The Savannah morning news., 1902-04-20

Only a mailman would let you stay
longer. Never mind about me. It's
only life or death"
And maybe a battle lost" Esther
said, her color coming in rush. Il
will not go. back. Follow me! We
must beat them to the cross roads"
Wheeling, she went arrowwise
through the clearing, the rank tobacco
breaking as in a whirlwind. AS soon
as he caught the course, Sanford
brought Marquise up beside Princess.
Try as he might, he could not head the
flying black. Down, down they swept,
into the big road a hundred yards in
front of the blue column. Sanford
flung his weight toward, shouting to
Esther Low! Stoop low!" at the
same time trailing in behind her so as
to shield her as much as he might
Trot! Gallop! Charge! he heard the
bugle blow behind. He heard, too the
thunder of quickening hoofs. But the
beat was not in rythm with their own
horses-it was slower, more ponderous.
If only their beasts held speed, in five
minutes they would be safe from bull
lets. Princess had the free motion of
wind. Now the brown lay down to
1.-THE big roads smooth straight
reaches suited her. as the woods road
and cattle trail had vexed. Marquise
cleft the summer air, even as Prin-
Tess III HEI QuICh6IlIlS SIrlQG. OVer-
head bullets whined fretfully, then
struck cutting roadside boughs, or
kicking up spurts of dry, white dust.
I'VE are leaving them! Keep
straight on" Sanford painted as they
came to the second mile post.
Esther answered only by a
little shake of the head. He
that her eyes were starry, her lips fire.
scarlet. her cheeks suffused like the
sky of dawn. She had flung away her
bonnet. and her hair, now wholly
loosened, streamed in wind and sum
shine a mass of thready gold. 1--WE
must turnl she said as Sanford made
TO touch her hand: 1.-The road goes up
hill beyond the crossroads-we could
not keep ahead--we have come too
fast"
TELL me the way, and let me go
alone!" Sanford entreated Again
Esther shook her head. II can not tell
YOU" she said: No, we must not fol-
low the cross-roads-the woods again.
two miles through them we shall strike
the river
The road began to rise. Esther lean
ed forward half the length of Prin-
cess neck. The horses were dripping
sweat, their pace slaC kening sensibly.
She knew that. even without the
shots still punctuated the roar. Sand
ford turned to look. The foremost file
was just half a mile from them.
This way" Esther cried, urging
Princess into tangled growth. The
mare baked the least bit, and even
made to rear. A touch of the whip
sent her forward, but fifty yards in
Esther drew her to a walk, saying to
Sanford, very low: ride slow. If
on-
not know which road to take
Stealthily the blown beasts crept
through the woodland. 1t was crossed
almost matted with grapevines and
creepers, and splotched with cedar
scrub, marking the rivers neighbor-
hood. Limestone lodges cropped out
here and there, bare in some places, in
Others thickly cushioned with moss
and dead leaves. The woods covered
the ridge between the river bottom and
the valley of the creek, which flowing
in, miles lower down, made the bar,
known as the Rifle
One horse trod in the others tracks,
quite as though they felt the need of
caution. 1t was slow work but in an
hour they stood still breathing heavily.
in the river bottom meadows that
stretched quite to the waterside. The
river itself showed shrunken and fitful
between high banks. Another big road
ran along the margin of it. over
stream there were frowning bluffs.
sheerly precipitous. The roadway was
worn down yards below the meadow
level-thus the two who rode across
the grass were unaware of what pass
ed along it.
They came swiftly yet soberly. Sand
ford held Esther's hand. Her head was
turned aside her face pallid and visit
full. She was not afraid-it was only
that the exaltation of adventurous