The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-07-29

faintest echo of murmured Good
by, old dad; / wish could take You
with me-" Then she stood stitly up
right, facing him. I'm ready now she
announced calmly. "You can go on
ahead"
They crept among low shrubs and
around the powders, carefully guard
I! 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 preciptce. Against
that background Of dark cliff they
might venture to stand erect, the faint
glimmer Of reflected light barely sufi-
Client to reveal to each the shadoWy
outline Of the other.
Don't move an inch from this spot"
he whispered. ut wouldn't be square
deal, Kid, to leave those poor fellows
to their death without even telling
them there's chance to get out"
She attempted no reply, as he glIdet
nolselessly away, but her face, could
he have seen 1t, was not devoid Of ex-
preston. This was an act of gener-
oslty 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 +, IS
rent by jagged spurts Of red and vel
low fame. 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 fash and sound Hampton sprang
hastily back and gathered her in his
arms.
Catch hold, Kid, anywhere; only go
up, and qulck!"
She retained no longer any mem.
CRY Of Hampton; her brain was COM
pletely terrorized. Inch by inch, foot
by foot, clinging to a fragment of rock
here, grasping a slippery branch there,
occasionally helped by encountering q
deeper cash in the face Of the preci-
pice, her movements concealed by the
scattered cedars, she toiled feVerishly
up. The first time she became aware
that Hampton was closely following
was when her feet slipped along
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 leaf of
an aspen, she crept 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. FfG:
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
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 Ehich one sin.
gle voice pleaded pitifully,-only to
die away in 4 shrek. The two agon-
lied fugitlyes 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 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. It
may be that the girl slept ftfully,
worn out by long vigil and intense
strain; but the man proved less for
tunate, bis eyes staring out continual
ly into the black void, his thoughts
upon other days His features were
drawn and haggard when the first
gray dawn found CHASTITY reflection
along the opposite rock summit, and
with blurred eyes he watched the faint
tinge OF returning light steal down
ward into the canyon. At last 1t
swept aside thase lower cllnging mists,
as though some invisible hand had
drawn back the night curtains, and
he peered over the edge Of his narrow
resting place, gazing directly down
upon the scene Of massacre. With a
quick gasp Of unspeakable horror he
shrank so sharply back as to cause
the suddenly awakened girl to start
and glance into his face.
what is IT," she questioned, with
quick catching Of breath, reading that
which she could not clearly interpret
in his shocked expression.
Nothing OF consequence" and he
family endeavored to smile. Il sup