The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1903-02-13
CHAPTER VI.-(Continued.
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M IrWE EH III 'I.-
CHAPTER vI.-(Continued.
At last they stopped. Some on,
came up to Bluebell, and, to her i'm
mensc relief. she felt the horrid clotl
being united. The next moment i
was drawn from her head. and thel
light. blessed light. albeit it was onl.
q faint gray dawn as yet, flooded he
eyes. Bluebell uttered a ~half-sobbin,
cry and looked around at her compan
ions. then at herself.
They were in the midst OF a grea
stretch of arid "karoo'-noIhing blu
red sand, unrelieved by bush. grass o.
sign of water, stretched about them
A4Qund. however, rose great black
craggy rocks. with what seemed like
q sandy ravine between, but the light
was SO dim Bluebell could not be sure
She was sure of n thing: That she
mac never been there before. She
could only guess that they were about
TO enter a pass in the mountain which
separated Natal from the Transvaal
and the Orange Free State.
She looked at her companions. A
native boy" short-statured and at
tired almost in rags, with a villainous
expression, walked beside her. On the
other side. mounted on a large bay
horse. his dark. evil face turned to-
wards her. was Gerald Moore.
Then her eyes came back to herself.
She had on the dark gown which she
mad thrown on when she had been
aroused by the approach of the COM
mando; a heavy tweed cloak covered
1t down to her feet. On the latter she
had only the house slippers she had
put on when she left her room. A lit
Tie tweed cap covered her disheveled
nair. That and the cloak. she con-
Guided. had been supplied by Moore.
Sne turned to him, her face like that
OF one who had passed through a
frightful vigil, and come out of it pale
n worn. hollow-eyed and heart
broken. A momentary e.sh al ,,er old
courage came to her as size sIw the
evil look in Moore's e yes.
Where are you taking me to-, she
exclaimed. Are you a man g all.
that you a drag me from my home
at such a time as this, when nv
father lies dead or dying, killed by
your t~reachery?"
4 took you for your own safety" he
replied with a cold smile. "Oh. Won
are quite safe with me, Miss Bluebell:
don't be afraid. We are within a day
ana q nights journey OF our destina-
ton. Once we are safely on Dutch soil
you shall become my wife, and then
We cross over to England as soon
as may be-"
fou are the worst man that God
mas left upon EARTH" said the girl de-
liberately. but do o think you
VIII brighten me into what you wish,
Gerald Moore. I am not afraid to die.
and will die rather than marry you.
You have done your worst when Won
tempted and betrayed my poor father:
you cannot do me any harm now. God
Will help me against you"
He laughed insultingly.
II II pleases you to think so, nv
deal lady, | have no objections. AS for
dying-well, we shall see about that.
Their are different ways of dying"
All the morning hours they jolted,
stumbled and bumped their way over
the rutty and never plain. The full
dawn broke, and the sun rose in all the
glorious majesty of day.
Then, as they entered the pass be-
tween the rocky hills, the full heat Of
the U began to beat down upon them.
It beat on Bluebell's unsheltered head
and gave her a racking headache. Soon
h became intensely thirsty, but no
water was to be seen; but the pain and
WEAKNESS OF her body was as nothing
compared to the anxiety, the fear the
anguish that racked her mind.
God, God, help me! There Is nono
y ThOu!" she prayed again and
again. Then there came to her mind
tne remembrance OF Adair Rothes'
quiet. brave. strong face, and her heart
bounded. Oh, II he only knew what
had happened, would he not trv to
save her from this awful fate?
About midday Moore called a halt
He came forward to help Bluebeu off
her horse. but she scornfully waved
him aside and slipped off herself.
You can easily catch me il I At
tempt to run away" she said. Even
81 the words passed her lips her heart
beat high.
Run away! Why should she not
make . bold attempt? They could not
be very far distant from some town.
Moore had spoken Of a day and
= nights journey. And even IL she
lost herself on that terrible ~trackless
plain, among those rocky mountains.
better that fate than the one with
which she was threatened.
Her chance was to come sooner than
she expected.
CHAPTER VII.
1T is impossible! I cannot believe
III" exclaimed Adair Rothes. "Mr.