Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1906-08-23

LlC ldlCN Onll SLlO1StDCACu ZIG Old
single iron purpose which had taken
possession of me and all my thoughts.
l must be first. / must anticipate the
lieutenant and make the arrest my
self. l ran on only the faster.
We seemed to be across the meadow
and in the wood in a moment. There,
instead of keeping along the common
path, l boldly singled out-my senses
seemed preternaturally keen-the
smaller track by which Clon had
brought us, and ran unfaltering along
it, avoiding logs and pitfalls as by in
stinct, and following all its turns and
twists, until it brought us to the back
of the inn, and We could hear the muir
muir of subdued voices in the village
street, the sharp low words of COM
mand, and even the clink of weapons;
and could see, above and between the
houses, the dull glare of %lanthorns and
torches.
I grasped my mans arm and
crouched down, listening. where is
your mater" I said, in his ear.
with them," he muttered.
"Then come" l whispered, rising.
81 have seen enough. Let us CO."
But he caught me by the arm and
detained me. "You don't know the
way!" he Missed. STEADY, steady,
Monsieur. You go too fast. They
are just moving. Let Us join them,
and strike in when the time comes.
We must let them guide us"
Fool" l said, shaking off his hand.
Il tell you, I know where he is! l
know where they are going. Come;
lose not a moment, and We will pluck
the fruit while they are on the road
to it,"
His only answer was an exclamation
of surprise; at that moment the lights
began to move. The lieutenant was
starting. The noon was not yet up;
the sky was gray and cloudy; to ad-
vance where we were was to step into
a wall of blackness. Eut we had lost
too much time already, and I did not
hesitate. Bidding my companion fol
low me, and use his legs, | sprang
through a low fence which rose before
us, and stumbling blindly over some
broken ground in the rear of the
houses, came, with a fall or two, to
a little watercourse with steep sides.
Through this l plunged recklessly, and
up the farther side, and, b%reathless
and painting, gained the road just be-
yond the village and 50 yards in ud'
vance Of the ~lieutenant's troop.
They had only two lanthosas burn
ing now and we were beyond the cir.
Gle of light these cast; while the steady
tramp of so many footsteps covered
the noise we made. We were unno-
ticed. In a twinkling we turned our
backs, and as fast as we could ran
down the road. Fortunately, they
were thinking more Of secrecy than
speed, and in a minute we had dou-
bled the distance between u.s.; in two
minutes their lights were mere sparks
shining in the gloom behind us. We
loSL, az lool, CfCH lAS tldhlp vi tlSll
feet. Then I began to look out and
go more slowly; peering into the shad.
ows on either side of the fern-stack.
On one hand the hill rose steeply;
on the other it fell away to the stream.
On neither side was close wood-or my
difficulties had been immensely in
creased-but scattered oak-trees stood
here and there among gorse and brack-
en-. This helped me, and in a moment,
on the upper side, I came upon the
dense substance of the stack looming
black against the lighter hill.
My heart beat fast, but it was nc
time for thought. Bidding the mar
in a whisper to follow me and be ready
to back me up. I climbed the bank soft
ly, and with n pistol in my hand, felt
my way to the real of the shack;
thinking to find a hut there. set against
the fern, and M. de Cocheforet in it
But l found no hut. There was none:
and all was so dark that it came upon
me suddenly as I stood between the
hill and the stack that I had undertake
en- a very difficult thing. The hut be.
hind the fern-stack? But how far be.
hind? How far from it? The dark
slope stretched above us, infinite. i'm
measurable, shrouded in night. To
begin to climb it in search of a tiny
hut, probably well-hidden and hard to
find in daylight, seemed a task as i'm
possible as to meet with the needle in
the hay! And now, while 1 stood
chilled and doubling, the steps of the
troop in the road began to grow audi.
Die, began to come nearer.
We'll, M. lie %Capitainet" the man be-
side muttered-iH wonder why I stood
Which way? Or they will be before
lis yet"
tried TO think, to reason it out; tc
consider where the hut would be.
while the wind sighed through the oak;
and here and there I could hear an
scorn fall. But the thing pressed toe
close on me: my thoughts would no
be hurried and at last I said at 8
venture, up the hill. Straight from
the stack"
He did not demur and we plunged a,
the ascent, knee deep in bracken and
furzc. sweating at every pore with ouI
exertions and hearing the troop come
i every moment nearer on the road be.
low. Doubtless they knew exactly
whittier to go! Forced to stop and take
breath when we had scrambled up SO
yards or so, I saw their lanthorns shin
ing like moving glow-worms; and could
even hear the clink Of steel. For all
could tell the hut might be down
there and we two be moving frcrl
1t! But 1t was too late 10 81
back now; they were close ia
the fern-Stack and in doeDoir