Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1904-04-29

CTuSQuely 10 Big IeIe, anu Lne OUT
law constituting this as Farley intended
that he should, stopped and swung the
child to his shoulder. Her large, seri
GUS eyes looked back uncomprehend-
ingly at Farley, and the deputy, while
knowing that Big Petes capture was
now doubly sure, felt culver of emo
ton run along his nerves.
1t was q strange trio that stalked in
grim, dumb silence down the mountain
path. Big Pete's massive head and
shoulders lifting above the surround
ing crags at every rise in the uneven
ground, the child in his arms, with her
brown curls tossed by the light, sweet
mountain breeze, the oval brown of
her small face already falling into lines
of the repression habitual to those
who live closely communing with the
mountains. and Farley, stunted, active
and ready, in the rear.
Big Pete plodded stolidly on. His
mien was that of a captured lion but
with the child in his arms he no longer
looked defiant. With half an hours
steady marching the fork of the Snow
river canyon doomed before them, and
the boat yawl-rigged and with single
pair of oars resting idly on the thwarts,
lay near the rocky shore.
"In with you," said Farley, briefly.
Big Pete placed the child carefully
on the ground and was about to obey,
when Farley spoke.
"The little 'un, too" he meaningly
commanded.
Big Pete swore again.
put her between you and me-" COM
manded Farley. furiously, noting Pete's
reluctance at this last order, and guess
ing his scheme. u can sail this boat
with one hand, and manage a gun al
mighty well with the other. All you've
got to do is to sit quiet Any acct
dent" he took a straight glance at the
man in the bow, will mean two lives
maybe three"
Big Pete, bafIled and helpless, looked
at the receding shore with sullen de-
spair. If it were not for the child
she sat quietly in front, her dark eyes
riveted on the sunlit water, which in
her short mountain life she had never
seen before. He gasped, as in fancy
he saw the gray adobe walls of the
prison. To exist for months within a
dreary, whitewashed CELL To see the
bright sunlight and feel the clear,
fresh air once more-and then, swing
ing from the end of short hempen
rope, The horrible vision stung his
brain to madness. And as for that
fool he had shot-he had heard of him
since-a low, besotted wreck, but the
law must take its way. And little
Nance-what would become of her?
She loved him-the only living thing
that did, He gave an inarticulate
growl Nance looked round in wonder,
and Farley's hand frightened on the
trigger. The child was climbing over
the seat to reach her father, when he
motioned her back to her place Big
Pete, his eyes forcing Farley's, spoke:
whats goin' to come O. the kid?"
She'll be looked after" said Farley,
abruptly. There was something in his
eyes that had not been there till now.
He looked at the little brown, down.
cast head, and swiftly averted his gaze
to the father, sitting in mental chains,
lowering, bafied, hopeless, unwilling
to save his own life for fear of endan-
gering his child; equally unwilling to
resign her without struggle, and a
CLEAN of something like pity shot over
his mask-like features. Big Pete ut
tered another low, inarticulate growl.
They were nearing the shore Farley,
on the alert, saw the danger signal in
the outlaws eyes, and OWNED what
, must inevitably follow. With a sudden
swift twist of the tiller he drove the
boats head far up the sandy beach, at
the same instant running down the
! sail The yawl ground in the swirling
, sand, and lay, mere chaos of Slated
sails and tangled cordage, while a
| mighty oath was hurled from under
the weight of the canvas. Big Pete,
heaving and struggling among the
, wreckage, and hearing no sound from
Nance, put forth one superb effort of
his immense strength-convulsive, de-
, spairing-but the twining mesh held
him as in a vice. Then he saw the
a broad, keen knife cleaning like the
silver scales of fish among the cord
: age.
: There was a mighty, sparkling
splash, and when Farley, who was
! busily engaged in extricating badly
frightened child from the mass OF
splintered timbers strewn along the
shore, was able finally to look in that
q direction only some little ripples on
the surface told him that far down the
r. river a man was swimming, with new
e courage born of hope and of remem.
brance that should never die.
d Yes" said Farley, laconically, some
). days later. "He was a pretty tough
8 customer, but l most pulled the jot
v through. I'd like to have brought hin
d in, but as things was, l couldn't He's
d got quarry somewhere on that peak