The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1908-06-25

ny eye. lucy hicu tuch hTiu5 Will
towering loads Of sage and returned
with them to the engine, crushing the
pungent stun into the firebox. Slowly
the wheels began to turn. The men
kept alongside, piling the tender high
till the summit was reached. Three
times they had thus to reinforce their
small stock of green Sierra wood be-
fore the journey was ended.
: The night grew colder. When the
car stood still, the biting air swept
through and chilled the two in spite
of the glow at their hearts. Esther
hustled about. chafing his hands, pro-
tecting the wound in his head with her
handkerchief, and tucking in the
blanket more closely, while he surrep'
tltiously pulled 1t loose, that 1t might
be tucked again. A vagrant lock OF
/ her hair brushed his face as she
leaned over him.
! Tell me, Stella, what have you done
to your pretty hair; something 8
turned all Its gold toto dark, au-
tumn.tinted brown. It's lovely,
! though"
mot I, but the salt Pacific, turned
my gold to rust. 1t treats nearly all
desert gold so, especially II the gold
is on young heads"
At last they touched more serious
things
But don't you know how you came
to be liberated from that awful place."
NO" Alfred replied to her question;
nor how l came there. 1 only know
that after Cadwallader, Gideon and /
had looked over Gideon's prospect We
climbed down the mountain to where
the horses were tied. Mine was gone"
"Only yours?"
"Only mine. Well look up your
nag, Gideon said; you stay here Cad
wallader came back alone little later
to see IL my horse had returned; but
1t hadn't; and Cad went away again
1t was nearly dark then. Perhaps it
was only minutes, it seemed hours,
that / wandered around, when some
thing hit me on the head. The next
knew was In an old tunnel, chained
to the heavy timbers."
"Oh, OIL" Esther moaned.
II was we'll in from the mouth, and
only little light came in by day; at
night 1t was Egyptian darkness. Some
one brought me food. Food" he re-
peated with shiver. What didn't
eat tasted best"
"Oh, my poor love!" Esther MUIR
INJURED unsteadily.
ho ot Arc CT
the count. That terrified me more than
all the rest"
How long was it? You learned
afterward?"
Nearly month"
Don't you know where the place is?"
NO No one does, except the mis-
creants who put me there"
They have never found-don't they
know" Esther faltered.
Not word. never saw my jailer.
He used dark lantern and came only
at night. l never heard his voice; he
always whispered. l think he was an
Indian. The night he freed me and
told me to go gun at my back hur-
ried me, warned me neither to look
around nor speak. l hastened along a
steep path that led from the mouth
of the tunnel. Dearest, you can never
know what rapture it was to see the
stars again! can only guess how far
1 went before fell, striking my head
When l recovered consciousness
couldn't stand, but crept on slowly in
the darkness"
Esther stroked his hand softly, ut
did not speak.
Il don't know how far, or what hap
pened. T"
And then?" she questioned as he
halted.
"The hospital at Sacramento. l
opened my eyes to sanity more than
three months after the trip to Gid
cons mine"
And you've been in danger since,
many times, haven't you?"
"Oh, no; not often. Don't fancy me
charging danger every day, sweet
heart, like modern Saint George"
Yet, your business in San Francisco
Il know you had enemies, have them
now-company's enemies"
We'll, that need trouble you no
more. I'm to have other work to do.
did have one escape there; it might
have been my end. One night ruff
fan caught me from behind on dark
street; and some one else Immediately
wrenched him away and whispered in
my ear, Rum l haven't the slightest
idea who either OF them was, though
I've tried hard to discover the man
who saved me-"
Esther listening, breathless, knew it |
must have been Gideon; but she was
mute.
A chill hand on her cheek startled |
her out of the blanket against Or
ders!" she exclaimed. When did you
eat last? And please keep the blanket
snug" she coaxed.
"This-no, yesterday morning. / re-
ceived message to come on to the |
Front at once, just after arriving at |
Elko from another trip; took the first |
train out, which happened to be the |
iron train; did telegraphing at Toano
that used up my dinner time, and
you know the rest"
Esther detected growing weakness
In his voice II must get you some
supper-breakfast. guess 1t will be-"
she said decisively.
He laughed. From were?"
From our larder," she answered
launtily, Fortunately. 1t is full, and
raw cabbage is digestible."
She pulled open a head. and