The Holly chieftain., 1900-07-13
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LOST ).
ON ThE.... X
Weld $
CHAPTER vL.-(continued.
40 - - ~ ~ ~ X }


At last they stopped. Some one
n came up to Bluebell. and. to her I'M
mensc relief. she felt the horrfd cloth
being united The next moment 1t
was drawn from her head. and then
light, blessed light, albeit 1t was only
faint gray dawn as yet, flooded her
eyes. Bluebell uttered half-sobbing
cry and looked around at her compan-
IONS, then at herself.
They were in the midst OF great
stretch OF arid "karoo"-nothing but
sign OF water, stretched about them.
Around, however. rose great black
> ctaggy rocks, with what seemed like
2 sandy ravine between. but the light
was so dim Bluebell could not be sure.
She was sure of one thing: That she
: had never been there before. She
could only guess that they were about
to enter pass in the mountain which
separated Natal from the Transvaal
sand the Orange Free State.
She looked at her companions. A
native boy" short-statured and at
tired almost in rags. with villainous
expression. walked beside her. On the
ssother side. mounted on large bay
t horse, his dark, evil face turned to-
wards her, was Gerald Moore.
Then her eyes came back to herself
She had on the dark gown which she
had thrown on when she had been
= aroused by the approach of the COM
= mando; heavy tweed cloak covered
sit down to her feet. On the latter she
mad only the house slippers she had
put on when she left her room. A lit
tie tweed cap covered her disheveled
hair. That and the cloak, she con-
scluded, had been supplied by Moore.
She turned to him, her face like that
OF one who had passed through a
frightful vigil, and come out of it pale
and worn, hollow-eyed and heart
broken. A momentary flash of her old
courage came to her as she saw the
Fyil look in Moore's eyes.
Where are you taking me to?" she
exclaimed. Are you a man at all,
RGthat you can drag me from my home
at such time as this. when my
father lies dead or dying, killed by
your treachery?"
Il took you for your own safety" he
replied with a cold smile. "Oh. YOU
sare quite safe with me, Miss Bluebell;
don't be afraid. We are within day
: and nights journey OF our destina-
ton. Once We are safely on Dutch soil
you shall become my wife, and then
we shall cross over to England as soon
as may be-"
You are the worst man that God
has left upon earth!" said the girl de-
iiberately. But do you think you
sywill frighten me into what you wish,
Gerald Moore. l am not afraid to die,
. and will die rather than marry you.
You have done your worst when you
tempted and betrayed my poor father;
you cannot do me any harm now. God
will help me against you"
He laughed insultingly.
II 1t pleases you to think so, my
dear lady. have no objections. AS for
dying-well, we shall see about that
There are different ways of dying"
= All the morning hours they jolted
stumbled and bumped their way over
The rutty and uneven plain. The full
glorious majesty of day.
= Then. as they entered the pass be-
tween the rocky hills, the full heat Of
the sun began to beat down upon them.
4t beat on Bluebell's unsheltered head
and gave her racking headache. Soon
she became intensely thirsty. but no
water was to be seen; but the pain and
weariness Of her body was as nothing
compared to the anxiety, the fear the
anguish that racked her mind.
God, God. help me! There is none
but Thou!" she prayed again and
sgain. Then there came to her mind
the remembrance of Adair Rothes
quiet, brave. strong face. and her heart
bounded. Oh. II he only knew what
had happened, would he not try to
save her from this awful fate?
AAbout midday Moore called a halt.
He came forward to help Bluebell of
hNr horse, but she scornfully waved
him aside and slipped on herself.
You can easily catch me IL I at
tempt to run away" she said. Even
" the words passed her lips her heart
beat high.
Run away! Why should she not
make bold attempt! They could not
be very far distant from some town,
when Moore had spoken of day and
a. nights journey. And even IL she
Idkt herself on that terrible trackless
plain, among those rocky mountains,
better that fate than the one with
which she was threatened.
Her chance was to come sooner than