The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1899-09-28
Tho next instant the Major had

Tho next instant the Major had
gone.
III.
In few moments he appeared in
the court and took his station in trout
of tho iron shield, facing the gun.
Two Sepoys held him by the arms,
awaiting the signal. Halliwell could
see it all clearly; the loading of the
gun, the careful adjustment of the
fuse.
He will never do it," groaned the
Color-Sergeant ir wardly. "Hes too
fat. He will be blown to shivers."
Suddenly the man at the gun raised
his hand and touched off the fuse. At
the same instant the Major was
pushed forward. He bounded with
great swiftness down the passage, so
narrow that he had scarcely room to
swing his arms. In trice he had
covered quarter of the ground-a
half-three-quarters. Then Halliwell
cred, "Merciful Powersl" for a hor-
rible jet of red flame burst from the
cannon's mouth.
A mans body cannot check charg /,
OF grape shot, so the missiles came
on, all bloody, and smashed into tho
iron shield Major Lasceles had been
blown to pieces The watchers at the
window heard the patter of a ehastly
rain upon the stones.
Halliwell turned his face to tho
prince, to show him that soldier can
look upon a soldiers death and not
finch. The Nana's dusky skin had
paled little. He took somo grapes
from a dish, and ate them slowly,
Then he turned to one of his retinue.
The cursed Feringhee has lost a
dinner"
The man smiled and bowed without
replying.
This one is thin. Think you he
will run faster?"
"Your highness will have the bot
ter sport. Dundoo Pant traced pat
tern with his foot upon the cloth of
silver. His brow grew sullen; he
seemed to anticipate the vengeance OF
q Havelock. Presently he said
Let him try
Halliwell was led from the apart
ment. II paid no heed to the change |
scene. A face swan before his eyes,
the face OF woman into whose heart
great sorrow would shortly come, a
woman left fatherless. The vision
lent him strength, gave courage to his
sinking heart and yigor to his limbs,
which privation and Imprisonment
had weakened.
Then he realized that he was facing
the grim muzzle of the cannon. Never
runner toed the mack in so dreadful a
race. He saw the gunner attending
to his piece, watched him brush away
the priming, aud carefully reload.
His feelings were indescribable. The
sunlight flashing on the steel trun-
Mons daZzled his eyes. He clenched
his hands, clenched his teeth.
For life and love-" he muttered,
''and the rest with God"
Suddenly hereceived violent push
and knew that the fearful sprint had
commenced.
Have you ever, in the grip of night.
mare, run from one who follows fast:
You strive to fly, but your feet cling
to the ground, and you only crawl.
The sensation is maddening. SO it
was with John Halliwell. The stone
flags seemed glued to his limbs; iu
reality he scarcely touched them at
all. Every nerve, every muscle OF
the man were engaged in the fright.
full struggle. The gunner, who stood
by his piece, recoiled with amazemeut
from the face of the Englishman, who,
rushing down upon him, cleared the
gun with one superb bound, even as
the leaden death roared out.
The Color-Sergeant waited not to
test the verify of the Raiah's word
and the invitation to dinner failed tc
tempt him just then. He continued
his rapid course, through the maze oI
mud-huts and cocoa-palhs, over the
baked plain, and finally plunged into
the river, which bore him, half-swim
ming, half-hoating upon its deep and
even current.l The Mana never saw
his prisoner again
The Color-Sergeant had won his life,
Two years subsequently Lieutenant
Colonel John Halliwell won a prize
even more dear to him. -Cassel's Maya.
zine.