Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1906-06-15
BY. II WAITER. BURR.

we come ter the Burnin' Hills. Peers as
though I could feel the heat right now.
Therei Look yOnderi"
They were now on an eminence command.
ing q good view Of the lower hills, and as
they looked down Into the darkness they
could see distinctly long lines OF glowing
red, streaking the earth like the trails OF
hery serpents. The redness pulsated like
thing OF life, and as II did so the very
ground about seemed 10 hcaye up and down.
Then suddenly all was darkness again.
Yer, see she. continued, Il may be a
coward, an all thet. Mehbe so. 10 may a
bin all a ghost story, too. But there It Is,
an We got ter cross thet place.
The brave young man was getting really
scared. He had never before been out In
the mountains In the night time, and the
awful stiffness, broken now and then by
unpleasant sounds peculiar to the mountain
country, awed and frightened him. His
teeth were fairly chatterlng.
"I-I-wlsh we had started back sooner -
ne managed to say. I-I-had no idea
eyer might had a purtygood idea" she
answered; but Il amt a-goln' 10 do no
good ter git scared now. Come along
by this time they were nearinp the
forward her foot 10 take step, she realized
| lnstinctiYelY that II was not finding solid
Footing as soon az II should. A sudden and
uncommon warmth came upward, and IN
| Ua
| showing her a Chasm, with the further
Drink some three feet away. Leapingacross
she called to her companion. mind yer
eyer They had changed places-she was
| now the master and he the slave.
What Is ltl' he asked, as he neared the
| place. Just then he took the fatal step,
l and felt himself falling. But the girl was
quick. Suddenly reaching ont her arm, she
gresped him by the hand and fairly drag
geo him across the chasm.
We'll, never" he exclaimed in fright
That's something awful, don't you know.
| say are there many more Ike thatT
Come on, an quit yer talkln'," was the
But | say, 1wo-bits, it isn't safe is itY'
| he called after her.
II alnt afeard," she answered; 'If You
are, why stay where you are, or 80 back
an find the highest peak"
Blast the little imp" he muttered. ~
wonder If she's going 70 go away and
| leave me out here all alone. Perhaps II
would serve me right, for l suppose it's all
my own fault. But really, I had no idea
theTe was any truth In what she said"
Hello, Two-bitsl Don't run away and
leave me all aloner And there came into
his throat something very ike a sob.
Look ont there!" he heard her call; and
IN the darkness he saw her some five feet
/ ahead OF him. Don't try to walk thar, or
yer'll fall In, sire, It's wide, / tell YER.
| ana It's hot, too
We'll, what will dor he asked.
can stay here all night
'Mebbe yer could jump across. | did
Dut m only coward" She was becoming
| sarcastic, but not without purpose. The
| enid was beginning to see that the young
man would need every incentive she could
oher to get him to put forth his best Of.
iorts' She had no doubt Of her own ability
/ to clear all the chasms, but she was quite
/ sure That her companion was not aCcus.
| toned to such tricks. Now, he stood like
q scared child on the opposite side of the
| ditch. If the situation had not been So
| serious, 1t would have been comical
We'll yer comlnT she asked, i'm.
| patiently.
He stepped back for run, but when he
| came to the edge again he stOpped short
and looked ruefully at the red glow beneath
! him. He held out his hand and drew n
back suddenly, as he felt the intense heat
| Then what little courage he possessed for
4 sock him, and he began to whimper.
Il Just can't make 1t, Two-bits. Whatever
shall I dor
WALL" drawled the matter-of-fact girl
| Il spose | could go ahead an git some OF
the fellers from town ter come out an helI
yer across. They'll make no end of fun Of
| yer, though"
"Biast the funv he cried "Hurry III
and get me out of this, most anyway"
"All right Stay where you are and II
| be back after whie;" and she bounded
away like a deer, leaving George Casey
| sitting there in the night alone.
Minutes dragged like hours, and the dark
| ness seemed to grow thicker every moment
except when it was penetrated by that un
] canny glow from down below. Then, as ht