The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-08-13

WdS ~ 1SiASi IN oRRSN
of any ray ever of chance; oil was
lost, gone. He appeared to shrink
and collapse under the presence Of
! the revelation.
Rameau saw this effect as he sat
| razins somewhat aslant with a steady,
nnchanging expression of coS7ss-
nance.
Come, comet" he repeated.
"Mouns your hors, and DE eff! And
let me advise you that you will fare
badly # You are ever found here or
Or anywhere near here again"
Slowly the old man sank upon his
knees snd covered his face with his
hands. His horse turned and touched
him with its nose. The silence OF
the great, dark wilderness seemed to
center in the spot and add an awful
solemnity to Burns's voice as he began
to pray.
Uplifting his hands and turning his
! pal,id yet bronzed face toward heaven,
he walled aloud:
80 my God, hast Thou forsaken
me? This, o Heavenly Master. is
my hour of extremity"
Thus far he proceeded in o pas
sionate strain; then, checking him
self, he closed his lips and prayed in
wardly, until he was grufay inter-
rupted by Rameau, who exclaimed:
"Here, stop that t~omfoolery! I
have said for you to mount your
horse and move of, and now I mean
for you to do it! Get up from there,
Instantly"
Something infinitely brutal and re-
lentless in the outlaws voice closed
the gate of prayer with a slam so to
speak, and caused Burns to start and
rise, almost with q spring, to his feet.
Instantly the manner of both men
changed.
.sYou old fool" said Rameau, edo
you hope to deceive me? / see
through your game; but I am not so
easily taken in. Very small will be
the reward that you will ever get for
capturing me-"
"'Reward'-sReward,'" Burns re-
peated, 81 suppose that I never have
deserved anything better than this"
"You and that Vasseur are chums,
I imagine. Great detectives and
sleuths of the law, are you two fell
lows! Set out to capture Pierre
Rameau, eh? All, your little plan is
all plain enough to me now."
He had drawn one of his heavy
holster pistols and now cooked it with
n slow, deliberate motion, his eyes
seeming to lengthen and narrow them
selves like those of a cat.
"You choose to play a part, Kirk
MacCullough," the old man said;
"you choose to deny everything, to
spurn your own name, to treat me as
O stranger, to refuse me the one last
hope of my ruined life; but I tell
you now that you shall not escape
me-"
His eyes were burning and his
voice was deep and strong, with q de.
cided Scotch accent. His long white
hair and matted beard shook with the
vehement force of his speech. He
had Strengthened himself up so that
his tall frame was firmly erect and ono
bony hand was quiverins high above
his head.
"You shall not escape me-" he re-
peated, with awful! emphasis. "even
though you riddle my body with your
bullets! I will never die-I cannot
die until"
"You are going to die right now"
said Rameau, interrupting him. "Old
man, I leave NJ person alive who says
what you have said. You have
spoken your own death-warrant. 1 am
your executioner."
"Kirk Mccullough, You cannot
kill me-you cannot. EDeath is not
for me so long as you live! I am in
Gods hands; He will not wholly de-
sert me, now that He has at last led
me to you"
ooh, you think that, do your And
you sconsider yourself bullet proof,
eh? Well, the test is quite easy"
He raised his pistol; but instantly
lowered it, as q fendish light leaped
into his strangely handsome face.
"Let me tell you before you die
that you have NO child. Margaret is
dead. You are her murderer, not I,
though I killed her. If you had not
interfered with our love 1 shonid have
been a happy husband and Margaret
my happy wife in old Scotland to-day.
You chose to treat me like q dog. l
took the girl and did my best for her.
She proved untrue to me in Spain,
and I killed her. Now I am going to
kill you. Nothing can save you. I'm
glad that you came here; it makes my
revenge SO easy"
Burns stood as if petriied at the
| outlaws words. His hand lifted and
fell by his side, his features took on 4
stony expression.
Pierre Rameau spoke without any
special emphasis; but his words came
forth from his lips like bullets from a
q gnu. Tie desperation of a sudden
mood induced by the memories arising
in his mind was not the frenzy of al