The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-05-19

across the open space to the stables
As they ran Tom turned his head ent
just saw one end of a chain of rudy
convict faces, all horribly intent upor
some unseen spectacle before the pail
sade.
The stable proper faced the oper
gate through which the bushrangers
had ridden. Their saddled horses stood
two in a stall, and Tom was backing
out couple when he discovered Peggy
meddling with a third. He told heI
three would not be wanted.
"An' what about you"
81 stay with my mates"
ovid thin Inurtherin' vilrnsw
I'm one myself"
"Already?" she cried tom, Tom
1t was his turn to hold up a warning
hand
Miss Sullivan stood listening at the
door. but not to them.
Tom listened too
For some fnstants all was still
Then thwack, thwack, thwack, was
greeted with yell of savage joy. and
Miss Sullivan was gone from the door
Let her gor' cried Tom. Selling Peg
gy's wrist. 81 did my best for her.
You. at all events. shall be saved"
Not without you. Tom"
Nonsense. Peggy! / must see this
through
'An' so must /. them
With these words, she set her back
to the open door. But there stood
Tom. looking past and beyond her, as
though he had not heard one of them
Presently a soft laugh came from his
lips.
"All right. Peggy. You are safer
than thought. Look behind you"
The girl obeyed. and there, trotting
two abreast through the open gate,
were a score OF troopers, with the
glare from the still blazing hut red
siening their whistered faces, Jeweling
their spurs and gliding from hilt to
point the waving sword of the lad who
rode at their head.
Peggy stood aghast. with an amaze
ment that left no room for thought 1t
was only when the cavalcade had
swept close by and SO out OF sight at n
gailop that she heard Tom speaking to
her from q height He had himself
mounted one of the horses and was en- !
treating her to stand aside and let him /
out
And then she realized how the situa- |
ton had reversed itself and how he
was now the one to fly and gallop for
his life. Without a word, she sprang
out of his way. He clattered under
the Intel and was gone. She came out
10 see him gallop through the open
gate. He had already vanished, but
not that way. He had dashed to the
assistance of his rascally mates.
But a dozen shots had been fred
already and blue wreaths were curling
IN the glare-like clouds at sunset |
lay stretched upon his face.
Slipper and the aboriginal were fight
ng desperately back to back, but both
we're wounded and their moments
numbered. Troopers surrounded them;
others were already endeavoring to re-
store order among the convicts, while
,ne. a sergeant. was being dragged
md bumped about with one foot twist
ID in his stirrup and his dead face
'mothered with blood.
Tom looked about for Hockey Simp-
ION and found him on the verge of
shaking off four troopers and the en-
ign. One saddle he had emptied with
lis pistol. As Tom came near he hook
d the ensign out of his. but was with
n an ace of being dragged to the
round in doing SO. The ensign's
took gave way and saved him. Ere
e could recover himself a trooper took
deliberate aim at the little man. Tom
aw him. however. and fired point
tank at the outstretched arm. 1t fell,
nd the next Tom knew was that he
nd Hockey were galloping neck and
eek for the gate with but one pursuer
lose upon them.
Hockey had apparently received no
urt. The battered hat was off and
is benevolent forehead rose high and
-hite above his mask. 1t was to be
om's last memory of the little gray I
ian. He had thrown away one pistol.
rawn another and turned to fire it !
18th every furrow of that fine brow {
rowing in the glare. But Tom heard II
lie man behind fire first and saw those c
irrows leap into space like snapped {
idle strings, and he galloped through s
e gate alone.
Whether the slayer came to grief I
Ter the slain or how else to account L
II 1t. Tom never knew, but he now T
u start which he was destined TO h
,ep and to increase. Now also he be- {
IN for the nrst time to appreciate the u
zee OF hard bitted horsefiesh between 6
8 knees. He had taken the dead I
alian's roam. which had been led s.
ierless to the farm and was thus s.
fresh. 1t was a great 81
unit brute. with a mouth like leather. d
Tom had discovered to his cost n c.
e skirmish. Once through the gate. n
wever. he felt that no more: the O
asst had run away without his know II
: it III
Indeed he knew very little for the Al
ST few minutes except that the moon :
as setting at his back and he was =
&c more heading for the sea This
gathered from the grotesque shadow y
iping along between the roan's ears =.
S first conscious effort was 10 keep =
at shadow dead ahead. Now he lost =
where the timber thickened. now he q
und ii in an open glade. At length {,
: shad,w failed and vanished. and il -
Is very dark indeed. but on went the a.
N with Tor ffs Wit to &c