The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-05-08

daddy that evening with long let,
ter she meant to write. 1t would bc
particularly long because she in.
tended to fell him about Jack. And
here she blushed little-a femi-
MnS failing that she hadn't quite
:. eradicated.
The Gun was still high above tho
mills When she started to return to
her aant'a. as she went down the
old state road a sudden clatteripg
caused her to turn her head. Three
men mounted on powerful horses
j came trotting down the slope. Su-
san stepped aside to let them pass,
and one of the horses, CATCHING
sight OF her, suddenly sprang aside
and almost unseated his rider. Su-
san looked up anxiously and saw,
to her astonishment, that the mans
heavy beard was twisted very much
to one side. But he quickly regain
ed his seat, with an oath, and, strik-
ing the horse, clattered after his
companions Sneen wondered why
the man was disguised and dimly
fancied that the three rough looking
+. strangers were up to some mischief.
But she was thinking of Jack the
next moment, and the strange Incl
dent was shelved.
A few moments of brisk walking
brought her to the brow of the hill
where the road turned sharply and
ran at an oblique along the side Of
the steep descent. Susan seated
herself on log and looked down
into the village, which lay, as it
1 were, ct her very feet. She traced
the one long street of the hamlet,
which was but continuation of the
highway, and followed its dusty line
past her aunt's trim home, and the
little park. with its so!3:ers' non
ument, and the town hall and then
along to the bank-Jack's bank
and there her gaze rested.
Miss Susan's eyes were good ones,
and the air was very clear. She saw
a horseman sitting in his saddle at
the bank door. He was holding the
brides of two riderless horses. Even
as sne noted this the two riders
rushed from the building and leap
ed into their saddles. There were
puffs Of white smoke and sharp det-
onations. Susan could see people
runring in wild confusion. Then
the three riders started at sharp
canter up the road. Every dozen
; yards or so one would turn in his
saddle and fire down the roadway.
Susan knew what this strange
scene meant. It was daylight bank
robbery-one Of series that had
terrorized all the countryside dur
ing the past GUNNER. The three
robbers were retreating with their
plunder. What had happened in
the bank? Why was Jack not pur-
suing them? She suddenly turned
sick and cold.
Then an indescribable impulse
seized her. She let herself over the
edge of the bank and began mad
scramble down the steep declivity.
She meant to intercept the rufians.
She slid, she stumbled, once she fell,
but she never let 60 her hold on her
precious rifle. And then, as the
earth suddenly seemed falling away
from her, she reached the level
ground in confused heap. But
she was up on her feet in moment.
The highway was directly before
her. The robbers were cantering
by. The man in the rear was the
man with the beard, and he had
coarse bag flung across the saddle
before hing. He was directly oppo-
site Susan as she plunged down to
the edge of the roadway. He must
have taken her for an enemy, for his
glittering revolver flew up, and he
fired in her direction quite at ran
dom. Susan felt sudden twitch at
her broad brimmed hat and quickly
dropped behind some bushes that
lined the roadway. The barrel Of
her rifle rose. The robber was rap
IDLY increasing the distance between
them. Could she shoot this man in
cold blood? She had him covered
"A hioineit more ana II might be too
late. She thought of Jack and fired.
The horse of the fleeing man sud
denly leaped to one side and flung
his rider heavily to the earth. AS
he went down he dragged the bag of
plunder with him. The ridcrless
horse galloped after his companions.
Fhen Susan Galton Brown sprang
into the roadway and fired FIVE shots
in rapid succession after the two
horsemen. She did not aim to hit
them, but rather to frighten them
away. They hesitated moment
and then dashed madly ahead, the
Fiderless horse galloping in the rear.
Susan ran forward to the pros
trate man. He was unconscious.
She stoone1 ovnr. !,:.., FIR . ynomonI