The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-10-01
a. MAURICE THOMFSON.
co,,-,.s,. ,ss. and 1895 By Rober. Formers Son,

lug ME. NcruOu diouS, iCnuiaS A
away from tho door of the restaurant.
About this time, young man rode
down the street at swift pace and,
Singing himself from the saddle of his
beautiful horse, ran into the place,
leaving the animal standing unhitched
aud unattended. A little later Colonel
Loriug came out, mounted and rode
away.
So intent was Rurns in his effort to
draw Mr.. Vernon aside, he did not
notice this incident. Out slipped the
CHATS Huants, one by one, two By
two, quickly. silently. scattering and
disappearing as if by magic.
A little later, company of mounted
soldiers swept round u corner and de-
ployed in front of the building. OF
course, they were too late to make
the capture they had intended, and
when they leaped from their horses,
pistols in hand, ard rushed in, they
discovered that their bird had flown.
The clatter OF hoofs as they came up
attracted Burns's attention. He let
90 his hold and turned.
'Tn there! In there" he cried,
Ieaping forward. up the stairway
to the right! Follow mel"
He led the way with Incredible
nimbleuess for one so old and frail-
looking. A lcnS, keen knife flashed
in his hand.
The rush was over in minute.
Doors were dashed open or kicked of
their hinges, and the rooms above
and below were searched without
ceremony.
Mr.. Vernon stood looking on, ap-
parently quite calm. He had seen
Colonel Loring go, aud now he com.
pretended the whole affair. 1t had
been we'll planned and we'll executed,
Notwithstanding the outcome. But
for the faithful spy at Jackson's head
quarters and the swift courier sent in
the very nick of time, Loring would
have been taken.
II said all the time that the old
fool was crazy" growled the officer
who had led tho dash. ''The whole
story was absurd"
eyes, SIR" replied the subaltern
whom he addressed, "it was indeed
FOOLS errand. Storming a iunk-shop
and led by a ragamuffln."
They were coming out Of the build.
ing, disappointed and ve1ed, ashamed
OF the part they had been forced to
play in o scene so like farce.
You'd better go home and soak
your head, old MANI added one of
them, turning with brutal severity
and addressing Burns. II s'pose
you've been drunk fo- a month"
The old man paid no attention to
the remark, did not even glance at the
speaker, but walked forth into the
street and away, with his chin on his
breast and his knife in his hand.
He overlook Mr.. Vernon, or rather
they came together when the latter
emerged from a side street block or
two distant from the scene just wit.
messed. The rain was still slanting
aloug the wind in a fine drizzle;
Burns looked pinched and blue. With
out word, Mr.. Vernon drew off his
top-coat and hung it over the old
mans shoulders.
''fut away your knife" he said.
"You will need it."
Burns obeyed mechanically, hiding
it somewhere in his bosom. Evi.
IDENTITY he was but vaguely aware OF
what he was doing. His vision was
introverted, his feelings were numbed.
"Yon will come home with me now"
Mr.. Vernon added, taking him gently
by the arm. ''We will have dinner
Burns looked up quickly with a
glance of suspicion or, perhaps, OF
deeper meaning.
"No," he said, 81 will not"
Further words on the subject were
shut of by tho peremptory tone and
manner. They walked on little way
in silence, hearing the surfsce-water
bubble in the gutter beside the trot-
toir. Few people were in the streets;
but the samb!ipg-rooms were full,
the coffee-houses noisy.
Suddenly Mr.. Vernon closed his
grasp more firmly on Burns's arm
and, looking into his face said with
the force of command:
TELL me, is Colonel Loring Pierre
Rameau?"
Burns started at the mention OF the
latter name.
"You know Pierre Rameau; 1 know
you do" he answered, slowly draw
ing out his words. ''He calls him
self Colonel Loring here in the city;
but you know that he is Kirk Mac
Collough, son of Jane MacCollough,
whose husband was Thomas MacCol-
Tough, the traitor. who was banished
nearly forty years ago.
There was a horrible leer in the
old preachers eyes. 1t was the same
glare that had been in the eyes Of the
vultures when they sailed low over
him during those dreadful days in the
woods. Behind his words there
stretched an inGnitude of significance;