The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-09-19
, CHAPTER K.
CONTINUED.


yasseur, trembling and app arently
almost exhausted, when the halter
strans were removed, stood there look
inr about him like worried and sore
" wounded wild animal; his eyes shot
out a strange gaze of mingled fear and
and fury; his teeth chattered.
eco, now, you thief" said Ra-
meau: t" and if ever again I find you
prowling in this part of the country,
I'm have you hanged to the first limb
that's strong enough to bear you !
Col"
Like o race-horse promptly starting
at the word, Vasseur bolted away,
running nimbly, but with a certain
feeble swaying of his body, and was
quickly lost sight of in the gloomy
thickets of undergrowth near by.
A grim half-smile showed itself In
Rameau's face; it appeared to make
tae slender white scar across MS
cheek and ear flicker balefully y. T.,
"Ride on" he said to his men;
.stake the saddle and bride. Leave
the horse; it is not worth being
troubled with. I'll join you at
Dicks"
The order was promptly obeyed, and,
n few moments later, Burns and Ra-
meau were left together in the silence
and the gloom of the moss-huns
woods.
Half gay, half melancholy was the
snatch of song borne back to their
ears-a bit of sentimental rhyme that
one of the outlaws, in q fine tenor
voice, trolled as he rode:
"'uer lover was false and cold was his
And aasti she died by his cruel hand;
And the lover OF to the wars did go,
To fight In foreign land,"
Burns was still standing beside his
horse, and, half leaning on the saddle
kept his deep.set eyes fixed 80 that
they seemed to burn right into those
of Pierre Rameau.
When the men were quite out OF
sight and hearing Rameau said:
"Old man, what do you want ?"
"You.know what want, Kirk Mac
Collough. Where is my child-where
is Margaret ?"
"What do know about your child?
Who are you, to put such question
to me?"
"You have not forgotten me. It is
useless for you to dissimulate. l am
here Kirk MacCollough, humbly beg
ging to see Margaret once more be-
fore am dead. You are bad man,
but YOU cannot refuse me this"
.You are evidently laboring under
some strange mistake, sir. My name
is not MacCollough. I don't know
anything about your child"
Don't lie to me, Kirk MacCol-
Tough! It can do you nogood-serve
you no turn whatever. I know you.
You know me. 7 have followed you
step by step, from place to place, from
country to country. You could not
and cannot escape me. Where IS
Margaret?"
This was said in louder voice and
with an intonation that in some way
suggested the implacabls spirit OF
righteous fate. 1t did not, however,
- produce the slightest visible effect on
Rameau. His face was absolutely in
different in It's expression. He re-
garded the tall, emaoiafeH-old man
before him es satisfied beast of prey
might have eyed with soulless and
careless eyes an undesirable victim.
eff you, like the little scoundrel
whom you have seen me punish in a
light way. are also dsgging my
steps, He broke of, hesitated
and seemed to be rejecting with his
eyes cast down. Presently. he said:
"You must be crazy, stranger. An
old man like you ought not to be risk
ing himself in this wild place."
Burns lifted one hand, as if in
prayer, and strange, hungry, long
ing expression passed his face. For
.some moments he was silent, his lips
moving, his eyes upturned.
When again he spoke, he seemed
to have better control of himself:
'Kirk," no said, very gently, "you
we'll know that I would not harm q
hair of your head if could. and,
moreover, you can see how utterly
powerless I an."
'Don't call me Kirk or any other
of your fanciful names!" exclaimed
Rameau, his voice for the first time
ringing impatiently. "I am Pierre
Rameau-you may have heard of him
and do not deal gently with those
who set themselves like hounds to
follow on my track! Do you hear?"
The old man drew in deep, long
breath, and held it as one does who is
helpless and hopeless at a moment
when some mighty desire fills the
whole of life. He made o gesture
that signifed both pity and utter dis
tress.
~ will address you with any name
you like," he presently said; "but q
name is nothing. You cannot turn
me back or put me off by this pretense
of not knowing who am. lam Max
Burns; I have never had any cause to
be ashamed of my name; l want to
see my child, my Margaret, your wife.
Where is she, Kirk-where is she,
Pierre Rameau?"
Haven't said that I don't know
you, never knew you, never sow you
before, don't know anything whatever
about you or your daughter? Old
man, you had better 60 home and be
taken care Of; this is no place for you.
Come, mount your horse and be off