Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1907-11-09
CHAPTER III.-continued.


ceptS-
CHAPTER III.-continued.
She shook off 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; I wish L could take you
with me-" TheN she stood stiffiy up
right, facing him. Pm 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 a chance to get out
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 flame Dazed for an instant her
heart throbbing wildly to the sharp
reports of the rifles, she shrank COVER
ing back, her fascinated gaze fixed
on those imp-like figures leaping for
ward from rock to rock. Almost with
the flash and sound Hampton sprang
hastily back and gathered her in his
arms
Catch hold. Kid, anywhere; only go
up, and quickI''
She retained no longer any mem
DRY of Hampton; her brain was COM
pletely terrorized. Inch by inch, foot
by foot, cnnging to a fragment of rock
here, grasping a 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 toileG feverishly
up The first time she became aware
that Hampton was closely following
was when her feet slipped along 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, she creRt forward onto a
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 in
a death grapple, the sharp cracking
of innumerable rifles, 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
. final yelping of triumph, seemingly
reechoed the entire length of the
,chasm. in the midst of which one 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 a dis
lance, but to the vision all was black
These uncertain sounds ceased the
strained ears of the fugitives heard
the crashing of bodies through the
thick shrubbery. and then even this
noise died away in the distance. YET
neither ventured to stir or speak. II
may be that the girl slept fitfully
worn out by long vigil and intense
strain; but the man proved less for
tunate, his eyes staring out continual
1y into the black void, his thought,
upon other days His features were
drawn and haggard when the frs
gray dawn found CHASTITY reflection
along the opposite rock summit, ant
Oith blurred eyes he watched the fain