The Holly chieftain., 1900-07-06

4
colored clothes. striding through that
beam Of light.
But she had no time to sDsak. ~
time evAn to think Before shs knsw
what was aheut % hapDsn sAA was
ssised In . Htrong, almost vies-liks
grip, something dark, Close and stiAiux
was fastened tightly around her face,
% that she could not uttsr . sound
sam Low, stiasd moan. and de fslt
| herssh lifted Oh her fest and carried
~ easily a. II she was . child down.
stairs. She struggled violently. mak-
Ing Wild eftorts to free her hands and
arms. which were bouRd to her side
BY = cloth: but 1t was useless. Al well
might = ny have struggled to escape
| from an impyisoning web.
She could not feel the change from
the warmth Of the air inside to the
chilly atmosphere without; but she
guessed that her captor had immedl-
ately passed outside with her, and in
q few minutes she could feel the jolt
ing Of his steps as he passed over the
rough and uneven path outsids the
homesteading.
A deadly despair succeeded the first
wild revolt of Bluebell's senses. She
could have no doubt as to who her
captor was. She had been carried on
as truly as was ever maid Of the eight
eenth century by the man who, for
some reason of his own-Bluebell had
never thought 1t love wished to make
her his wife. She was in the snare ee
the fowler, as powerless to free her
self as any poor, nuttering, broken
winged bird.
The thought Of what she was leav-
ing behind was terrible to her a. her
unknown fate. Her father had seemed
dead as she looked upon him. Was he
really so? 1t almost seemed to Blue
bells shuddering heart that it would
be better for him II he were.
| She had been stupefied at first by
the fearful accusation made againAt
her father, but In the moments that
elapsed between his seizure by the
visitation of God and her seizure By
mans villainy Bluebell had slowly
been coming out of her stupor. to rea-
lie that 1t might be true.
II 1t were so-if her father, tempted
by the traitorous villainy of the man
whom he had called a Judas Iscariot,
had committed this base deed, though
Bluebell could not find 1t in her heart
to call 1t crime, then the punishment
meted out to him might be SO terrible
that natural death would be thou
sand times preferable.
And then poor Miss Elizabeth, left
to face those terrible men. with, per-
haps. the dead body Of her brother in
the house! Bluebell felt her heart
torn with anguish and anxiety ~ she
thought of 1t.
| Again she made violent struggles TO
free herself. Alas! they were worse
than useless. The strong arms held
her - in vice.
At this time no word had been ut
tered. Suddenly Bluebell's captor
paused; the next moment Bluebsli
heard long. peculiar call rising on
the night air. It was like the WOO
eel" Of the Australian bush. Aftsr
momentary pause 1t was answered.
Then BluebelPs captor continued his
walk, jolting and stumbling at every
step.
Presently there was another pause.
Then Bluebell fancied she heard the
sound of horses hoofs. but her hear
ing was 90 deafened by the thick cloth
that she could not be sure. In a few
minutes, however. she knew she had
been correct. She felt herself lifted
up and placed on the side-saddle OF
some animal, which she guessed, from
the height and from the use of the
side-saddle, to be horse.
Then voice spoke close to her ear
the voice that was so hateful to
Bluebell. and with such good reason.
There Is NO use in resistance; you
are wholly In my power, and l am
determined you shall not escape me
now. You are on horseback. l am
going to release your arms SO that you
may hold on with all your might, for
we are going over bad bit Of ground.
II you don't make any resistance l
will take on that head-dress presently,
but the more resistance you make the
worse you will be treated. And let me
tell you it is perfectly useless: moth
ing but death can save you from me-"
OF course Bluebell could make no
attempt at moving. Her hands were
released from the cloth that had pin
ioned them to her side. reins were
placed in her hand. whip was hicked
in the air. and the animal beneath
moved forward.