The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1908-01-04


her window, her eyes glued on the still
black mass out yonder, Mary wonder.
ed if it were dead. She prayed pas
sionately that it might be, and yet
it is a dreadful thing to kill. Once
more the wild firing ceased. Mary re.
sponded once or twice just to keep the
deadly chill from returning-if that
were possible.
Under cover of the desperadoes'
fire, at obtuse angles with the first
attempt. a second blot began its tor
tuous twisting. 1t accomplished a
space. stopped; pulled itself its length,
stopped, waited, watchful eyes on the
window whence came Mary's scatter
ed firing still into the clump of trees.
They had drawn her close regard at
last. Would it hold out? Forward
again, crawling fiat on the ground.
ever advancing, slowly, very slowly.
but also very surely, creeping, creep
ing, creeping, now stopping, now
creeping, stopping, creeping.
All at once the gun play began
again, sharp, quick, from the spring,
from the sheds. The blot lay perfect
ly still for a moment-waiting, watch
ing. The plucky little rifle was silent.
But so it had been before. Quarter
length, half, whole length. cautiously
with frequent stops, eyes so steely. so
intent-could it be possible that this
gun was really silenced-out of the
race? 1t would not do to trust too
much. The blot waited. scarcely
breathed, crept forward again.
A sudden bright light flashed up
through the darkness under the unpro.
tected wall to Mary's left. Almost
simultaneously kindred light sprang
into being from the region of the cat
tle-sheds. The men down there had
been waiting for this signal. 1t
meant that for some reason the second
effort to creep up unobserved to fire
the house had been successful. The
flare grew and spread. 1t became a
glare.
When the whole cabin seemed to be
in flames save the door-the dry, rude
boarding had caught and burned like
paper-when the heat had become un-
bearable, Williston held out his hand
to his daughter, silently. AS silently
she put her hand, her left hand, in
his; nor did Williston notice that it
was her left, nor how Imply her right
arm hung to her side. In the glare.
her face shone colorless. but her dark
eyes were stars. Her head was held
high. With firm step, Williston ad-
vanced to the door. Deliberately he
unbarred it, as deliberately threw it
open and stepped over the threshold.
They were covered on the instant by
four rifles.
Drop your guns!" called the chief.
roughly. Then the desperadoes moved
up.
II take it that I am the one
wanted said Williston.
once more. In the uselessness OF
further struggle, it had lost the sharp
incisiveness that had been the call to
action. If one must die 1t is good to
die after a brave fight. One is never
a coward then. Williston's face wore
an almost exalted look.
"My daughter is free to go?" he
asked, his first words having met
with no response. Better, much bet
ter, for the make of a man like Willis
ton to die in the dignity of silence
but for Mary's sake he parleyed.
II guess mott" responded the leader
CURLY. II pulin' idiot hadn't missed
the broad side of you-as pretty a
mark this side heaven as man could
want-then We might talk about the
girl. She's showed up too damned
much like man now to let her loose.
His big, shuff1ing form lounged in
his saddle. He raised his rife with
every appearance of lazy indifference
They were to be shot down where
they stood. now. right on the TIRES
hold of their burning homestead. viii
liston bowed his bead to the newt