Amador ledger., 1907-03-22

principal farmers around the vicinity
-whJ' they were, the best roads, the
distances to towns-and she answered,
never ceasing to be painfully alert,
never Stacking speed.
''Here, quit that pacer' he suddenly
exclaimed roughly, putting one arm
around her waist in firm grasp. "You
needn't try to run away from me, and
Pm not going to run with you. Cut 1t
out"
Her heart almost stood still. Then
it flashed upon her that, somewhere
hear, another path ran from this one
deper into the woods toward a desert
ed little cabin. That it stood open she
knew. That the door could be closed
and barred she also knew, having once
taken refuge there in a rainstorm with
a party of picnickers. Her eyes. now
strained to unnatural keenness, discern
ed the break in the shrubbery where
the second path began, not far ahead.
Just as they approached it, with sud
den movement she tripped him, un-
guarded, sensling him sprawling over
the pail of blackberries as she wrench
ed herself away and dashed down the
turning path, tearing along at speed
under any other circumstances impos-
sible
She had start of several yards
before he regained his footing and
madly rushed after her She ran till
pain throbbed in her side and her eyes
swan, never faltering. Then it seemed
to her that she was lifted to insensi-
bility and sped on without volition, con-
scious only OF speed. The cabin door
! was nearing, glimpsed through the
woods, open. 1t seemed to her that a
monster was coming fast behind and
that she covered the ground by leaps,
like a strange animal. Suddenly she
left the path and made short cut
| through the trees, so that for the in
stant he did not see her swift change
of direction, and to this she probably
owed her life. She tore into the cabin,
almost fell upon man within as he
jumped from his chair and gasped,
hardly knowing what she was saying:
| Hell kill u.s. Lock the door, RUM
r. AS she fell exhausted to the floor she
dimly sensed man rushing out of the
! cabin in the direction from which she
/ had come. Her breath came thick and
| painfully. She tried to think, and sud-
denly, like lightning flash, came the
/ query, "Who was the man in the cab
in?" and a new terror seized her.
Then her flesh quivered at the sound
of a horrible cry and two almost stimuli
taneous shots, followed by third
How long she lay where she had
fallen she did not know, for now
fright and exhaustion seemed to have
! numbed her utterly, but when she was
able to struggle to her feet she crept
through the woods toward the old path
leading to the country road, avoiding
with a shudder the crooked path which
led from the cabin. Finally she sat
down by me wayside to wait for any
passing vehicle, too spent to carry her.
self farther. And this time Billy, also
disappointed, carrying his load of ber-
ries, came strolling along.
''Marthaw
At sight of the limp. bedraggled fig
ure he cried out and fell at her side.
She told him weakly what had hap
! pened, and, afiame with revengeful
/ rage, he marched down the crooked
! path, leaving her for a minute alone.
When he came lack his usually ruddy
| face was white, though he would not
! give any explanation, and not until
Billy had carried her home in his
| strong young arms and she had cried
upon his shoulder and let him kiss her
peacefully, rapturOusly, did he tell her
that he had stumbled upon two dead
bodies, dead, but warm, not five yards
from each other, though separated by
shrubbery and trees.
1t transpired that the men were no
tOrious criminals in hiding. When
4 Martha had staggered in with her cry
i CT. Hell kill us! RUM" the startled
man in the cabin acted upon one idea
that he was about to be captured; that
she had warned him. He had rushed
out, fired at the figure approaching
through the woods, and his shot was
almost instantly returned Both men
had shot to KILL
AS curious beIefcence from SO har,
rowing an experience, the prize money
paid for the delivery Of the two Grim
inals, alive or dead. gave a certain
young couple splendid start In the
building of their new home
A Guaranteed gure for Piles
Itching, blind, bleeding, protrudinl
piles. Druggists are authorized tC
| r.lafI nd \: