The enterprise-recorder., 1911-11-03
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yet full Of smoke, and could per-
celve 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 a frightened
deer as her terror-filled eyes sought
the dark interior.
TT is safely over" said weakly.
for my breath yet came to me in
gcsps. The brute is dead"
could scarcely mark her coming
across the narrow streak OF moon
light, moving toward me as a fright
ened bird might, startled at every
thing, and passing as far from the
llfeless mass on the floor as the small
space would allow. As she bent
anxously over me her face was so in
shadow that could distinguish moth
ing Of ITS features.
What is it? Are you indeed severe
ly hurt?"
Not 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 it.
Would you endeavor to draw the flask
out?"
felt her bend over me, her soft
breath coming almost in sobs upon my
face. as with trembling fingers she
unG!d the buttons Of my troopers
Jacket and extracted the small flat
IIasK had been thoughtful enough
to store away there
The fiery liquid seemed to put new
blood into my veins, and with II there
returned all my old-time audacily,
with that intense hopefulness in which
had been trained by years Of war
and selfreliance,
q trust you realize ! said, that
| am neither thoughtless nor migrate.
ful Years Of war service make one
careless of life, but know It was
your shot that saved me, You are o
brave 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,
"Oh, no, am not; you do not
guess how great a coward | am. l
scarcely knew what | was doing when
I fired That horrid thing-what was
it?"
"A huge mastiff, ! imagine; one Of
the largest Of his breed. But what
ever it 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-"
realized that no amount Of con-
versstion would quiet her nerves 50
effectively as some positive action; be-
sides, felt the hot blood constantly
trickling down my arm, and realized
that something needed to be done al
once TO stanch its flow, before weak
ness should render me equally useless
do you think you could build q
fire on the hearth yonder?" ! asked
II am afraid | am hardly capable OF
helping you as yet; but we must
have light in this gloomy old hole
or il is bound to craze us both. TAX,
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
.gs.'- h,,t banning
fully away from where the dead do,
ay, until in brief space Of time thu
welcome flame leaped up in the wId'
black chimney, and cast its red glare
all over the little room The activit!
did her good, the light flooding thu
gloomy apartment yielded renewed
courage, and there was a cheerie
sound in her voice as she came bacl
. to me.
"The great ugly brute!" she eS
( claimed, looking at the form in tn
centre of the floor.
He was certainly heavy enoug
' 10 have been a bear I replied
clinching my teeth in pain, "and sui
. iiclently savage"
viewed her now for the frs
time clearly, and the memory will re
main with me till I die. How dit
.inctly that entire picture stands fort
,, with the mist of all these years bt
iween, The low-ceiled room, devoi
Of all furniture save of the rudest an
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