Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1902-02-06

| waters of the stream, he was max
| ing a fire in the shelter of the eXca-
vation, hurrying tremulously and
muttering to himself like man gone
daft. In the excitement of the mo-
ment he seemed to take my presence
quite as matter of course.
Look him over, Jack, for Gods
sake, tell me if I'm a murderer"
he gasped, going down on his hands
and knees to blow the spark in the
kindling.
He had propped the engineer in a
corner of the cutting, and | lost no
time in obeying the command AS
nearly as l could determine there
were no bones broken; but there
were two or three slight scalp
wounds, and the man was well
drowned.
"Pull yourself together, Angus, and
help me-" l said throwing off my
overcoat. "The fellows drowned, and
he's a dead man if we don't get to
work on him pretty suddenly"
Fortunately, we both knew what
to do, and how to go about it; but
there was a despairing half-hour ar
more of it before the first long-drawn
sigh of returning life rewarded our
efforts. Macpherson worked silently,
with set teeth and the tireless pa
tience of a piece of machinery; and
when Wylamp began to breathe nat
urally he sank back and covered his
face with his hands. A pebble ratified
down the slope of the excavation and
/ looked up. Setter was standing at
the pit-edge, gazing down upon us
like a man lately aroused from his
first sleep.
"Well I'll be dad-burned!" he said,
clambering down to stare first at the
two of us and then at the uncon-
scious engineer. "This yere's what
all the rumpus was about, Ell? Dam
busted to kingdom come, an that
ther'-" his epithet was quite accur-
at but wholly unreportable-
drowned dead as a do'-nail! Hit
walked us all up down't the house, an
L thort I'd thess mog along up an
see what-all'd happened"
Mac took his face out of his hands.
Let up on that, Jake" he said,
quietly. "Or perhaps I'd better tell
you to stick to it for your life. l
know why the dam went out, and so
does Mr.. Halcott. If he doesn't
know" indicating the sodden figure
at the other side of the fre-'you
are safe to lie out of it, And you're
just in time to cover your tracks.
Hustle yourself down to the engi-
neer's camp and rout them out. Tell
them the boss is here half dead, and
have them send for him.
Settlers face, sharply relieved in
the freight, was n study in bafiled
enmity mingled with fear. But he
made no more denals and went
straightaway on his errand, leaving
us to watch with the half dead one.
1t was a long time before Macpher-
son broke silence to say:
"How much do you know. Jack? ?"
"All of it, | think; except that I'm
taking it for granted that Nan is
responsible for some things-your
being here for one"
"She isn't" he said, soberly. "But
she has told me what you didn't
think it was safe to tell me, if that's
what you mean"
| shook my head. "The ways of a
woman are past finding out. What
possible object could she have in
signing her lovers death warrant
after that fashion,"
The flush under the bronze in Mac
pherson's face may have been no
more than the reflection of the ruddy
freight.
Have you forgotten the pony and
the riding-lessons?" he asked, shame
facedly.
"No"
''Well, it appears that she hasn't
} ! oughtn't to tell it, even on her, but
it seems that she has been playing
that thing" with a contemptuous
| nod toward the unconscious engi-
neer- "otf against--against Miss
} Sanborn." His laugh was forced, and
, it was not pleasant to hear. 81 don't
believe she considered him in the
matter at all What she had in mind
was the hope that her information
: would turn me against the school
mistress. AS a matter of fact, she
| was unwise enough to say so in SO
, many words"
"And instead of that, it sent you
out with murder in your heart. !
don't wonder"
The unpleasant laugh came again
"Don't take sides with the devil" he
said, shortly. Il ought to kill him.
but I've promised not to, and -
He covered his face again, bursting
out presently in an upbubblng OF
: mingled wrath and remorse.
"Oh, my God, Jack! you don't know
what temptation it was when ] saw
him down there gasping and strug.
Cling; as good as dead, and by no
act of mine. All / had to do was to
: turn and walk away. You're right;
= there was murder in my heart for
: the tenth part of second then
though there hadn't been up to that
| moment"
and yet you followed him up here