The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-05-22
CHAPTER xI.
SHEEP AND WOLVES.

Those pistol shots were heard by three
men who were walking slowly along a
bypath which led from the main road
through a we'll titled farm that skirted
the opposite side OF the ravine from that
on which the pursuit OF Buckford had
taken place. His wild ride had ended
just too soon. for not more than hun
dred yards farther there was turn in the
road and a bridge which would have car
ried him almost into the very presence
OF these men and within sight OF the
lighted windows of the large and COM
Portable farm house where they dwelt.
"Hark" said one, an elderly appearing
man or solid build and undoubted streng IN
of arm. shots across the gorge! A cry!
What do you make of that?"
Something wrong, sure" replied a
younger man, but one no less muscular.
They ran to the edge of the ravine ana
listened.
Something crashing through the trees"
said the elder. "A man or a horse has
fallen. And hear the voices opposite,
There seems quite party of them
The ravine was not wide, and the voices
OF the Frenchmen could be plainly heard.
II am sure / shot the devil" Vandal
was saying. "He fell at once"
Well. he found a nice deep place to fail
into" said Robello, with a laugh. How
are you ever soing to be sure of the re-
suit of your shot?'
Especially when we all fired together?"
added Reber
''Oh. as to that, IL makes little DIFF
ference who shot him. The thing is to
get rid OF him, We must find him and
make certain there is no failure this
time"
what! Go down into that beasts
hole?" queried Robello.
go down! OF course. Do you think
the fool will come up and tell us how
hard he is hit?"
Well" the elderly man across the rH-
vine said 20 his companions. 1T seems
to be an uneven fight. Three against one.
and the one down In the ditch. Come!
Light your lantern, Debisk. and we Will
Join the search IL l mistake not, those
fellows are Frenchmen. / trust few of
those fellows, / can tell YOU
What. therefore, was the surprise OF
Vandal and his companions TO see a
bright light not more than 40 feet away
from him on the opposite side OF tue
gulf
"Ho. there" came the voice OF the
farmer "Who are YOU, and what do ou
want on my premises2'
Your premises! DO you call q nest
like this a premises?" laughted Vandsl.
well, then TO tell you the truth. We
are three travelling gentlemen, and we
want thief. In fact, we want him very
much"
"oh, a thief What sort of thief?
From Prussia?'
II know not whence he Is. know
that at Ontro he robbed u.s.
AT Ontro2"
The farmers whispered together.
"Can n be Robard who has been bold
enough to rob these men and fee to our
woods for shelter7 No; Robard never
did that"
But he may not have thus intended
Perhaps he was on the way TO the Green
forest"
AYE. perhaps. But. after all. how uO
we know these fellows speak the truthY
IL twas really the rascal Robard down
there. ! would say TO them shoot again
and make the shot a good one"
True. we cannot be sure"
"As a matter OF fact the more I think
Of a the less I believe them. IL seems
more az n they were the thieves. Tnis
may have been a traveller who knew
where we were and was trying 10 reach
our place for shelter. Ontro Is handy
enough for robbers whether they Ue
French or Prassian."
''True again." said the man with the