Putnam patriot., 1909-01-08


 fired at the barricade from the back oI his horse. which was resenting the in dignity by trying to throw his rider
 The enemy now concentrated sharI fire upon Armitage. whose horse snort cd and paved the ground as the ball, cut the air and earth.
 For Gods sake get on that horse Armitagets bawled out Claiborne. ris ing upon the rock. There's no use il wasting yourself that way
 My arm aches. and I've got to dS something. Let's try storming them just for fun. It's a cavalry stunt. Clai borne. and you can play being the artil lery that's supporting our advance Fall away there. Oscar. about forty yards. and we'll race for it to the wal and over That barricade isn't as stin as it looks from this side. l know al about It There are great chunks ou of it that can't be seen from this side
 Thank me for that, Armitage. tumbled down a good many yards ot 1t when l played up here as a kid Get of that horse. l tell youl You've got a hole in you now, Get downr
 "You make me tired. Claiborne. This beautiful row will all be over in few minutes. never intended to waste much time on those fellows when got them where l wanted them.'
 His left arm hung quite limp at his side. and his face was very white. He had dropped his rife in the road at tho moment the ball struck his shoulder but he still carried his revolver He nodded to Oscar. and they both gal loped forward over the open grou ad making straight for the cedar covert.
 Claiborne was instantly up and away between the two riders. Their trio beyond the barricade. who shouted hurried commands to one another as they distributed themselves along the wall and awaited the onslaught Then they grew still and lay low out of sight as the silent riders approached. The hoofs of the onrushing horses rang now and then on the harsh out cropping rock and here and there struck fire. Armitage sat erect and steady in his saddle, his horse speed. ing on in great bounds toward the bar ricade His lips moved in a curious stir fashion, as though he were i'll. muttering:
 bade me do something for the empires' Beyond the cedars the trio held their fire. watching with fascinated eyes the two riders. every instant drawing clos CT, and the runner who followed them "'rhey can't jump this! They'll veef off before they get hereH' shouted Chauvenet to his comrades. Wait till they check their horses for the turn
 I've are fools They have got Us trapped And Durand's hands shook as he restlessly fingered revolver The big Servian erouehed on his knees near by, his finger on the trigger of his rife. All three were hatless and unkempt. The wound in Zmars scalp had broken out afresh. and he had twisted coored handkerchief about il to stay the bleeding. A hundred yards away the waterfall splashed down the defle. and its faint murmur reached them X wild dove rose ahead of Ar mitage and flew straight before him over the barricade. The silence grew tense as the horses galloped nearer. The men behind the cedar lined wall heard only the hollow thump of hoofs and Claiborne's voice calling to Armi- tage and Oscar to warn them Of his wherea bouts.
 But the eyes of the three conspira. tors were fixed on Armitage. It was his life they sought. The others did not greatly matter And so John Ar mitage rode across the little plain where the lost legion had camped for veal at the end of great war, and as he rode on the defenders of the powder barricade saw his white face and noted the useless arm hanging and swayin4 and felt in spite of themselves the strength of bis tall. erect figure.
 ChauveDet, watching the silent rider said aloud speaking in German, St that Zmai understood:
 ..It is in the blood. He Is like q king"
 But they could not hear the words that John Armitage kept saying ovel and over again as he crossed the field:
 He bade me do something for Aus tria-for Austria"
 He is brave, but he Is . great fool When he turns his horse we will firt on him." said Zmai
 Their eyes were upon Armitage. and in their inteltness they failed to note the increasing pace of Oscars horse which was squirting slowly ahead When they saw that he would nrsl make the sweep which they assumed