Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-12

Upon the rise of bare and windy ridge
Hollywood sat on horseback waiting Man
and horse seemed to be the only living
| things between the horizons. From his
point of vantage he looked out over the
| dim, limitless marshes. north. south and
west. and although the growing darkness
| rendered the few features of the landscape
even less distineuishable than usual. his
practlced eye passed from point 10 point
readily, for the fiat map before him had
been etched in upon his memory by the
slow-graving stylus of use.
The gray outlook changed to black Then
red light appeared. as IL were. over the
| edge of the world. Its coming afforded a
certain break in the naked whimpering soii-
| tIde of the plain. Slowly IL crept down the
| incline, for the engines Of NASSAU. like EEL
gan pistols, are not made for rough usage.
haywood rode forward to meet it. the
| tufts of grass creaking under the horses
| feet. But instead of slackenng pace the
chain of lighted carriages swept pasJ him.
ana, gathering speed. wound away into the
| desolate night.
| Hollywood looked after it with a sense Of
| darkness. The chancellor's exordluin and
the dukes remarks had rather prmesl him
10 a state or expectation, and he felt as IL lie
had been baked Of he knew not what Tne
green light contracted and died away into
the gloom; then discomfort mastered him.
| In his restless mood he had grasped at the
situation. which had promised a stirring of
the blood. but the train passed and thrust
him back with hand that seemed almost
psnpdoie INTO the staieness of ordinary life.
w men ne left the frontier he had left be-
hind him the old content the humorous
atiaptabiity to circumstances which had
once been main element of his character
turning his horses head due west he
| rode slowly beside the track where the
| metals had begun to CLEAN under the stars
and the wind drove behind him as il driv-
ing him out into the waste. He rode .n for
five minutes. Then he pulled up and list
ened. Through the whistling of the tsa and
the duii roar Of the river he fancied had de-
tected some other sound
fuzzied, he turned and rode back at a
i-ahu galiop In the teeth of the wind AS
! ne rode the noise became more distinct
aLd presently out of the night something.
| black and bulky came jolting painfully
| ana slowly down the slope of the railway
| track. 90
AS Hollywood drew rein alongside he
saw II was single carriage, uniighted and
| S SoIitasy, roilng a1mlessiy on toward the
| leVei ground through the gloom
Gradually the pace slackened, and at last
with rheumatic jerk backward and for
ward. it came to a standstiH. BY this time
also Raiywood had perceived that it occh-
| pied the further set of rails. on which the
outgoing trains from Revonde Travelled.
| and already the night mail could not he
| far away.
| ond was feeling for his matches, while the
horse fell to shifting half-heartedly at the
| meager heritage
| Hollywood mounted the steps of the car
| rage for the platforms in Maasau are
| very high, and turned the handle. Their,
bending forward, he peered into the in
terror, but through the dusk the seats
| seemed empty. Rallywood stepped inside
| and lit a match. 1t sputtered in the frosty
| air and 1lickered for a second from the
| route maps under the musty racks to the
| cushioned seats, and so downward to d fig
J ure heaped up on the floor rug by the op-
poste door.
| This wandering carriage had, then, one
| occupant. Also he gave signs of life for
went out
Hollywood felt for the lamp above his
! head. for in Nassau the trains are lighted
by oil lanterns let in over the DOORS Find
ing 1t, ne broke the glass with the butt of
his revolver and lit the wick Then he
turned for closer examination of the man
VINO mao come to him in so strange a man.
Eef But the manner pointed to the fact
that this must be the prisoner he was to
hold at Fofn Ford until tomorrow Politics
are apt to work out to curious issues in con-
tlnentai railways. Such things have hap
pened many times though they are not
one arm thrown across the seat and his
race buried in it. He was a big man and
the fringe of white hair showed under the
| back of his travelling cap above a crease
OF Heshy neck
COUNSELLOR
For an instant Hollywood turned sick,
ana his head felt light. He remembered
feeiinS the same sensation years before
when heavy opponent sat abruptly down
On his chest in foot ball scrimmage His
hands shook as he lifted the inert figure
onto the cushions and scanned the face
sticky and distigured with blood After fore
ing some brandy from his flask down Coun-
seliors throat and unloosng his collar
hollywood opened the window wide to let
the cold air blow in upon him and fired
two shots from his revolver in rapid sue
cession out into the night. They must have
neip, for the down mail was already at
Alfar.
BV this time
swearing, had got himself up on his elbow
eyes.
Where the deuce have 1 got to? Is that
you. John? By heaven, l remember"
His fingers went cropping weakly to his
breast, then with a groan he struggled to
his feet. The ruffians have robbed me-"
But the effort exhausted him. He sank
back putting his hands to his head.
Il don't understand this What has hap
pened? John, where am To-
Rallywood explained hurriedly.
We're on the up line, major. Have an
other pull at my flask, and see if you can
get to the Ford block house. The night
| mail will be on US directly. All. there are
the men,, as a stolsd sergeant thrust his
weather-beaten face in at the door.
Hollywood gave the necessary orders
rapidly, then turned back to the major
Are you badly hurt? Do you think you
"Ride! OF course, I can ride How far is
| it to Revonde?''
Hollywood put his arm around him ami
Helped him very tenderly from the carriage.
Counsellor stood up in the bowling wind
| and looked about him into the wild night
I've had a nasty knock on the head and
| suppose they looked to the night mail to
finish the business. Make haste John.
Where's your horse? Treacherys afoot
tonight I've lost my dispatches--they have
| robbed me of themi But I'll beat them all
| yet. Give me your flask. How far is it to
Revonde?''
The troopers had dispersed. some to warn
| the coming train. others to arrange for the
removal of~the carriage from the track.
| Counselor had his foot in the stirrup, and
| with difficulty Hollywood got him up into
the saddle
Thirty miles, but you cannot ride there
| tonight" answered Hollywood
with your help III beat them yet, John
Thirty miles? I'll be there before daylight.
| can go by the stars once / find the road"
He stuck his heels into the horses side,
hut Rallxynod still held the birdie.