The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-05-01

So &@1 "f+h . 4 1tt. HAF& AtE Att&tA
remained on watch. wondering where
their sergeant had gone 10. but all una
ware Of the prisoner esrape.
The river road He Spared his harsa
down the trail turiogsly until the post
wss far behind him on his right the
river flowed on his left The land rose in
ripping huns. a grew black mass IN the
starlight. For many miles In frotn 81
him ~ knew the long and lonely trail
stretched drearily. without housc. with
out town. for night 100 miles. when at
last Il ended al the railway He was
able, With an EFFORT. - consider that the
two would spare their horses. knowing
how FAR they lad 10 90. aud hardly ex-
p~ecting pursuit before guard mount In
the morning. when the Officer of the tay
would make his report. They had mora
than an hours start. but i he pressed
hard after them he Mould catch up soon.
That settled. he urged his horse TO the
utmost. ana gave himself up 10 the mad
rage OF Jealousy ana disappointment. He
had known her from ! child - be wilful
ana passionate and mischleyious. bat he
had never. in his alteration. believed her
capable of such deceit. lie did not stop
to think that love had forced himself 20
break his oath. To neglect his duty. 10 as
sist a prisoner under his charge 10 es-
cap> 10 forfeit. II the truth became
known. the trust of his officers. AMI the
name he had won in years o. hard cam
paigning. lie did not stop Ia think OF
what love might have forced her also To
40. lie was wounded soreIy. ami he wish
ed for nothing hut revenge.
The dust scattered in clouds about him:
the horse. IN that hot night. soon was
streaming sweat. lie never slackened
pace. Now and again there VAS a creek
to cross. and through them he dashed.
Needless of mud hole or rock or stump,
once : belated Indian freighter met him
and grunted an astonishel. How"
Holmes hardly saw him. nor answered
his greeting. In an instant he was out
OF sight and hearing So he rode. blind
to all he passed. his eyes slaring ahead.
his teeth grating, seeking revenge FOR the
Slight and the scorn and the lie.
They had travelled NOR, quickly than
he had reckoned they would. and the
Sky Of the midsummer morning was
turning slowly from gray To violet when
lie saw them. ana drew the revolver he
carried as being on guard duty He hail
ed them. and through the misty dimness
OF the dawn they saw him and spurred
ahead with the cry Of fear and surprise.
His horse. the leetest in the troop, drew
up upon them, but, urged by terror, they
pushed on To the utmost. The sergeant
NtS Nltllli y NdIiS ~ tliiii Mlth ~"
leveIed his revolver and fired. They were
too far off for pistol shooting. but the
shot resulted in bringing them to a
standstill. He rode slowly up and refined
in. facing them. The girl sat erect in
} her saddle, her bosom heaving, her eyes
d~efying him. The musician looked at him
withhis big, brown eyes-despairing.
Holmes looked only on the girl, and even
: as he did so that which had caused all his
| misery in the last few years. his great
love for her, came BACK, sweeping in on
Y him as a flood. washing away his wrath
! and disappointment and longing for re-
venge. 1t was Katy Malone who faced
him, his pet in her school days, the one
thing he had ever loved. As he looked
on her, flushed with exercise and indig-
I nation, he put his pistol back in the hol-
ster. and the reins fell on his horses
neck, and he cared nothing for the others
presence. but held out his arms in over
q whelming despair. crying.
Katy. Katy! Why have you done
thfs?"
The girl paused a moment in surprise.
I, for she had surely expected an outburst
= of colossal rage, but in a moment She
regained her usual self-possession. She
took the musicians hand In hers. in tho
protecting way she had used when she
had met him in the island wood.
Because love him. she said. simply.
The sergeant's head dropped low over
) his horse, and his tall frame shook.
= When he looked up, his face was gray
as the morning sky. All light was gone
from his eyes. even as the stars vera
disappearing in the heavens. lie was
calm now.
@ ~You could not trust me 10 make you
happy he said, slowly. II begin to I'M
4 derstand. / want TO know one thing. DiI
d you care for me at all, before-hc-
. came?"
s She shook her head.
o Never she said.
! He sat again erect, and looked mp at
d the Sky. In one instant his life stood
s revealed. Lonely, lonely, lonely. Through
n all the years from the first early ques-
tionings Of himself, OF who his mother
was and who his father. through all the
2 years of ill-used. soul-souring childhood.
G through all the years of unfriended, star
wing youth. through all the years of man
IF hood, solitary and avoided by his COM
rades, he saw himself, babe, child. boy,
unfriended and alone. Lonely, lorely,
d lonely. Friendless and unloved.
e He looked at the young lovers, hand
in-hand. What good N1lld it do to ar
II rest them. They would only hate him the
q more. WHAT good would 1t do to force
her back? Besides the escape must be
known soon, and he, in turn, would be q
prisoner. The sky was changing into
blue; the sun was almost on the horizon
but round his soul the night grew very
q dark. For a while they watched him
e wondering, and at last he looked at them
e and his eyes were full Of tears.
q ride on" he said.
They did not move, hardly believing
until he waved his hands impatiently.
q Go" he said, "and-and God make you
= both happy"
Without a parting word, they wheeled
. and fled.
l. He watched them disappear, and a mo.
ment after, the crack Of a pistol rang out
= across the plain, and the sergeant's rider
- less horse, frightened, galloped back tc
; the post.