Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1907-12-04
CHAPTER III.-continued.

| She shook OF the restraining touch
Of his hand as if it were contamination
and 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
perceptibly Quickening, while he
watched and waited. Without word or
moan she bent yet lower and pressed
her lips upon the cold, white face.
| The man caught no more than the
| faintest echo Of a murmured Good
by, old dad; l wish l could take you
with me-" Then she stood stiff1y up
right, facing him. I'm ready now" she
announced calmly. You can go on
ahead"
They crept among 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 soon found himself pressing
against the uprising precipice. Against
| that background of dark cliff they
might venture to stand erect, the faint
glimmer Of reflected light barely suffi-
cient to reveal to each the shadowy
outline of the other
Don't move an inch from this spot"
he whispered. 1T wouldn't be a square
deal, Kid, to leave those poor fellows
to their death without even telling
them there's 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, she shrank cover
ing back, her fascinated gaze fixed
Oh hhOHS lCclpl1tSS III
ward from rock to rock. Almost with
the fash and sound Hampton sprang
hastily back and gathered her in his
arms.
Catch hold, Kid. anywhere; only go
Mp, and Quick!"
She retained no longer any men,
DRY of Hampton; her brain was COM
pletely terrorized. Inch by inch, foot
| by foot, clinging to fragment Of rock
here. grasping slippery branch there,
occasionally helped by encountering a
deeper cash in the face of the preci-
| pice, her movements concealed by the
scattered cedars, she toiled feverishly
up. The first time she became aware
that Hampton was closely following
was when her feet slipped along a
I 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 leaf OF
an aspen, she crept forward onto q
somewhat wider ledge of thin rock,
and lay there quivering painfully from
head to foot. A moment Of suspense
and he was outstretched 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 dull crash Of
blows, the shouts of men engaged IL
death grapple, the sharp cracking
Of innumerable rifles, the inarticulatt
means of pain. the piercing scream o.
sudden torture, were borne upward
to them from out the blackness. AL
at once the hideous uproar ceased with
final yelping of triumph. seemingl!
reechoed the entire length of the
chasm, in the midst of which one sin
gle voice pleaded pitifully.-only II
die away in a shrek. The two agon
ICED fugitives lay listening, their ear.
stvained to catch the slightest sount
iISn below. Hampton's ears could dis
Germ evidences of movement, and h
heard cultural voices calling at a dis
lance, but to the vision all was black
These uncertain sounds ceased, tn
strained ears of the fugitives hear
the crashing of bodies through tn
thick Ehrubbery, and then even thi
noise died away In the distance. Ye
neither ventured to stir or speak.
may be that the girl slept fitfully
worn out by long vigil and intens
strain: but the man proved less FOL
tunate. his eyes staring out continue
ly into the black void, his thought
upon other days. His features wer
drawn and haggard when the frs
gray dawn found CHASTITY reflectio
alcRg the opposite rock summit. an
With blurred eyes he watched the fatn