The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-08-08
fingers grasping her sleeve.

fingers grasping her sleeve.
She shook of the restraining touch
of his and as if it were contamination
n sank down Upon her knees beside
the inert body. He could barely per-
ceive the dim outlines of her bowed
figure. yet never moved, his breath
p~erceptibly q~uickening, while he
watched and waited. Without word or
moan h bent yet lower and pressed
her lips upon the cold, white face.
The man caught no more than the
faintest echo of a Good
by, old dad; I wish 1 could take you
with me-" Then she stood stifdy up
right, facing him. Tn ready now" she
announced calmly. You can go on
ahead"
They crept anon low shrubs and
around the powders, carefully guard
ing every slightest movement lest
some rustic of disturbed foliage, or
sound of loosened stone, might draw
the fire of those keen watchers. Every
inch of their progress was attained
through tedious cropping, yet the dis
lance to be ~traversed was short, and
Hampton oon found himself pressing
against h uprising precipice. Against
that background of dark cliff they
might venture to stand erect, the faint
Slimmer of reflected light barely sufi-
cient to reveal to each the shadowy
outline of the other.
Don't move an incl from this spot"
lie whispered. TT wouldn't be a square
deal, Kid, to leave those poor fellows
to their death without even telling
them there's a chance to get out"
She attempted no reply, as he glided
noiselessly away, but her face, could
he have seen It, was not devoid of ex-
preston. This was an act of gener-
osity and deliberate courage of the
very kind most apt to appeal to her
nature, and within her secret heart
there was rapidly developing a re-
spect for this man, who with such
calm assurance won his own way.
Then, suddenly, that black curtain was
rent by jagged spurts of red and yell
low fame. Dazed for an instant, her
heart throbbing wildly to the sharp
reports of the rifles, b Shrank COVER
ing back, her fascinated gaze fixed
on those imp-like figures leaping for
ward from rock to rock. Almost with
the fash and sound Hampton spranS
hastily bach and gathered her in his
arms.
Catch hold. Kid, anywhere; only go
up, and quick"
She retained no longer any mem,
CRY OF Hampton; her brain was COM
pletely terrorized. Inch by inch, foot
by foot, clinging to a fragment of rock
here, grasping a slippery branch there,
occasionally helped by -encountering .
deeper cash in the face of the preci-
pice. her movements concealed by the
scattered cedars, she toiled feverishly
up. hi first time she BEGAN aware
that Hampton was closely following
was when her fee slipped aleng a
naked root, and she would have
plunged headlong into unknown depths
had she not come in sudden contact
with his supporting shoulder. Faint
and dizzy, and trembling like a leaf Of
an aspen, h crept forward onto a
somewhat wider ledge Of thin rock,
n lay there quivering painfully from
head to foot. A moment of suspense,
and he was o~utstretched beside her,
resting at full length along the very
outer edge, his hand closing tightly
over her own.
Remain perfectly quiet" he whis-
pered, painting heavily. I'VE can be
no safer anywhere else"
Shots and yells, the dul crash OF
blows, the shouts Of men engaged In
a death grapple, the sharp cracking
Of innumerable rides, the inarticulate
means of pain, the piercing scream Of
sudden torture, were borne upward
to them from out the blackness. All
at once the hideous uproar ceased with
q final yelping Of triumph, seemingly
reechoed the entire length of the
chasm, in the midst of which n sim
gle voice pleaded pitifully,-only to
die away in a shrek. The two agon-
lied fugitives lay listening, their ears
strained to catch the slightest sound
from below. Hampton's ears could dis
Germ evidences of movement, and he
heard cultural voices calling at q dis
lance, but to the vision all was black.
These uncertain sounds ceased, the
strained ears Of b f%ugitives heard
the crashing OF bodies through the
thick s~hrubbery, and then even this
noise died away In the distance. Yet
neither ventured to stir or speak 1t
may be that the girl slept ntfully.
worn out by long vigil and intense
strain; but the man proved less for
tunate, his eyes staring out continual
ly into the black void, his thoughts
upon other days. His features were
drawn and haggard when the first
gray dawn found CHASTITY rejection
along the opposite rock summit. and
with blurred yes he watched the faint
tinge of returning light steal down
ward into the canyon At last 1t
swept aside thase lower clinging mists.
as though some invisible hand had
drawn back the night curtains. and
he peered over the edge of his marrow
| resting place, gazing directly down
: upon the scene OF massacre. With q
quick gasp of unspeakable horror hs
shrank so sharply back as to cause
the suddenly awakened girl to start