Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-07-31
THE SKY
PIRATE
II
By Jarrett P. SERVISS
II
Copyright by Frank A. hunsey
Company
Continued
CHAPTER XIX.

ESCAPE IRON A TERRIBLE DEATH.
T%HE dramatic episode which end
ed with the fatntinG OF Miss
Grayman Of course caused a
halt. l inwardly ragged at not
being able to go to her assistance and
equally at seeing Payton kneel at her
side, opening my lamp and throwing
its light upon her colorless face.
He took a flask from his pocket and
pressed 1t to her lips. In q few min.
utes she opened her eyes and stared
around. Then her look fell upon me,
and she smiled.
How my heart bounded! And again
L struggled vainly to reach her, but
she put up her hand, smiling once
more, and motioned me to be quiet.
Love herl Heaven knows how l loved
her!
Il could die happy" I thought, eff
snty l could rescue her from that
devil"
Then for the first time the absence
of the maid Susan and of the third
man impressed Itself upon my mind.
AS to the man l hoped that, after
all, / had killed him, but the fact that
Susan had been left behind gave me.
a CLEAN of hope. If only our friends
could find her she might be of inyal-
liable aid in putting them quickly on
the right track.
How | did pray that they had come
and that they would follow IS.
In five minutes, perhaps, Miss Gray
nan had fully recovered, and Payton
Immediately directed an advance. /
noticed that Payton always chose the
driest ground, and the most Open places
in the brush In order evidently to
leave as few indications as possible of
& trail and occasionally the Indian
and carefully replaced branches
that had been broken or brushed aside.
This gave me the idea OF struggling
whenever / had the strength In order
o leave tnefaceabie marks of our pas }
age. But I had not long essayed these
acttcs before the Indian gave me an
'thRs blow upon the head with the s
MT Of my own pistol which left me
tspselesss
gt must have been a considerable
lme that ! hung limp IN the bands Of 4
" bearers. When at last I opened
" eyes and stared about I was lying
q the ground. II
There was d light from my lamp,
'hich Payton held In his hand, direct
u tts rays upon the ground a short
Away, Beside me bn the
ground helt Miss Grayman,
tars shining on her cheeks, while her
"a -.assSas - In -henadiettnn>un94L
%. ana
/ could see that her lips were moV-
q silently. Opposite to her in the
aadow appeared the nohonless form
I the Indian guarding us.
As my eyes opened she gave a little
~, and, leaning over, pressed her lips
q my forehead, l struggled to raise
my head and to touch her with my
bound hands. She gently stroked my
face and then burst into uncomfortable
weeping.
The Indian looked at her with indif-
ference, and Payton paid no attention.
Then I noticed the sound of digging
in wet, sticky soil. 1 twisted my head
toward the spot where the full ilumi-
nation of the lamp fell and saw the
man who had helped the Indian to car
ry me turning up the dripping mud
with a broad saberlike bayonet. The
terrible truth burst upon me.
They were going to bury me in the
swamp!
In the awful food Of emotions that
rolled over me one thought, n resist
less longing, rode upon the surface. I
turned my face toward Miss Grayman
and spoke her name,
Instantly she tried to dry her tears
and to suppress her sobs, Our eyes
met, and, reading the wish that was
in my heart she put her face close to
mine. "John, dear John" she faltered
with infinite tenderness.
N x