Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1906-02-04

iery, and after that SercomDe was u
 conduct him to the rendezvous on the
 river. He had given Sheppard particu-
 lars of the place, and it did not appear
 as if we could miss 1t, but time was
 passing. and if anything was to be ac-
 complished we must be away. Our
 preparations were accordingly pushed
 forward. nor were they very elaborate.
 An encounter, maybe bloody one,
 might be looked for Certainly we could not afford to dispense with our weapons. but beyond them there was little to delay or incumber us.
 Sheppard and I get forth of the cas- tie and reached the great gates just after dark was fallen. As we passed through l thought perceived the black shadow of q man lowering among the bushes near by. and put him down as Jones.
 At the foot of the gorge we turned | and, following the road to the right for quarter of q mile dipped quickly With the bend of the brook eastward and for the border of the farther coun- l ty. The first part of the way took us through the outlying stretches of the forest, but presently the woods hugged the margins upon either side, and be- hind was open country, broken into fields and pastures, with here and there the shining windows of farmhouse or 1 cottage. About this point it occurred to Sheppard that we were being fol lowed
 'l saw man cross from that last stile," he declared, and I'll swear I heard rustling in the bushes.''
 'Fery we'll" said l. 'If Jones is after us Jones will have long tramp and the sooner we dispatch him on it the better"
 What will you do?" he asked.
 "Sit tight" said 1, land keep mum. Here's an excellent corner for silent meditation" and I dropped into black patch of .brachen, whither he fol- lowed me-
 We had been following a footpath which wound through the coppice close to the stream, and little distance to the left we sank into our hiding place and waited. Some five minutes after, the footsteps of man sounded softly behind us, and he came into the plane of sight. Dark as it was I made him out for one of Jones' men, and my opinion was confirmed by the stealthy manner in which he proceeded.
 Well let him pass," I whispered and then follow him. Rustic police are no harm to us''
 Five minutes later we emerged and resumed our journey, diligently open- ing our ears to the sounds of the night, but nothing was audible to alarm us. and we reached at last a spot where the path ran down to the waters edge between thick trees. Opposite. the dark bulk of little jetty was just discern ible and beyond that the lights of a house.
 This is the place." said Sheppard. But l see no signs of the others. Yet they must have got here before us.'
 Let uS wait," l suggested, and meanwhile we are better in hiding"
 We concealed ourselves among the trees and passed ten minutes in some anxiety ''SaS it possible" I asked myself, that Montgomery and Ser conlbe had already encountered Hood and his scoundlels, with tragic re- suit: Or, again. had Jones happened upon the,:l and taken SArcombe? Per hapS eyen the capti3 n had been dealing treacAel,olsly With lls all through" :"
 But those speculations were scatter 1 ed at th2 approach Of voices and a noise of oars in the water, which here ran deep and wide a mile from it's | junction vsitn tie Ray. We listened | with increased excitement, but as yet nothing was visible il the darkness. | The boat seemed 10 draw up at the foot of the path below tls. and there was the boise of two people landing.
 It's all right I whispered 10 shep- pard. "fFe,'e- they ar.'
 And l WAS on the point of jumping ID when l heard 8 neW sound oppo site, and Q figure rosc and stood iii tie pathway, As we strained our eyes