Evening star., 1900-12-15

ton? Oh there might be right smart
crowd, q hundred, he reckoned. and now,
giving orders that the man should be care
fully watched, Wing spurred to the front.
rs it the first road to the left we are to
take? Does that bring us straight to Belle
view?" he demanded Of the silent guide.
Ride back orderly" said Wing. a strange
excitement in his voice Tell Mr.. Fan
ming to close at once on the head OF col
umn, My God.' he muttered to himself,
"lc0 cavalry in the town, and nothing SAID
about it. What's got TO be done must be
done quickly" Bitterly now he wished he
had nabbed and silenced that daring SIN
gle scout who had gone northward a-ong
the pike.
A trooper came galloping up, from the
Woods says they're rousng up back there
in town. He heard bug.e, and we could
see more lights. He thinks they've got
wind of US somehow.
THE devil you say growled Wing,
glancing angrily back. Yes, where only
two lights had been seen half dozen
were twnkling now, and one or two dane
ing about like will-o-the -wisps. 'Trot.
he cried. Pass the word to keep closed
and come on! Mr. Holt. I'll have to trouble
YOU to ride ahead here on my left. An
Here's the cross road now. Head of col
umn to the left! Come on, men. we haven't
a second to spare!
And now a dull. muttled thunder rose on
the still morning air, the low rumble of n
swift-moving column of horse. but swift as
they We're trotting eastward now anu
straight for Belleview's gate, swlfter sun
a single horseman was ga!loplng headlong
from town to the manor house, and fairy
tore in at the westward gate. Not four
minutes later. straight into the same proad
portal. with eager light ablaze in his eye,
rode the daring young captain, and by his
side his heart throbbing like mad, Norman
Holt, silent still, yet sustained by wild
excitement as they whir ed into the circu-
lar drive. One minute more as the leaders
6a6 pravpl1V NOrman'S strain
ing eyes were greeted by Il sight that
wrung from him low cry of dismay-al-
most of terror. One window on the gate
ward side was dimly lighted the window of
his fathers room. 1t was the signal never
set except to tell the wanderer or the needy
that the master was III home and the latch
string out. He had guided his fathers
enemies to that beloved fathers capture,
after all, And this-this the dawn of
; Christmas day,
Loud rose the clash and clatter of twice
an hundred hoofS as the column swept
rapidly round the drive. Then loud and
clear rang out the captains spirited orders.
Move right on. lads. Circle the house
surround 1t on every side. Mr.. Wood gal
lOp to the stable and nab the guard before
they can be out!'
But now came most unlooked-for well
come. All of a sudden from four lower
windows rang out the report of carbines,
ana one poor lad, with yell of agony,
clappcd hand to his side and plunged head
long out of the saddle. a snorting, rider
less horse went tearing round the lawn.
From other windows poured other shots,
some OF revolvers. Raging with disappcint-
ment. the captain leaped from his saddle.
shouted for a dozen men to follow him. and
rushed for the massive door of the man.
sion. They might as well have kicked at
stone wall. and what made matters worse,
carbines We're now b'aZing at every win
dow. From some point within the be-
sieged were able to land few shots among
the heaving. swarming dozen at the cap
tain's back, and two more poor fellows
went down, pale and groaning. TRY the
{ rear door, Come on yelled Wing and led
the dash round to the back of the big Ken
lucky house. There they met with what at
first seemed better success. With d beam
for a battering ram, they burst in the
fimsy door and found themselves cropping
in pitch-dark hallway, a veritable cul de
sac, and Wing, raging. ordered his men
| back until they could get light. Meantime
| the shouts and shots without redouhled. but
! with appreciable effect the beSieged.
| Three or four of the guard, caught with
| the horses at the stable. had surrendered
! to superior force, but most of them were
| already inside the mansion. and the troop
i ers who strove to force door or easement
| did 1t at their peril
| All this while. as though In a daze, hardly
| knowing what he did, hardly crediting the
| evidence of his senses Norman Holt, fling
| ing himself from saddle was crouching in
| a little clump OF shrubbery within the en-
! crcling driveway. He listened to the wild
I shouts, the rapid shots of the beseigers
and noted the cool, steady response on part
| of the beseiged. He heard Wings voice
! shouting imprecations and orders at the
rear of the house. A soldier with a carbine
| rushed past him, krelt and took aim at the
| ser ord window from the main doorway.
pulled trigger and fred. and Norman saw