The Washington times., 1912-08-20
CHAPTER VII.
Things That Glittered.

Things That Glittered.
-HE warders, seeing Vassalli stag
ger and fall, drew near the pile
/ of rocks with leisurely move
ments. 1t was enough for them
to know that the progress of his flight
had been definitely arrested-whether
the convict was dead or not was a mat
ter In which none of them took more
than a professional interest.
The two men who had fired upon
their quarry had dropped their rifles
into the crook of their arms. Separ-
ated from each other by some little
distance at the moment the shots were
fred, they gradually approached con-
Verging point at the foot OF the ascent
up which Vassalli had made his last
dash for liberty. Meeting, each looked
at the other with speculative glance.
II reckon" said one dryly and lacon-
ically. II figure one of us mas settled
him. He looks more like a stiff 'un
than not"
The other nodded, but made no reply,
His companion, who cuddled his rife
with the affection of an old soldier,
looked at his fellow-warder out Of the
corner of his eye and smiled.
He made a good target when he got
against the skyline, - he said; II reckon
1 NIT MIN, anyway.
The other man jerked his head from
one shoulder to the other.
Why" he said. 81 don't very we'll
see how anybody could miss him. What
did you make it-500 yards?"
About that" answered the other.
Aye, 1t was an easy enough shot. my
lad"
Then the two went slowly forward up
the slope. The man who had spoken
young fellow Of thirty-five to forty years
Of age, climbed the rough hillside with
the careless, swinging stride OF one
who has been used to hill farfare.
His companion, man Of slighter build.
steep. ..
III shouldn't care about this game
every day. he said at last Especially
in this sort Of weather-it's bit too hot
five felt hotter in India" remarked
the other And I've known colder. too.
A man.hunt In one country's pretty
well. this Is ended" said his COM
panion as he swung himself up the first
beginnings Of the rocks whereon Vassal-
ended for good. too"
The big warder made no answer: he
suddenly put on squirt, passed his
eRe and He Vent e0 tnH p
the convict's side and touched him on
the shoulder with his foot. His eyes
turned to his advancing companion.
Hes dead, right enough" he said.
II knew he was by the way he came
a eropper. Many's the Pathan I've seen
fall like that as they were trying to
get cover among the rocks in their
The other man looked at the body
meditatiVely
'one, through the head and one
aimed for about the middle of his
back"
"samehere. said the other. careless
ly. He stopped. and. turning the body
over, folded the hands decently at its
sides and drew the cap over the face:
NAV as well make him decent until
We can take him off. - he said.
The other man made no reply. He
turned away, and. shading his eyes
with his hand, stared out across the
land that lay beneath him. The other
One was steadily plodding his way to-
ward the head of the tor on foot; two
others. mounted. were forcing their
horses in the same direction through the
Time to have bit of smoke be-
fore the others come up" he said. and
laid down his rife. He produced a pipe
and tobacco tin from under his tunIc.
and. having seen to his own needs,
handed the tin to his companion. who
accepted 1t with nod of thanks. and
brought out a pipe of his own. A match
cracked. and wreathes of gray smoke
Two living men smoked peacefully
over the motionless body OF a dead one.
The big warder presently sat down
at a little distance. and stretched out
his sturdy limbs with a sigh of con-
tent. His companion followed his ex-
ample; they began to talk across the
i've been thinking" said the big
man, that it's possible that I've had
enough Of this sort of thing; there's
nobody. can say that Princetown is ex;
of fha
don't know but what 1 shan't chuck II
and have a taste of civilian life"
What as?" asked the other.
the big % warder. "A nice, comfortabie
snug sort of public. l have my eye OF
the right sort of thing. in a way oi
speaking"
"At thirty-eight it's time I had one, .
answered the big man, stretching his
arms out and smiling. i've never
given much thought to marrying, but
as soon marry as not, and. of course
II i go in for keeping a public must
give 1t landlady,
Where would you go for her."
said the other. 40 Yorkshire-that's
where 1 should go, cause it's where ]
a place called castieford. in YORKSHIRE" h y
a manufacturing place where they make
glass bottles by the millions? That
where came from before l went into
the army
And where you'd go back to get mar.
ried, / expect"
There's no lasses like the Yorkshire
lasses," said the Yorkshire man sen.
tentiously. And a man naturally turns
TO his own country when he is think,
ing of settling down. i shouldn't have
much bother III"
He stopped short with something
like a startled exclamation that wa:
half choked in his throat. The Other
man looked up from the spot of ground
upon which his eyes had been media,
lively fixed, and saw that the bis
Narder was staring at the rocks be,
meath him with an expression that
seemed TO indicate amazement or sur.
rnse.
what is itY' asked the younger
Wardsr.