The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1911-10-26

ment.
do not permit the darkness to
alarm you," whispered softly, bend.
ing down as ! spoke until could
feel her quick lreathing against my
cheek. "Our visitors are not likely to
remain longer than will be necessary
to get something to eat. They need
never suspect our presence, and all
we have to do is to wait patiently
until they move on. only wish l
could discover something upon which
you might sit down"
pray do not think me a coward"
she answered. but have heard of
his man Lowrie in the Federal camps,
and would rather die than fall into
his hands"
had heard OF him also, and of his
outrageous treatment of women. The
memory caused me to clasp my hand
warmly over hers, and set my teeth
hard
TT may not prove to be Lowrie at
ALL" | said soberly but all these
gentry are pretty mum alike l fear.
However, l promise that you shall
never fall alive into the hands of any
OF their breed"
Before she could answer me other
than by slight nesting closer in the
darkness, Bungay whispered: This
yere hole, Cap, leads down ter the
right, an comes out in a sort o. gully
bout a hundred feet back Thar's
light 'nough ter see ter walk by alter
ye turn the corner, bout twenty
feet er so. You uns kin go on down
thar If ye'd rather, follerin' ther dorgs,
but l reckon as how I'll stay right
yere an sorter see how ther oil woman
comes out.
Where. where was Roderick then?
One blast upon HIS bugle horn
Were worth a thousands men,
II you uns like ter see a burned good
fight maybe ye better stay tew-ther
ol woman is pisen If she once gifts her
dander up"
His voice was expressive of great
expectations, and / had reason to be-
iieve his faith in Maria would be
justified. Before any OF us, however.
had time to change our positions we
heard the fellows come stamping
roughly into the cabin. The thin slabs
which divided us scarcely muffled
their loud voices
We'll, old woman" exclaimed one in
voice so gruff as to seem almost as
sumed. pretending to be alone, are
you, with all those dishes sitting out
on the table just been eaten off, too.
Have MT seen no strange party along
the road this morning, have yer
Nary a one," said Maria, and l
kr ew from her voice she was standing
close beside the fireplace.
Are you Mrs. Bungay?"
Il reckon ! am, II it's any O. yer
business"
Don't git nifty, old woman, or we're
liable to give you a lesson in polite
ness before we leave" The leader
dropped the butt of his gun with
crash on the floor. Where Is the lit
tie sneak, anyhow"
What do you want OF him?"
Want him to go long with us;
we're hunting some parties, and need
guide. They toll us up the road a
bit he knew evesy inch O. these yere
mountings."
There was a pause, as II Maria was
endeavoring to decide as to the hon.
esty OF the speaker. Her final answer
proved the mental survey had not
proven satisfactory.
wal, ! reckon she said calmly,
"as you uns II be more likely ter
find him down bout Connersville."
Then whut's all these yere dirty
dishes doing on the table?"
He'd sum Yankee officers we're; they
just rode on down ther trail as you
uns cum up"
Like hell" calculated the fellow
with complete loss of temper See
here, old woman, we're too old birds
to be caught with any such chaff.
Wen take look around the old she
bang anyhow, and while we're at 1t
you put something on the table for me
and my mates to eat" -,,.,,.yse,S-'--
The voice and manner were rough,
but / was impressed with a certain ac-
cent creeping into the mans speech
bespeaking education. More, in spite
of an apparent effort to make II so, his
dialect was not that of those noun
taifs. -.-.-----s,sr.a s1s.-l..''
Even as he uttered these last words,
throwing into them a threat more in
the tone than the language, I became
aware OF a thin ray of light pene'
trating the seemingly solid wall just
In front of me, and bending silently
forward could dimly distinguish the
elliptical head Of Bungay as he applied
one eye to a small opening he had
industriously made between the logs,
Grasping Mrs Brennan firmly by the
hand so that we should not become
separated, crept across the interven-
ing blackness, and reached his side.
Holy smoke, Cap" the little man
muttered in suppressed excitement, as
he realized my presence, "it's a goin'
ter be bilin' hot in thar mighty soon.
Mariar's steam is a risin'."
He cfIapfIu uaoHa ronuo fnr ,,,a and