Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1907-12-13

"Gi'e us the cat!
There was none.
"Then the aul cove's cane"
Tom had seized Miss Sullivan by the
arm.
81 don't STRIP she declared. mot one
step!"
"Then worse will come Of it."
"But my fatherf'
'Its idle threats-they don't mean
word of It,"
"Ah, miss, come onp urged Peggy in
an agony for Tom.
"She shallp' he muttered, with the
nozzle of one pistol against the lady's
neck. And so between them they got
her to the back of the house and thence
across the open space to the stables.
AS they ran Tom turned his head and
lust saw one end Of a chain Of ruddy
convict faces, all horribly intent upon
some unseen spectacle before the pail
SADIE.
The stable proper faced the open
gate through which the bushrangers
had ridden. Their saddled horses stood
two in a stall, and Tom was backing
out couple when he discovered Peggy
meddling with q third. He told her
three would not be wanted.
"An' what about you"
81 stay with my mates"
"Nyid thin murtherin' vilrnSW
"Im one myself"
"Already?" she cried. tom, Tom
1t was his turn to hold up warning
hand.
Miss Sullivan stood listening at the
door, but not to them.
Tom listened too.
For some instants all was still.
Then thwack, thwack. thwack, was
greeted with yell of savage joy, and
Miss Sullivan was gone from the door.
"Let her go!" cried Tom, Selling Peg
gy's wrist. 81 did my best for her.
You, at all events, shall be saved"
"Not without you, Tom"
Nonsense, Peggy! / must see this
through"
"An' so must l. then"
With these words, she set her back
to the open door But there stood
Tom. looking past and beyond her, as
though he had not heard one Of them.
Presently soft laugh came from his
lips.
"All right, Peggy! You are safer
than I thought. Look behind you"
The girl obeyed. and there, trOtting
two abreast through the open gate,
were a 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. 1t
was only when the cavalcade had
swept close by and so out of sight at
gallop 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 and how he
was now the one to fly and gallop for
his life. Without a word, she sprang
out of his way. He clattered under
the Intel and was gone. She came out
to see him gallop 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 and blue wreaths were curling
in the glare-like clouds at sunset.
Wall-eye lay stretched upon his face.
Slipper and the aboriginal were fight
ing desperately back to back, but both
were wounded and their moments
Troopers surrounded them;
others were already endeavoring to re-
store order among the convicts, while
one. sergeant, was being dragged
and bumped about with one foot twist
ed In his stirrup and his dead face
smothered with blood.
Tom looked about for Hockey Simp-
son and found him on the verge Of
shaking off four troopers and the en-
sign. One saddle he had emptled 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
be 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 off 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
in the glare. But Tom heard
the man behind fire first and saw those
burrows leap into space like snapped,
fiddle strings, and he galloped through
the gate alone.
Whether the slayer came to grief
over the slain or how else to account
w