The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-12-31
CHAPTER XXIX.
AT LAST.


the woods into the swamp, rushed
after him with the energy OF one who
feels that the squirt of strength vouch-
safed to him is to be short and tiual.
The old man knew that to fail now
meant to fail forever. The terrible
excitement, exposure aud effort OF the
past fortnight had drained the cup OF
his vitality almost to the bottom. The
FIRE of monomaniacal frenzy had
burned SO fercely in his breast OF
late that his eyes showed the effect by
q wild, steadfast, strained stare, not
unlike that Of dead mau. When he
ishamblei past Pauline at the edge OF
the swamp, he did not see her, so In
,tently was his gaze set upon the re-
treating figure Of the victim he longed
for.
Kirk MacCollough!" he called, and
the name rasped the woods like file.
Kirk MscColloush, am coming"
At the sound Of the voice the dark
man halted and turned about.
"You had better come no farther"
he coolly said. stop right here"
Burns slsckened his pace, but came
steadily upon him, fumbling mean
Nme for the knife in his bosom, his
drawn feature set aud rigid.
Rameau retrea.ed, walking slowly
backward, fixing his tiger-like eyes
steadily on the old mans face.
Pauline ran back to the house as
sooa as Rameau left her; so she did
not hear the voices OF the two men,
although they rang with strange dis
tinctness through the moss-hung aisles
of the forest.
"Max Burns." growled the outlaw,
with certain harsh accentuation. II
do not wish to iniure you. Keep
off"
''Ha! Ha! Injure me! You can.
not; am beyond that. Injury is al
ready hardenad upon me like a mail.
Death itself cannot tiud loose joint. r"
He was speaking with the preachers
intonation aud his words had a sug.
gestion OF the pulpit. Though you
be Satan himself. I will prevail over
you'll Yea, now is your time come to
die!"
"You are crazy! pity you! But
you'd better stopi" Rameau mattered,
still stepping backward and Watching
steadily every movement that Burns
made.
Both men were just then recalling
the scene in the Pearl-River woods.
81 will make sure work this time
if you force me to i'll" Rameau added.
''This time you die!" said Burns.
have been told that many time
before, Max Burns; but it was always
. lie; it is lie now"
Rameau stopped suddenly as he
spoke, and poised himself to kick
Burns as he had Vasseur.
The old man, with uplifted knife,
pressed right on. Now, for the first
time, he saw that Rameau's arms were
both useless and that his clothes were
saturated with blood. The discovery
caused him to falter involuntarily.
Rameau lifted his foot, and as he
did SO he slipped and fell heavily
backward on the ground, with one of
his broken arms doubled up under
him.
Burns stood glaring ct him, while
he made feeble efforts to rise. He
had fallen SO that he could not even
turn himself over, snd, although he
showed no sign Of pain, his torture
must have been extreme.
81 am at your mercy. Kill me and
be DONE" he remarked, with the old
tone OF indifference. "You had bet.
ter be quick if you value revenge, for
I am bleeding inwardly. This fall
has started the fow."
Burns stopped over him and gazed
into his eyes. The long knife in the
old mans hand trembled so that it
Aickered like a cold ray Of light amid
the shadows of the funereal wood.
"You are losing precious time, I"
urged Rameau. "Strike the coward's
blow and enjoy the assassin's triumph.
When next you preach, take Thou
shalt not kill, for text"
Burns stopped lower, his face grow
ing livid, his whole frame shaking as
with all ague.
"Hypocrite of hypocrites," con-
tinued Rameau, ''and fool of fools!
End up your Christian career with
numbering a helpless and dying man!
What lovely thing this Christianity
is! Stab away, why don't you?"
Rameau was very weak, and over
his firm, strangely complacent face
was creeping all ashy pallor.
Burns knelt down astride Of him
and grasped the collar OF his coat with
his left hand, while with his right he
slowly lifted the knife. He did not
strike, however, bat lowered the
weapon aud gazed vaguely around him
= and up, as if he had heard something
that troubled him.
The wood was strangely silent. save
that, far aloft. the breeze sighed IN
the tree.tops.
''Ah. your courage fails you, does
it?" Rameau sneered. "Your dys-
- fo1karo IN sfc