The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1908-03-05

lures Cf her as she stood in the half
darkn' the fear Of his Win
chest, II she ever learned
who ruffian was He
qUa!Rd rht. :.
Say. ling to marry tnat
girl"
81 dun not" said Dex-
try. Bette. 'amara-
WHAT The .,,u~sv. Npped
and stared. What do you II
go on. Don't stop the hors.
amt blind. | kin put two an two t.
gether."
You'll never put those two together.
Nonsense. Why, the mans a rascal.
I wouldn't let him have her. Besides.
It couldn't be. She'll find him out. l
love her SO much that-oh. my feelings
are too big to talk about" He moved
his hands eloquently. You can't un-
derstand."
"Um.m! s'pose not" grunted De1-
try. but his eyes were level and held
the light Of the past. :
"He may be a rascal The old man
continued. after little. "rll put In
with you on that, but he's handsome
devil, and as for manners he makes
you look like logger. Hes brave
man too. Them three qualities are
trump cards ana warranted to take
most any queen In the human deck
\
red, white or yellow
| "If be dares," growled Glenister.
while his thick brows came forward.
and ugly Hines hardened in his face.
In the gray of the early morning
/ they descended the fosthills into the
wide valley Of the Nome river and
fled out across the rolling country n
the river bluffs where, cleyerly coE-
cealed among the willows, wns n
rocker. This they set up, then pro
ceeded to wash the dirt from the sacks
carefully, yet with the utmost speed.
for there was serious danger Of dis
covery. 1t was wonderful, this treas.
ure Of the richest ground since the
days OF 40. and the men worked with
shining eyes and hands a-tremble. The
gold was coarse, and many ragged, vel
low Jumps, too large to pass through
the screen, rolled in the hopper. while
the aprons bellied with its weight. In
the pans which they had provided there
grew a cleaning heap Of wet raw gold.
Shortly. by divergent routes, the part
uers rode unnoticed into town and into
the excitement of the holdup news.
while the tardy still fingered over
I their breakfasts. Far out in the road
stead lay the Roanoke, black smoke
pouring from her stack. A tug was re.
turning from its last trip to her.
Glenister forced his lathered horse
down to the beach and questioned the
longshoremen who hung about.
mo. It's too late to get aboard
the last tender Is on its way back,
they informed him. "If you want to
20 to the outside you'll have to wait
for the feet. That only means another
week. and-there she blows now"
A ribbon Of white mingled with the
velvet from the steamers funnel, and
there came a slow, throbbing, farewell
blast.
Glenister's jaw clicked and squared.
"Quick, you men, he cried to the
sailors. II want the lightest dory on
the beach and the strongest oarsmel
in the crowd. I'll be back in FIVE min
utes. There's a hundred dollars in it
for you If we catch that ship"
He whlrled and spurred up through
the mud Of the streets. Bill Wheaton
was snoring luxuriously when wrench
ed from his bed by disheveled man
who shook him into wakefulness and
into a portion of his clothes, with
storm of excited instructions. The
lawyer had neither time nor oppor-
tunity for expostulation, for Glenister
snatched a vallse and swept into 1t a
litter Of documents from the table.
Hurry up, man" he yelled, as the
lawyer dived frantically about his Of
fee in a rabbit-liks hunt for items.
my heavens, are you dead? Wake
up! The ships leaving" With sleep
still in his eyes, Wheaton was dragged
down the street to the beach, where a
knot had assembled to witness the
race. As they tumbled into the. skiff,
willing hands ran 1t out into the surf
on the crest Of roller. A few lifting
heaves and they were over the bar
| With the men at the oars bending the
white ash at every swing.
'T guess I didn't forget anything
gasped Wheaton as he put on his coat.
81 got ready yesterday, but l couldn't
find you last night, SO I thought the
deal was off,"
Glenister stripped of his coat and,
facing the bow, pushed upon the oars
at every stroke, thus adding bis
strength to that Of the oarsmen. They
crept rapidly out from the beach, eat
ing up the two miles that lay toward
the ship. He urged the men with all
| ho oroot cnakQd