The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-07-14

! ficut ascent, difficulty made greater by
a singular nervousness of the horses,
that only with great trouble and some OBJ
| Jurgation from the driver could be pre-
vented from shying from the regular
track. Presently they swerved so msdly
from some point of the thicket
beside them that the coach completely
left the track on the right Luckily it was
disused trail and the ground fairly good,
and Foster gave them their heads, salts
fled of his ability to regain the regular
read when necessary. 1t took some mo-
ments for him to recover complete con-
troll of the frightened animals, and then
their nervousness having abated with
their distance from the thicket and the
trail being less steep though more wind
ing than the regular road he concluded
TO Keep 1t until he got to the summit
when he would regain the highway once
more and await his passengers. Having
done this, the two men stood I'D on the
box, and with an anxiety they tried to
conceal from each other, looked down the
canon for the tagging pedestrians.
Il hope Miss Cantire hasn't been STAN
peded from the track by any skeer like
that" said the mail agent, obviously.
Not she! She's got too much grit and
sabe for that. unless that drummer hez
caught up with her and unloaded his
yarn about that kyard."
They were the last words the men
spoke. For two rifle shots cracked from
the thicket beside the road; two shots
aimed with such deliberateness and pre-
cision that the two men, mortally strick-
en-, collapsed where they stood, hanging
for brief moment over the dashboard
before they rolled over on the horses
backs. Nor did they remain there long
for the next moment they were seized by
half-a-dozen shadowy figures, and, with
the horses and their cut traces, dragged
into the thicket. A haf-dozen and then
a dozen other shadows fitted and swarm
ed over, in and through the coach, rein
forced by still more, until the whole
vehicle seemed to be possessed, covered
and hidden by them, swaying and moving
with their weight, like helpless carrion
beneath pack of ravenous wolves. Yet
even while this seething congregation was
at its greatest, at some unknown signal
1t as suddenly dispersed, vanished and
disappeared. leaving the coach empty-a
mere skeleton on the roadside.
An hour later there was the sound of
hurrying hoofs and jingling accoutre-
ments and out of the plain swept squad
of cavalrymen bearing down upon the
deserted vehicle. For a few moments
they, too. seemed to surround and DOS
sess even as the other shadows had done
penetrating the woods and thicket beside
it. And then as suddenly at some signal
they swept forward furiously in the track
OF the destroying shadows.
=.
Miss Cantre took full advantage of
the suggestion mot to hurry" in her
walk with certain feminine ideas of it's
latitude. She gathered few wild flow
ers and some berries in the underwood.
inspected some birds nests with a
healthy youthful curiosity. and even took
the opportunity of arranging some moist
tendrils of her silky hair with something
she took from the small reticule that hung
coquettishly from her girdle. 1t was, in
deed, some 20 minutes before she emerged
into the road again; the vehicle had evil
IDENTIFY disappeared in a turn of the long
winding ascent. but just ahead of her
was the dreadful man. the "Chicago
drummer" She was not vain. but she
made no doubt he was waiting there for
her. There was no avoiding him, but
his companionshiD could be made a brief
one. She began to walk with ostenta-
tons swiftness.
Boyle, whose concern for her safety
was secretly relieved at this, began to
walk forward briskly, too, without look
ing around. Miss Cantire was not pre-
pared for this; it looked so ridiculously
as II she were chasing him! She hest
tated slightly, but now as she was near
~ abreast of him she was Obliged to
keep on.
II think you do we'll to hurry. Miss
Cantire.' he said as she passed. "Ive
lost sight OF the coach for some time
and daresay they're already waiting for
us at the summit
Miss Cantire did not like this any bet
ter. To go on beside this dreadful man
scrsmbling breath!essly after the stage
for all the world like an absorbed and
sentimentally belated pair of picnickers
was really too much. Perhaps II you
ran on and told them was coming as
fast as l could" she suggested tenta-
lively.
1T would be as much as my life IS
worth TO appear before Foster without
you," he said. laughingly. You've only
got to hurry on a little faster"
But ;he young lady resented this being
driven by a drummer" She began TO
Jag. depressing her pretty brows omi-
nously.
Let me carry your flowers" said
Boyle. He had noticed that she was
finding some difficulty in holding UP her
skirt and the nosegay at the same time.
mo! Mo- she said in hurried horror
at this new suggestion OF their COM
partnership. Thank you very much
but they're really not worth keeping-I
am going to throw them away. Therev'
she added. tossing them impatiently in
the dust.
But she had not reckoned on Boyle's
perfect good humor. That gentle idiot
stopped down, actually gathered them
up again and was following! She hur-
ried on: 10 she could only get to the
coach first. ignoring him. But a vulgar
man like that would be sure to hand
them TO her with some Joke! Then she
Jagged again-she was getting tired.
and she could see no sign of the coach.
The drummer, too. was also tagging
behind-at a respectful distance, like a
groom or one OF her fathers troopers.
Nevertheless. this did not put her in a
much better humor. and, hating until
he came abreast OF her. said impatient
ly: Il don't see why Mr. Foster should
think II necessary to send any one TO
look after me-"
He didn't" returned Boyle. simply. II
got down TO pick up something"
ITO pick up somethng?" she returned,
ineredulouSly.
Yes. That" He held out the card
'1ts the card OF our frm"
Miss Canilre smiled ironically. you
are certainly devoted 70 your business"
We'll, yes" returned Boyle good
humorediy. You see. I reckon II don5t
pay 10 DO anything halfway. And what
ever ! do ] mean % keep my eyes about
me" In spite OF her prejudice Miss Can.