Rocky Ford enterprise., 1900-07-06


Us truly as was ever maid Of the eighv.
eehth 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 of
the fowler. rs powerless to free her
sell a. any poor. duttering. broken
winged bird.
The thought OF what she was leav-
Ing behind was terrible to her as 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 stupeiied at first by
the fearful accusation made against
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-
lize that It might be true.
| II 1t were so-if her father, tempted
by the traitorous villainy OF the man
whom he had called q Judas Iscariot,
mad committed this base deed, though
bluebell could not find II 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 Is she
thought OF II.
Again she made violent struggles TO
free herself. Alas, they were worse
than useless. The strong arms held
her rs In vice.
At this time no word had been ut
tered. Suddenly Bluebell's captoy
paused: the next moment Biuebeii
heard n long. peculiar call rising on
tho night air. II was like tho WOO
ec!" OF the Australian bush. After .
momcntary pause II was answered.
Then Blucbcii's captor continued his
walk. jol,ins and stumbling ut every
step.
Presently there was another pause.
Then Bluebell faneied she heard tho
sound Of horses hoofs. but her hear
Ing was so deafcned by tho thick cloth
that she could not be sure. In . few
minutes. however. she knew she had
been correct. She felt herself lifted
up and placed on tho sidc-saddic Of
some animal. which she kucsscd. from
the height and from tho use OF the
s!dc-saddlc. to be horse.
Then voice spoke close to her car
the voice that was so hateful TO
Blucbcli. and with such good reason.
There Ia no use in resistance: you
arc wholly In my power. and I Am
determined you shall no, escape mo
now. You arc on horseback. am
going to release your arms 80 that you
may hold on with all your might. for
wc arc going over bad bit Of ground.
II you aon't make any resistance I
will take OF that hcaa-drcss presently.
bu; the more resistance you make the
worse you will be treated. And let nc
tell you 4, Ia perfectly useless: moth
lns bu, death can save you from mc." !"
or enursc Biucbcil could make no
attcmp, at moving. Her hands were
released from the cloth tha, had pin
ioncd them 20 her side. rpins we're
placed in her hand. a whip vas fiekcd
In the air. aud the animal beneath
moved forward.
For the mex, hour Biucbcii found
thinking impossible. The horse JOLT
cd. stumbled aud bumped a, every
step. sometimes putting his fore-seet
into holes from which he had TO be
cstriea,cd by main force. then piuns-
inE over loose ciumps o. grass or
shrubs with such suddcnncss a. al
most to unsrat her. Blucbcii vas ac-
cus,onsd to the difficulties c' riding
on tho ycidt. bu, now. disabled by the
want of sight. suffoeated as she was
by the cloth over her head and mouth.
she was utterly unable to keep steady.
and several times her guide had TO
seize her as she was falling from the
horse.
tTo be eon,inued)