both
dirty and clawed.
She looked back at Dumb Dicks
blinking red eyes and smiled. A sin
gle glance at that one clean hand, mis-
shapen and ugly though it was, had
driven all fear from her heart. 1t was
as if the wing of Ariel had suddenly
sprouted from the shoulder of Caliban.
and Mirandi felt q strange throb of
Joy, for her wolnan's instinct told her
that she had some mysterious part in
bringing the first sign or order into
this human chaos.
But bark! the sound of q wildly-gal-
looping horse and the swift roll of
wheels!
Daisy looked up the steep incline of
the road, and saw that Frank and his
dog cart were in sight. But no smile
of joyful welcome appeared Oh her
face; she turned as pale as death.
clasped her hands in an involuntary
attitude of prayer and cried out sharp
ly in her deadly fear. For her first
glimpse of Frank had showed her that
he was standing up in his cart, sway
ing to and fro, and that. although he
still held the tightly-gathered reins, he
had lost all control of the bay, which
seemed to be rushing to inevitable de
StructiOn.
Dumb Dick saw Franks peril, and
understood in an instant the catastro-
phe which must occur at the bottom of
the hill; and, finging his long arms
wildly above his head, he broke forth
into hideous cackles of laughter.
A new terror seized upon Daisy's
heart at the sound; but, with it. a new
thought entered her mind, and. with
out hesitation she laid her hand upon
Dumb Dicks arm and shook ii fierce
ly.
Save him, Dick, Save him!" she
cried.
No sooner did her hand touch his
arm than he turned to look at her. and
at the sight of her pale and agonized
face, his laughter censed. Thea, as
rcaGiy as any trained knight or gallant
gentleman Of old. Dumb Dick respond
ed 10 her call. and he obedientlv
leaped into the middle Of the road and
awaited the onrUsh of the terrified
horse.
1t was Il grotesque figure. seen
AGAINST the pale sky. crooked and
twisted as some bad dream of Il heath
en- god; but tie only gcdlikc quality it
held in haiSy'S eyes was that it stood
rlW"e Frank and death.
Nearer and nearer came the horse.
ana Frank sWarCd more ard more in
me cart until ut last he was So rcar
l,l'SE could see The terror in Lis eyes.
men, WITH Il series Of awkward leaps.
l'uhlo bick Gprang to meet !lin,: his
TWO long arms swung upwards, there
was Il Wh'rl of dust "A wild, heating Of
still. "
Then came Il cry:
Help! Daisy, Quick"
IL was Franks voice! Thank God,
he was safe.
Daisy RAJ forward and found Frank
pehding over the motionless figure of
Dumb Dick.
quick, Daisy! take my hat and run
ana ietch some water from the near
pSl ditch 4"