Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-26

suddenly. Now, lads, bring 'em along"
A voice 1 knew said their watchword,
Snuff and enough" loudly, and then,
Whats agate?'
Some one else answered, IT'S Rooksby,
it's Sir Ralph"
The voice interrupted sharply, mo
names, now. don't want hanging" The
hand left my arm: there was pause in
moments sound of whispering. Then a
new voice cried, Strip the runners to the
shirt. Strip EN-. That's It," 1 heard some
Then nasal drawl. I'VE Will surely"
Someone else, Rangsley, l think, called
Bring 'em along-this way now
After period Of turmoil we seemed to
come out OF the crowd upon a very rough,
descending path; Rangsley had called out,
Nov. then, the rest Of you be of; we've
got enough here" and the hoofs Of heavy
horses sounded again. Then we came to a
halt, and Rangsley called sharply from
close to me:
Now, you runners-and you. John Kemp
here you be on the brink of eternity
drop of hundred feet Wen tie your legs
and hang you by your fingers. II you hang
long enough, you'll have time to say your
prayers Look alive, lads!''
to shout for help. My voice came back in
! an echo, despairtngly. Suddenly I was
dragged backward, and the bandage pulled
from my eyes.
SOIuS AiOuS, Idu&Sicy BdlQ, ledQlQR me
gently enough to the road. which was five
steps behind. It's all a joke" he snarled.
IA pretty bad one for those catchpolls
Hear 'em groan. The drops not two feet"
pitiful voices Of the runners crying for help
came plainly to my ears.
'You-they-arent numbering them7" !
asked.
Wish we could; but they'd make 1t hot for
u.s."
We began to descend the hill. From the
quarry q voice shrieked:
"Help-helg-for the love Of aod-I
There was a grunt and the sound of a
fall; then q precisely similar sequence of
sounds
ciously. Come along-they've only rolled
down bank. They weren't over the
| quarry. It's all right, swear it is"
CHAPTER III.
Jack Rangsley was a tall. big-boned thin
man. with something sinister in the lines of
his horseman's cloak, and something reck-
less In the way he set his spurred heel on
the ground. He was the son of an old
Marsh squire.
You'll have to cut the country, john" he
added suddenly. They'll have got your
name uncommon pat. l did my best for
YOU" He had had me tied up like that be-
i AoiO AAiC iuuHciS cy IA OIucT 70 take their
suspicious of me. He had made q pre-
tense to murder me with the same idea.
But he didn't believe they were taken in.
.AThere'n be warrants out before morning,
II they amt too shaken. But what were
you doing In the business7 The two Span
iards were lying In the fern looking on
when you come laundering your clumsy
nose IN. II 1t hadn't been for Rooksby you
might have Hullo. therei" he broke on.
An answer came from the black shadow
OF q clump of roadside elms. / made out
| the forms OF three or four horses standing
with their heads together.
Come along" Rangsley said. up with
you. Wen talk as we CO."
Some one helped me into the saddle: my
legs trembled in the stirrups as II had
| ridden q thousand miles on end already /
| imagine must have fallen into a stupor.
for have only vague impression of some
| body's exculpating himself to me-
| Ralph, after having egged me on In the
| intention of staying at home had had qualms
| Of conscience. and had come to the quarry.
| 1t was he who had cried the watchword.
"Snuff and enough" and who had held
/ the whispered consultation. Carlos and
| Castro had waited In their hiding place,
having been spectators OF the arrival Of the
runners and of my capture.
/ I'm sorry" Ralph began again, sT'm
| nniserably sorry got you into this scrape.
| swear / would have had 1t happen, moi
| for a thousand pounds-not for ten,
| "It doesn't matter said cheerfully.
"Ah, butt" Rooksby said, .'you'll have
to leave the country for a time Until ]
can arrange. will. You can trust me"
i "Oh. he'll have to leave the country. for
uofA