The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1901-10-18
But, Mary" said he, Il must get

But, Mary, SAID he, Il must get
away"
Come, them" sadly said the girl rs
she took his hand and led him from the
dim cave through the low entrance Be-
fore them precipitous banks rose grimIy.
The girl, still leading, turned into a mar
row trail ascending the seemingly un-
scalable cliff. Entering a vine covered,
shallow cave Oh the way they rested.
The girl asked:
jes' KEN backs Then with a SIGH she
added: What mus | do fer ye!'' She
passed her fingers softly over his palm as
she sat beside him, but the man was i'm
patient OF delay and found it hard to be
gentle with her: He slowly twisted one
of her curlS rs he answered.:
Il must tel lou all about it, Mary.
came to see you, and taking short cut,
hurrylng. not seeing that hole. I stumbled
into it. and although, as you know, am
neither a sheriff nor spy'-he rose and
peered through the vines as he spoke
still Of course l know what the men
We're at. and also that the moonshiners
hearty be asked, as he drew her to her
feet.
But howT' asked Mary.
Get my horse, Mary; it is down at the
FORKS
TOO fer" answered the girl: "but
leChOu lily mare u 90.
shc:'
Right nigh. Come
After much scrambling they were upon
comparatively level ground. A rough
road skirted the side of the mountain.
Below it shallow stream slowly moved,
with dark ferns and rhododendrous on it's
banks.
Il can't stay here, Mary" said the man
looking about; ''it's too open.'
Look and the girl sprea ding her
arms wide parted clump Of laurel In
to this greenery the sheriff crawled.
Yell KEN back ag'in, Ben?'' mourn
fully asked the girl as she leaned against
her mare.
.Of course" answered the man. and
asked as he frightened the girth: What;
become Of your old lover, Mary? Tom
was his name, wasn't it?" Then not
waiting for reply he added: II suppose
If Id not come along you'd have been
married to him long ago, eh, girl?' He
raised her chin and looked into her eyes
as he asked the question.
But you-uns kens, 1 nev'r kin now
Be11-lean me go long of you-uns, Ben.
the mare kin tote two
mo, child, what could 1 do with you
down in the city? No, no." he said.
more ,emphatical]y. ''You'd be better off
with Tom''
out-Deu, udu ~ lOFe tUu-luS, TEL
you-uns KEN I lowed I loved Tom, but
now-oh, Benz she pressed his face be-
tween her hands, her eyes dim with emo
ton.
From above came the angry hiss Of an
owl: Tine girl. recognizing it as a signal
OF the moonshiners, grasped the stirruc
Quick, quick" The sheriff swung
himself to the saddle Just as two men
ran down the slope. He dug his heels
into the mare, but the girl chung to his
stirrup and to his leg as she implored:
TEX me, Ben! They'll kill me! Oh
tex me.''
The sheriff with an oath and a savage
thrust of his foot against her breast re-
leased himself from the girl, and she fell
heavily.
One bullet went through his hat, the
other slit his ear The mare in frenzy
of fright bolted into the thicket.
The moonshiners looked scornfully
down at Mary, and let themselves drop
into the cave.
Mary's mare. not accustomed to such
harsh treatment, galloped down deep into
Doggy rayine. The man pulled and
him was the wallow of the wild hogs.
A great boar with short tusks and
bristling name rose savagely at sight of
them. As the mare stumbled through the
mire the boar with a roaring grunt
charged uDon her. A tusk pierced her
side and she went down. the boar grunt
ing and stamping upon her in his fury.
The agile sheriff jumped far as she fell.
but only to find himself surrounded by
hogs of all shades! from black to rusty
red. AS he reached for his pistol he was
bowled over by young boar. and with
a rush the hogs were at him. Their sharp
hoofs wounded his body; his face he
pressed deep into the mire.
Above him there rang out an asonized
the path. AS she ran down the bank she
raised her arms high as she called to a
man on the opposite ledge.
TON, Tom. save him! Save him."
pointing toward the sheriff.
Tom dragged his knife from his boot,
decline, calling as he descended:
..Ye KEEP back, Mary; kin do it,
The girl stopped half way down, her
head thrust forward, her frightened eyes
seeing only the PROSTATE sheriff.
As Tom reached the wallow he s]ashed
right and left with his long knife, kicking
his way among the furious hogs and hit
ting them upon the shouts, their only vul-
nerable point.
When he was within reach of the great
boar he struck the wild creature across
the back with his rife. At the blow the
name on the boar's back quivered with
the animals rage, and he turned toward
his assailant and raised himself to Jump
over h; . OF Piss ned their mother
Tom stopped and plunged his knife INTO
the exposed throat of the huge creature
AMI wrenched the weapon from side t.
side.
A: the squeals Of their wounded leader
lie whole drove tur2e1 and lumD:ed into