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

straps were removed, stood there look
ing about him like a worried and sore.
" wounded wild animal; his eyes shot
out a strange gaze of mingled fear and
and fury; his teeth Chartered.
$50, now, you thief" said la
meau; and # eyer again I find You
proving in this part OF the country,
ri have you hanged to the first limb
that's strong enough to bear you
Co."
Like a race-horse promptly starting
at the word, Vasseur bolted away,
running nimbly, but with q certain
feeble swaying of his body, and was
Quickly lost sight of in the gloomy
thickets of underground near by.
A grim half-smile showed itself IN
Rameau's face; it appeared to make
tae slender white scar across his
cheek aud ear flicker balefully.
"R,de on" he said to his men;
s'take the saddle and bride. Leave
the horse; it is not worth being
Troubled with. I'll join you at
, Dicks"
The order was promptly obeyed, and,
a few moments later, Burns and Ra.
meau were left together in the silence
and the gloom of tie moss-hung
woods.
Half gay, half melancholy was the
snatch of song borne back to their
ears-a bit of sentimental rhyme that
one of the outlaws, In o Tine tenor
voice, trolled ss he rode:
"'Her lover was false and cold was his
heart,
And She died by his cruel hand;
Aud tho loyes off to the wars did so,
To fght in a foreign land"
Burns was still standing beside his
horse, and, half leaning on the saddle:
kept his deep-set eyes fixed so that
they seemed to burn right into those
OF Pierre Rameau.
When the men were quite out of
sight and hearing Eamesu SAID
"Old man, what do you want ?"
"You know what I want, Kirk Mac.
Collough. Where is my child-where
is Margaret ?"
What do I know about your child?
Who are you, to put such a question
to me?"
"You have not forgotten me-. 1t is
useless for you 10 dissimulate. / am
here Kirk MacCollough, hum5ly beg
ging to see Margaret once more be-
fore I am dead. You are o bad man,
but you cannot refuse me this"
"You are evidently laboring under
some strange mistake, sir. Ny name
is not MacCollough. I don't know
anything about your child"
Don't lie to me, Kirk MacCol-
Tough. 1t can do you no good-serge
you no turn whatever. 1 know You.
You know me. I have followed you
step by step, from place to place, FROM
country to country. You could not
and cannot escape me. Where is
Margaret"
This was said in a louder voice aud
with an information that in some wey
suggested the implacable spirit OF
righteous fate. 1t did not, however,
produce the slightest visible effect on
Rameau. His face was absolutely in
different in its expression. He re-
garded the tall, emaciated old man
before him as q satisfied beast of prey
might have eyed with soulless and
careless eyes an undesirable victim.
eff you, like the little scoundrel
whom you have seen me punish in a
light way. are also DIGGING my
steps" he broke off, hesitated
and seemed to be rejecting with his
eyes cast down. Presently. he said:
".'You must be crazy, stranger. An
old man like you ought not to be risk
ing himself in this wild place"
Burns lifted one hand, as If IL
prayer, and a strange, hungry, long
ing expression passed his face. For
some moments he was silent, his lips
moving, his eyes upturned.
When again he spoke, he seemed
to have better control of himself.
"Kirk," he said, very gently. "you
well know that I would not harm q
hair of your head if I could. and,
moreover, you can see how utterly
powerless I am"
"Don't call me Kirk or any other
OF your fanciful names!" exclaimed
Rameau, his voice for the first time
ringing impatiently. 81 am Pierre
Rameau-you may have heard of him
and I do not deal gently with those
who set themselves like hounds to
follow on my track! Do you hear?"
The old man drew in u deep, long
breath, and held it as Il does who is
helpless and hopeless at 8 moment
when some mighty desire fills the
whole of life. He made a gesture
that signifed both pity and utter dis
tress.
II will address you with any name
you like" he presently said; "but a
name is nothing. You cannot turn
me back or mt me off by this u~retense
Of not knowing who I am. I am Max
Burns; I have eve had any cause to
be ashamed of my name; l want to
see my child. my Margaret, your wife.
Where is she. kirk-where is she,