The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1898-04-08

for 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 colonel and 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 a 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 a terrible picture of man wrapped
in a winding sheet of flame and
running toward him-a yelling human
torch blazing from head to foot and
swinging it's 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
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 thom. The colonel sent Henry
TO 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.
hSoo hS tdoI hCIPs AS odlos HulCG-
ly. How did it happen?"
Ringbrand answered: ut 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:
II missed my man, but see you have
him. How did you manageit?"'
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 dubbed gun; | tried it
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"
Renry'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
he was telling about it, the front door
of the house was opened from within.
and the colonel left the group and stood
for some minutes talking with some one
in the hall. Presently he called out:
"You-all didn't get hurt, did you, Mr..
Ringbrand?"
mot 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 the
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 Nturn to ''The
Laurels' to set the two younger men
down at Ludlow's gate; then he rose
and held out his hand to Ringbrand.
81 reckon you 'preciate how l feel, Mr..
Ringbrand, an I'm mighty proud to
acknowledge my obligations, an the
obligations of the whole family, to you,
sch. We-all amt gwine to fo'get this
heah night the longes' day thahs a
yatimer livin','-the colonel's idiom
grew stronger under the influence of
emotion-"an' l want to say right heah
afore Tom Ludlow, sch, that as long as
thah is Latimer livin', he'll be proud to
tell his child'en an his grandchildren
that we-all are beholden to you, sch, for
Duh lives an for Duh property"
Ringbrand saw through the thin
mask of grandiloquence, and hastened
to assure the colonel that he was only
too glad to have been in time "Only
don't call it an obligation, colonel" he
added; "the motive waspurely selfish
i'll 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 latch-key, Ringbrand
said: IF you love me, Tom, let me
sleep all day tomorrow if l can: I'm
about dead on my feet"
XIII.
ANSWERS VARIOUS.
oil 4