Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-04-25
The Edge Of Hazard
By GEORGE HORTON
Copyrighted 1905, BY The BobDs-Msrvu Company
Copyrighted 1906, by The Bobbs- Merlin Company
By GEORGE HORTON

lfs I -
could feel, even at that distance, that
the eyes were fixed on his own. in
comprehension. He will believe. to
his dying day, that there was graft
tude in them. He had missed, how
ever, and now the Chinese, grasping
his pursose, began shooting at him in
earnest, and several of the horsemen
urged their steeds into the water.
With the bullets scattering all about
him, Hardy set his teeth and fired
again.
Poor Stenka's sufferings were over.
His chin fell forward on his breast and
his body collapsed Imply on the wood
en- peg thrust between his thighs.
THANK God!" cried Hardy and,
turning, he ran back toward the boat,
ran madly, desperately, as he had run
but once before, and that was the
time when he heard the Princess
scream and saved her from the bril-
grands.
On he ran over the hard sand COW
cred with sheet Of ripping water,
carrying his rifle low and bending
at the hips. He realized that every
step was taking him farther from
/! those sayages on the shore, was put
ting a greater distance between him
self and their rifles. He scarcely be-
lived that he could get away without
| being wounded. If they would only
kill him outright, or would hit him
| in some spot that would not prevent
his running! He listened, as a hare
before the pursuing hunter, for the
sound of the guns, and still he ran
on.
But the Chinese did not shoot again,
| and now from the Pushkn came half
| q dozen men to the rescue, deployed
1 In open formation, like troop of
trained soldiers, with their eyes fixed
on something behind him. They were
shouting to him, but Hardy could not
understand.
He turned, looked, and knew why
| the enemy had ceased shooting. They
feared killing their own horsemen.
who were between him and the shore
and bearing down on him rapidly.
There were at least a dozen Of them,
| and in minute more three, better
mounted than the others, would have
been upon him These were bending
close to their horses necks, and were
armed with long swords to cut him
down. The American aimed at the
4 horses and fired rapidly, three times.
One Of the animals, mortally wounded,
4 sank to his knees, while the others,
stung. and maddened by the bullets,
became unmanageable and ran snort
ing back toward the Manchurian
| shore.
The Cossacks now. came up, and,
turning in volley on the mounted
lbrigands; emptied one saddle and
compelled the entire party to retire,
1 which they did slowly, shaking their
swords at the Russians and yelling
imprecations. They were destined,
however. to lose one more Of their
number The man whose horse Hardy
had killed was making frantic but UNI
successful efforts to get. away, his
| leg being pinned down beneath the
dead animal To him one of the
Bouriats ran up and, wrenching the
mans own sword from his hand,
cleft his skull with it and left him
there with his dead steed.
4 When Hardy again reached the
deck of the Pushkin, the general and
the captain each shook his hand in
silence, and the Princess, her beauti-
full eyes red with weeping, said To
him:
'.It was an act of mercy, my friend,
for which we all thank you. The soul
of brave Stenka, now in Heaven, will
be grateful to you"
ut was a hard thing to .do," re-
piled Hardy, faint almost to falling,
but could not endure the sight Of
the agony could not bear to have
you look at it. It is what I should
have wanted some one to do for me, "
1 7, a WI
ton were necessary.
Then" said the Princess with a
sad, solemn smile, ut was Christ
| and so shall ever regard it. But you
and be sure that the Virgin and all
the saints approve what you have just
done"
Thanks, a thousand thanks!" muir.
INJURED Hardy. "If you approve, am
sure that it was right"
And still there We're no signs of
help, no sounds of galloping hoofs, on
/ the military road yonder, that wound
/ in and out of the dark forest, or
stretched like a long white ribbon by
the side of the yellow river.
| CHAPTER aXXIlI.
During all this time the forest fires
were increasing in intensity and
spreading with great rapidity. The
trees were filled with fog of smoke,
that, drifting over and across the
river, began to obscure the prospect
4 The vagrant and deserted moon, a
/ gamboge patch in an ash-gray sky,
looked sadly down through the acrld
mist.
| vividly red and. narrow lanes of
flames ran zigzag to the waters edge,
like streams Of fire. Monster designs
were worked out on the hillsides in
fire, notably an immense heart, and,
/ in places where the vegetation was
sparse, the slopes were spotted with
tink Jets Of flame.
From time to time mighty pines,
/ either already sdead, or else dried in
/ the intense heat. flared heavenward
like great torches. The wind i'll
creased, hot as simeon, and, as the
| aftarnron wore away Snnradic h,1rn.