The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1902-08-21
his saddle and fire down the roadway

perry, one or series tnat Hau tellol
lied all the countryside during the
past summer. The three robbers were
retreating with their plunder. What
had happened in the bank? Why was
Jack not pursuing them? She sudden
ly turned sick and cold.
Then an indescribable impulse
seized her. She let herself over the
edge of the bank and began a mad
scramble down the steep declivity.
She meant to intercept the ruffians.
She slid, she stumbled, once she fell,
but she never let go her mold on her
precious rifle. And then. as the earth
suddenly seemed falling away from
her, she reached the level ground in
a confused heap. But she was up On
her feet in a moment. The highway
was directly before her. The robbers
were cantering by. The man in the
rear was the man with the beard, and
he had a coarse bag flung across the
saddle before him. He was directly
opposite Susan as she plunged down
to the edge of the roadway. He must
have taken her for an enemy, for his
&littering revolver flew up and he fired
in her direction quite at random. SUI
san felt sudden twitch at her broad
brimmed hat and quickly dropped be-
hind some bushes that lined the road
way. The barrel of her rifle rose. The
robber was rapidly increasing the dis
tance between them. Could she shoot
this man in cold blood? She had him
covered. A moment more and it might
be too late. She thought OF Jack anu
fired.
The horse of the fleeing man sud.
dr. aly leaped to one side and flung his
rider heavily to the earth. AS. he went
down he dragged the bag of plumber
with him. The riderless horse gal
loped after his companions.
Then Susan Cation Brown sprang
into the roadway and fred five shots
in rapid succession after the two
horsemen. She did not aim to hit
them, but rather to frighten them
away. They hesitated moment and
then dashed madly ahead; the rider
less horse galloping in the rear.
Susan ran forward to the PROSTATE
man. He was unconscious. She
stopped over him for a moment and
then drew away the coarse bag. AS
she suspected, it was half filled with
currency. She shuddered as she
looked at the livid face Of the rutflan
and then at the blood that was slowly
saturating his coat sleeve. She be-
gan to feel little faint.
Sne was aroused by the sound OF
wheels and the shouting of man. A
light phaeton was coming toward her.
In a moment she recognized the driver
as the local livery stable proprietor.
He leaped out beside her.
Mailed him, didn't you?" he shout
ed in a paroxysm of excitement. Il
was just ready to drive out o my
stable when they pelted by. AS l got
into the roadway 1 saw you blazin'
AWAY Kill him?' .-. -,.<
"No," said Susan, 'he is stunned by
the fall from his horse. / only aimed
to break his shoulder"
"You done it all right" cried the
livery man. "By George! he shrieked.
Its jim Bascom himself!" .
Susan felt her head going around.
"Mr. Tompkins," she said, "will you
kindly drive me to the bank as quick.
ly as you CAM"
YES. ma'am, I will" he replied,
with great heartiness. you've got the
stuff there, have you? Jump in"
And a moment later they were
speeding toward the bank. They had
rot gone 20 yards when they met the
first group of hastily armed men who
were on the trail of the robbers.
you'll find Jim Bascom lyin' up
there" shouted the liveryman. "She
shot him an we've got the bank stutt
ali here!' And he touched up his
horse again. And the next group
heard the same story, and the next,
and the next. And they all turned and
stared after blushing Susan Brown:
And then they were at the bank.
There was a little crowd about the
door. But they quickly made way for
Susan. and the liveryman, and the pre-
c;ous bag.
And there was Jack sitting up In
big chair, and somebody was battling
his head, and he was blinking queer
w like a man slowly waking up. But
lie suddenly seemed to regain his fac
ulties when Susan Brown, forgetful OF
all the curious eyes about her, sudden
" dropped on her knees beside him
and put up her loving arms and cried,
"Oh, jack
"Why. Susan, dear!" murmured
Jack. There, there, don't worry. I'm
lust a little dazed. One of them hit
me over the head with something from
behind and stunned me. I'm almost
ell right again
"Oh, Jack" moanel Susan Brown,
sI-I thought they might have Killed
you. and--and l shot the man, and
and-and got the money back-oh, on,
Gu" And here poor Susan quite broke
down. and putting her face against
Jacks ccat. sobb>d convulsively. And
Mr.. Tompkins iold wha; he knew, and
tiien the astonished and delighted Jack
turned the recovered treasure over to
his assistant. who had been temporar-
lily absent at the time of the attack,
and, borrowing the happy Mr.. Tomp-
kin's phaeton, drove Susan to her
aunt's.
"Oh. jack" sne murmured on the
way, lit was so unwomanly and SO
cCld blooded!"
I'm afraid it was, my dear" said
Jack in a painfully solemn voice;
"but as it saved the bank in which l
am intimately interested $4,000 in
cold cash, and at the same time ap.
pears to have broken up the most
desperate gang of thieves the state
has ever known, 1 fear must con-
tla fo,,lf Dpt vo,, will