Middletown transcript., 1911-11-04

alone spoKe u tng yaS4gnce OF that
deadly struggle; but the cabin was
yet full Of smoke, and / could per-
ceiYe the figure Of the girl leaning
against the frame Of the open door,
the revolver still grasped in her hand.
Her posture was that of frightened
deer, as her terrorfilled eyes sought
the dark interior.
'tIt IL safely over" I said weakly,
for my breath yet came to me in
gesps. "The brute Is dead"
] could scarcely mark her coming
across the narrow streak Of moon
light, moving toward me as fright
ened bird might, startled at every
thing, and passing as far from the
llfalass mass on the floor as the small
Epaes would allow. As she bent
anxieusly ever me her face was SO in
shadow that l could distinguish moth
Ing of its features. \
"What is 1t? Are you indeed severe
" Aurt7"
"Net seriously, ] think, yet have
lost some blood, and am in great pain.
There is brandy in the inner pocket
Of my jacket, but / am unable to
move my arm In order to reach 1t,
Would you endeavor to draw the flask
out?"
felt her bend over me, her soft
breath coming almost In sohs upon my
face. az with trembling fingers she
undid the buttons of my troopers
jacket and extracted the small flat
flask / had been thoughtful enough
to store away there.
The fiery liquid seemed to put new
blood into my veins, and with it there
returned all my old-time audacity,
with that intense hopefulness in which
had been trained by years of war
and self-reliance.
7 trust you realize" said, that
] am neither thoughtless nor ungrate-
full. Years of war service make one
careless of life, but l know 1t was
your shot that saved ME. You are a
bray9 girl"
Her overtaxed nerves gave way at
my words, and knew she was crying
softly. The sobbing was in her voice
as she strove to speak.
"0h, no, am not; you do not
guess how great q. coward am.
scarcely knew what was doing when
fired. That horrid thing-what was
it?"
"A huge mastiff, l imagine; one Of
the largest Of his breed. But what |
ever 1t may have been, the beast |
is dead, and we have nothing more
to fear from him"
"Yet tremble So" she confessed,
almost Historically. Every shadow
frightens me-"
l realised that no amount Of con-
Versation would quiet her nerves SO
effectively as some positive action; be-
sides, felt the hot blood constantly
triGklilg down my arm, and realized
that something needed to be done at 4
once to stanch its flow, before weak
ness should render me equally useless.
DO you think you ceuld build a
fire on the hearth yonder?" l asked.
u an afraid ! am hardly capable of
helping you as yet; but we must
have light in this gloomy old hole,
or 1t is bound to craze " both. Take
those broken chairs If you find moth.
ing better"
She instantly did as I bade her,
moving here and there about the room !
until she gathered together the ma.
terials necessary, but keeping care,
fully away from where the dead dog
lay, until in a brief space Of time the
welcome flame leaped up, in the wide
black chimney, and cast its red glare
all over the little room The activity
did her good, the light flooding the
gloomy apartment yielded. renewed
courage, and there was a cheerier
sound In Der voice an she came back
to me.
"The great ugly brute!" she ex.
claimed, looking at the form in the
centre Of the floor.
He was certainly heavy enough
70 have been a bear, ! replied,
ciinching my teeth in pain, "and suf.
savage"
viewed her now for the first
time clearly, and the memory will re.
main with me till l die. How dis.
tinctly that entire picture stands forth
with the mist Of all these years be,
tWeelI The low-ceiIed room, devoid
Of all furniture save of the rudest and