The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1911-03-17
CHAPTER W-contlnued.

He would go to the councillors. Hav.
ing once decided. Nathaniel turned in
the direction of the town, avoiding the
use Of the path which he and Oba-
dtah had taken, but following in the
forest near enough to use it as q
guide. He was confident that Arbor
Croche and his sheriffs were confining
their man hunt to the swamp, but In
spite Of this belief he exercised ex-
treme caution. stopping to listen now
and then, with one hand always near
his pistol. A quiet gloom filed the
forest and by the tree tops he marked
the going down Of the sun. Nathaniel's
ears ached with their strain of listen
Ing for the rumbling roar that would
tell Of Casey's attack on st. James.
Suddenly he heard a cracking in the
underbrush ahead of him. a sound that
came not from the strain of listening
for the rumbling roar and in a mo-
ment he had lodged into concealment
of the huge roots Of an overturned
tree. drawn pistol in hand. Whatever
object was approaching came slowly,
as II hesitating at each step-a eau.
tious. stealthy advance, it struck Ma
thaniel, as he cooked his weapon. d.
rectly In front Of him, half stones
throw away. was dense growth of
hazel and he could see the tops of
the slender bushes swaying. Twice
this movement ceased and the second
time there came crashing of brush
and faint cry. For many. minutes
after that there was absolute silence.
Was tt the Cry of an animal that he
had heard-or of a man? In either
case the creature who made it had
fallen In the thicket and was lying
there as still as IL dead. For a quar-.
ter Of an hour Nathaniel waited and
listened. He could no longer have
seen the movement Of bushes in the
gathering night gloom of the forest
but his ears were strained to catch
the slightest sound from the direction
Of the mysterious thing that lay with.
In less than dozen rods of him.
Slowly he drew himself out from the
shelter Of the roots and advanced step
by step. Half way to the thicket a
stick cracked loudly under his foot
and as the sound startled the dead
quiet Of the forest with pistol-shot
clearness there came another cry from
the dense hazel, a cry which was
neither that Of man nor animal but of
woGan; and with an answering
shout Nathaniel sprang forward to
meet there in the edge of the thicket
the white face and outstretched arms
of Marion. The girl was swaying on
her feet In her face there was a
pallor th..t even In his tnstant's glance
sent q chill Of horror through the
man and as she staggered toward
him. half falling. her lips weakly
forming his name Nathaniel leaped to
her and caught her close in his arms.
In that moment something seemed to
burst within him and food his veins
with fire. Closer he held the girl and
heavier ne knew that she was becom.
ing In his arms. Her head was upon
his breast, his face was crushed in
her hair. he felt her throbbinR and
breathing against him and his lips
quivered with the words that were
bursting for freedom in his soul. But
first there came the girls own whis-
pered Neil-where Is Neil?"
He 10 gone-gone from the islaudl I"
She had become . dead weight now
AAd % b knel& N the ground With
hof. her nsaA st1N upon hts breast
AG' eyes clAaA1. her arms fallen to
~ slde ~ = Nathaniel looked