Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1907-09-05

4 server dS NGll DIS d AkllohCtA A-ANO%@N~~ t%-'
he had woven spell of words about
the girl, leaving her in state OF tu-
multi and indecision when at last, to-
ward midnight, he retired to his own
tent. She knew to what end all this
was working and yet knew not what
her answer would be when the ques-
ton came which lay behind it all. AT
moments she felt the wonderful at
traction of the man, and still there
was some distrust Of him which she
could not fathom. Again her thoughts
reverted to Glenister, the impetuous,
and she compared the two, so similar
in some ways, so utterly opposed In
others.
It was when she heard the night shift
at their meal that she threw a silken
shawl about her head, stepped into the
cool night and picked her way down
toward the roar of the creek. "A
breath Of air and then to bed" she
thought. She saw the tall figure OF
the Waterman and made for him. He
seemed oddly interested in her ap-
proach, watching her very closely, al
most as though alarmed. 1t was doubt
less because there were so few women
out here, or possibly on account OF the
lateness Of the hour. Away with con-
ventionsi This was the land of In
stinct and impulse. She would talk to
him. The man drew bis hat more
closely about his face and moved OFF
as she came up Glenister had been
! in her thoughts moment since, and
she now noted that here was another
with the same great, square shoulders
and erect head. Then she saw with a
start that this one was negro. He
carried a Winchester and seemed to
watch her carefully, yet with inde-
cision.
To express her interest and to break
the silence, she questioned him, but at
the sound of her voice he stepped to-
ward her and spoke roughly:
"What!'
Then he paused and stammered in a
strangely altered and unnatural voice:
"Yass'm. I'm the Waterman"
She noted two other darkies at work
below and was vaguely surprised, not
so much at their presence, as at the
manner in which they moved, for they
seemed under stress of some great
haste, running hither and yon. She
/ saw horses standing in the trail and
sensed something indednably odd and
alarming in the air. Turning to the
man she opened her mouth to speak,
when from the rank grass under her
| feet came a noise which set her a.
tingle and at which her suspicious
leaped full to the solution. 1t was the
groan of man. Again he gave voice
| to his pain, and she knew that she
stood face to face with something sin
lister. Tales of sluice robbers had come
to her and rumors of the daring raids
| into which men were lIlred by the yell
| low sheen, and yet this was incredible.
A hundred men lay within sound of her
voice. She could hear their laughter.
One was whistling a popular refrain.
| A quarter mile away on every hand
were other camps. a scream from her
would bring them all Nonsense, this
was no sluice robbery, and then the
man in the bushes below moaned for
The third time
What is thatY' she said.
Without reply the negro lowered the
muzzle of his rife till it covered her
breast, and at the same time she heard
| the double click of the hammer.
Keep still and don't move" he
warned. Were desperate, and we
can't take any chances. miss"
ooh, you are stealing the gold'-
She was wildly frightened. yet stood
still while the lookout anxiously d.
yided his attention between her and
the tents above until his companions
signaled him that they were through
and the horses were loaded. Then he
spoke:
Il don't know what to do with you,
but guess I'll tie you up"
WHAT" she said.
I'm going to tie and gag you SO you
can't holler.r
ooh, don't you darep' she cried fierce
ly. "Ill stand right here till you've
gone, and / won't scream. l promise. :"
She looked up at him appeaMngly, at
which he dipped his head, SO that she
caught only glimpse of his face, and
then backed away.
"All right Don't try it because I'll
be hidden in those bushes yonder at
the bend, and I'll keep you covered till
the others are gone" He leaped down
the bank, ran to the cavalcade, mount
ed quickly, and the three dashed their
horses into run, disappearing up the
trail around the sharp curve. She
heard the blows Of their quirts as they
whipped the pack horses.
They were long out Of sight before
the girl moved or made sound, al
though she knew that none of the three
had paused at the bend She only
stood and gazed, for as they galloped
off she had heard the scrap Of broken
sentence. 1t was but one excited
| word c01rr11fraor fbro14nrI, }4fo ~