The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-08-17
CHAPTER ".

action of the driver and at
length terrified by the pace that
- carried them careening along
the narrow road. Beverly cried out to
him, her voice shrill with alarm. Aunt
Fanny was crOuching on the floor of
the coach between the seats. grooming
and praying.
stop. Where are you going? cried
Beverly. putting her head recklessly
through the window. If the man heard
her he gave no evidence of the fact.
His face was set forward, and he was
guiding the horses with a firm, IN
quivering hand The coach ratified
and bounded along the dangerous way
hewn in the side of the mountain. \
misstep or a false tern might easily
start the clumsy vehicle rolling down
the declivity on the right. The convict
was taking desperate chances and,
with a cool, calculating brain. prepared
to leap to the ground in case of acci-
dent and save himself, without a
thought for the victims inside. @
stop. Turn aroundr' she cried in a
frenzy. 1--WE shall be killed. Are yon
craZy?'
BY this time they had struck Ie
scent in the road and We're rushing
along at breakneck speed into oDp"ess-
i've shadows that bore the first I'M
prints of night Realizing at last that
her cries were falling upon pIrposely
deaf ears. Beverly Calhoun sank back
into the seat, weak and terror stricken.
1t was plain TO her that the horses We're
not running away, for the nan had
been lashing them furiously. There
was but one cO1cluson-he was delib-
erately taking her farther into the
mountain Businesses, his purpose
known only to himself A hundred ter
rors presented themselves to her as
she lay huddled against the side of the
coach her eyes closed tightly, her ten
der body tossed furiously about with
the sway of the vehicle There was the
fundamental fear that she would be
dashed to death down the side of the
mountain, but apart from this her
quick brain. was evolving all sorts OF
possible endings-none short of abso-
lutte disaster.
Even as she prayed that something
might intervene to check the mad rush
and to deliver her from the horrors OF
the moment the raucous voice Of tJe
driver was heard ealing - lis Ls.4e5.
and the pace became s.owsc. Tie ~
full rocking and the joltiag grew less
severe, the cl2 ter resolved itscT .at1
broken rumble ard then the coach
stopped with mighty lurch.
Dragging herself from the corner,
poor Beverly Calhoun, no longer a dis
dainful heroine Gazed piteously- out
into the shadows, expecting the muir
derous blade of the driver to meet her
as she did SO. Pdu,off had swung from
the box of the coach and was peev.ng
first into the woodland below and then
upon the rocks to the left, He wore TIE
expression of a man trapped and seek
ing means of escape. Suddenly he dart
ed behind the coach, almost brushing
against Beverly's hat as he passed the
window. She opened her lips to call
him, but even as she did so he took
to his heels and raced back over the
road they had travelled so precipitously.
Overcome by surprise and Gismay,
she only could watch fine flight in 81
lence. Less than a hundred feet from
where the coach was standing lie turn.
ed to the right and was lost among tie
rocks. Ahead, four horses, covered
with sweat, were painting and heaving
as if in great distress after their mad
run. Aunt Fanny was still moaning
and praying by turns in the bottom OF
the carriage. Darkness was settling !
down upon the pass and objects hun 7
dred yards away were swallowed by :
the gloom There was no sound save /
the blowing OF the tired animals and !
the moaning of the old negress. Bevcr- /
ly realized with a sinking heart that :
they were alone and helpless in the /
mountains, with night upon them.
She never knew where the strength !
and courage came from. but she forced /
open the stubborn coach door and
scrambled to the ground. looking fran
tically in all directions for a single
sign of hope. In the most despairiGg
terror she had ever experienced she
started toward the lead horses, hoping
against hope that at least one of her
men had remained faithful.
A man stepped quietly from the inner
side of the road and advanced with the
uncertain tread Of one who is overcome
by amazement. He was stranger
and wore an odd. uncouth garb. The
failing light told her that he was not
one of her late protectors. She shrank
back with faint cry of alarm, ready
10 fly to the protecting arms of hopeless
aunt Fanny If her uncertain legs could
larry her At the same instant another
ragged stranger, then two. three. four
Ir FIVE appeared as If by magic. some
near her. others approaching from the
shadows.
"Wbo-who in heavens name are {
'ou?" she faltered. The sound of her {
'wn voice in a measure restored the I
courage that had been paralyzed. I'm 1
nonsouaIu khta u1t,xn 1.~frx - an,,kk~-a |