Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1908-01-23

that crawling, creeping. twisting
worming, acknowledgements and
nearer, so near now that II beat upon
her-unseen presence. She pressed
her finger to the trigger to shoot at
the tangible shadows and dispel that
enveloping, choking, blanket horror,
when God knows what stayed the
action of her fingers. Call 1t instinct.
what you will. her hand was stayed
even before her physical eye was
caught and held by blot darker still
than the night. over to her right, farth-
est from the spring. It lay perfectly
still. II came to her. the willy plan,
with, startling clearness. The blot
was waiting for her to fire futilely at
grinning shadows among the trees
and, under cover Of her engrossed at
tention insinuate its treacherous body
the farther forward. Then the play
would 60 merrily on till-the end. She
turned the barrel OF her rife slowly
and deliberately away from the NOV.
ing shapes among the cottonwood
clump, sighted truly the motionless
blur to her right and fired, once. twice.
three times.
The completeness Of the. surprise
seemed to inspire the attackers with
a helllsh fury. They returned the fire
RAPIDLY and at will, remaining under
cover the while. Shrinking low at
her window. her eyes glued on the still
black mass out yonder. Mary wonder
ed II It were dead. She prayed pas
sionately that 1t 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. II accomplished q
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 II hold out? Forward
again, crawling fat 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
" still for a moment-waiting, watch.
ing. The plucky little rife was silent.
But so 1t had been before. Quarter
length, half, whole length, cautiously
with frequent stops, eyes 30 steely. so
intent-could 1t be possible that this
gun was really silenced-out OF the
race? It 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 a 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
hare grew and spread. II became q
glare. "~H ~
When the whole cabin seemed to be
in flames save the door-the dry. rude
boarding had caught and burned Ike
paper-when the heat had become I'M
bearable, Williston held out his hand
to his daughter, silently. As silently
she put her hand her left hand, In
his; nor. aid Wiiliston notice that II
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 arm step. Williston ad-
vanced to the door. Deliberately he
unbarred II, AZ deliberately threw Il
open and stepped over the threshold.
They were covered on the instant by
fourl.Files.
Drop your gunsl" called the ehisf,
sgushly.- Thsn ths .dslDeredoes moved
Il tShs It tksi T. an Ehs 6is
Eorl11 sd WnII1ton. =