Semi-weekly Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1897-1901, 1901-09-10
CHAPTER XIV.

V III the situation. All my com
lnand slept during the day
and even | got two or three hours OF
tired natures sweet restorer, though
would not close my eyes till Helen had
promised not to take hers off the guer-
rillas till | awOke. During the after
noon all began 70 suffer from hunger,
but | would not allow the scanty bit
of food remaining to be eaten. Buck
got over the noon meal bravely, but
when supper time came he clamorcd
for something to eat.
"Now, see hyar, Mr.. Brandystone,"
he argued. you just give me my shar',
an l won't want any mo- when the rest
Of yo' have yo's.'
You must wait, Buck. We shall
have to fast long enough anyway. The
longer between meals the longer we
can hold out"
IAN right" he said bravely. II can
hold out as long as any Of yo'."
As evening came on a horrible thought
! doomed up suddenly. If the night
| should be dark, there was nothing 10
/ prevent the guerrillas stealing up on us
! unawares and capturing our strong
hold.
Il must find way out Of this" l
muttered and began an examination of
the face of the rock in our rear. The
cleft where water dripped slan;cd up
ward, narrow opening little wider
than mans body. | crawled into the
crevicc and by using hands and feet
mounted to the summit. | stood en-
chanted by the splendid view. North
ward and eastward the Cumberland
mountains reared their heads. a success
sion of wooded crests: westward the
fair plain OF middle Tennessee: south
ward Confederate territory cut off
from us by war and setting atlame the
Imagination as TO what was taking
place in the newborn nation. An un-
dulating horizon divided the blacl;
earth from the scarlet sky left by the
setting sun.
Scrambling over the Uneven ground,
climbing rocks, lighting my aytlrough
thickets, | explored every promise OF
outlet. There was not possible de-
Sttul. ittul lltl W wv IiibhlLi VI 'iiS
creyice, intending to rejoin my COM
panions. | heard some one clambering |
up and looking down, saw Helen Stan
forth, Giving her my hand, helped |
her to level ground. i
You and l." l said. should not be |
absent from the front at the same
time"
Tell me-" she said. fixing her eyes
on me intently, what I want to know.
] have led Jaqueline. Buck and Ginger
into this trap in an attempt to save
You. The least l can expect is your
confidence. Who are you?'
Our lives depended on absolute devo-
ton to each other. If l should tell her
that | was a southern man holding
commission In the Yankee army, that
| had sent information north to enable
a Union general to capture the region
about her home, | should sap our main
element of strength. On the other
hand, was accepting all this devotion
under false pretenses. The thought
was maddening. Had she not been
looking at me with her big honest eyes
believe l should have shed tears OF
anguish.
Miss tanforth-Helen," | said,
who and what l am can be Of no mo-
ment now with death staring us In the
face. You and have mutual pur
pose-to save those who have been led
INTO this peril. There is no time for
l beg of you to Danish
'or the time this secret and think only
If the work before us"
She turned her eyes out to the far
Instant horizon. but did not see it. in
ent on her own thoughts. Then. look
ng again at me, she said, with II burst
VI impulse:
"'ro know that you are unworthy l
would kill me-"
| bowed my head to escape her gaze.
When | looked again. she had turned :
md was entering the crevice. i