The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1907-07-09

4 = 81 + :. 4
4, Not witaagi gal Tom
"Sonsense Peggy: must see tbs
through
AN 80 must |. then
With these WORDS she SET her back
to the o!,ec door hit .hers stoed
Tom. looking past and beyond Der. MS
though he had not heard one OF them
I'resent.s SOFT laugh came from his
| lips. ..
"All right, Peggy You are safer
than thought. Look behind you
The Cir obeyed, and there. trotting
two abreast through the open gate.
were score of troopers. with the
glare from the still blazing hut red.
dening their .whiskered 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. IT
was only when the cavalcade had
swept close by and so out of sight at a
gallon that she heard Tom speaking To
her from a 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 aud how be
was now the one 10 fly and gailop for
bis life. Without word. she sprang
out OF his way He clattered under
the lintel aud was gone She came out
TO see him gaiiop through the open
gate He had already vanished. but
not that way. He had dashed to the
assistance of his rascally mates,
But dozen shots had been fired
already ana blue wreaths were curling
10 the giareliie clouds at sunset
Waiieye lag stretched upon his face.
Slipper and the aboriginal were fight.
ing desperately back to back, but both
were wounded and their moments
numbered Troopers surrounded them:
others were already endeavoring to re,
store order among the convicts, while
one. q sergeant. was being dragged
and bumped about with one foot twist.
ed III his stirrup and his dead face
smotaered with blood.
Tom looked about for Hockey Simp.
soa and found him on the verge of
shaking OF four troopers and the en-
sign. One saddle he had emptied with
his pistol. As Tom came near he hook
ed the ensign out of his. but was with
In an ace OF being dragged to the
ground In doing so. The ensign's
stock gave way and saved him. Ere
he could recover himself trooper took
deliberate aim at the little man. Tom
saw him. however. and fired point
blank at the outstretched arm. 1t fell.
and the next Tom knew was that he
and Hockey were galloping neck and
neck for the gate with but one pursuer
close upon them.
Hockey had apparently received no
hurt. The battered hat was of and
his benevolent forehead rose high and
white above his mask. 1t was to be
Toms last memory Of the little gray
man. He had thrown away one pistol.
drawn another and turned to fire 1t
with every furrow OF that fine brow
showing In the glare. But Tom heard
the man behind fire first and saw those
burrows leap into space ike snapped
fiddle strings. and he galloped through
the gate alone.
Whether the slayer came TO grief
over the slain or how else to account
for II. Tom never knew. but be now
got start which he was destined to
keep aud 10 increase. Now also be be.
gan for the first time 20 appreciate the
piece of hard bitted horsefiesh between
his knees. He had taken the dead
Italians roam. which had been led
rIderless TO the farm and was thus
comparatively fresh II was n great
gaunt brute. with a mouth like leather.
as Tom had discovered to his cost IN
the skirmIsh. Once through the gate.
however. be felt that no more: the
beast had run away without his know
Ing II,
Indeed he knew very little for the
first few minutes except that the moon
was setting at his back and he was
once more heading for the sen. This
he gathered from the grotesque shadow
leaping along between the roan's ears
His first conscious effort was TO keep
that shadow dead ahead. Now he lost
Il where the timber thickened. now he
found II In an open glade. At length
the shadow failed aud vanished. and Il
was very dark indeed. but on went the
roam with Tom on It's withers TO avoid
Invisible boughs. and when the sky
lighteGed he could have shouted for
Joy. for the roan's ears took shape
against Its llghtest point.
lie did not shout because his pursuers
would have heard him. for all this time
he had heard them ut intervals. and
whenever the ground changed from
hard to soft their hoofs rang out the
instant the roan's were muilied
The joy OF that wild ride through the
gum trees 10 the sea. He forgot the
little value he had set upon his life aud
rode for 10 now as men ride for moth.
Ing else. Yet he rocked but little Of the
result lie knew no fears and no re.
grets. but instead an exh.IaratIon such
rs he had never known before Il
! might be his last hour lie reveled IN