River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1912-10-31
CHAPTER xx.-continued.

comprehended the plan in Hash.
would buy; to lead the others away
long enough to effect my escape, Peter
had taken to the woods with gun.
Whether he escaped or was captured,
the delay would be short. With the
knowledge came action. ! bore the
unresisting Ranger to the floor, hurl-
ing down the tray of food he bore in
a mass of broken crockery. and bound
him hand and foot, leaving the fellow
lying across the open doorway. He
was without arms, except his heavy
gun, which / left beside him. An in
slant paused to ask a question. hold
ing aloft the lantern so as to see his
face
Nov, man, speak quick; you were
given some word for me? Some in
structions how l was to get away?"
Sure; but We drew those cords
Tight You are to go upstairs, out
the front door, and turn to the right;
there's a horse in the thicket beyond
the summer house. Damnation. loosen
that ankle rope, will YEP
| gave it twitch, but felt little COM
passion for the fellow, and ran up the
steps, leaving the lantern below. l
knew the way even in the dark. and
experienced little trouble in feeling my
passage. | met with no interference,
and heard no sound, the house seem
ingIy deserted. Only as / opened the
front door could l hear distant, irreg-
ular firing to the northwest. Assured
that no guard remained, | flung my
self recklessly over the porch rail onto
the smooth turf Of the lawn. The dim
outlines of the 1atticed summer house
could be discerned not thirty feet dis
tant, and started toward it unhesi-
tatingly. l had made half the distance
when a horse neighed suddenly to my
right, and, startled at the sound, fell
fiat, creeping cautiously forward into
the shadow of low bush. l had risen
to my knees. believing the animal
must be the one left there for my use.
when l heard the growl of voice, a
mans voice. from out the summer
house.
For an instant could not locate the
sound nor distinguish it clearly; then
a sentence cut the air so distinctly
that l recognized the speaker. Grant!
What was he doing here? Had we
delayed too long? Had Fagin's pur-
suers returned? If so, why was he
there in the summer house, and with
whom was he conversing? | crouched
back listening, afraid to move.
Il saw the CLEAN of your white
skirt as / rounded the house." he ex.
claimed. by Cad, thought the
horse was going to bolt with me. Fine
bit of luck this, finding you out here
alone. What's going on out yonder?'
There was an attack on the horse
guard, and Mr.. Seldom is in pursuit
But how does it happen you have re
turned alone? Has anything occurred
to my father?"
l judged from the sound that he
seated himself before answering, and
there was a hesitancy sufficiently no
ticeable, so as to cause the girl to ask
arxiously:
He has not been injured?"
who, the colonel" with a short
laugh. mo fear of that while pursu
ing those fellows; they ride too fast
and are scattered by now all the way
from here to the Atlantic Probably g
squad OF the same gang out there
fighting Seldom, Trouble with the
colonel is he takes the affair too seri
ously; imagines he is actually on tht
trail, end proposes to remain out al
sight. I became tired of such foolish
aess and rode back"
you mean you left? Deserted"
"Oh, hardly that" lazily. you SCI
was sent out with detachment t.
ride down the Lewiston road. / mere
~ left my sergeant in command anC
turned my horses head this way.
can be back by morning. and wanted
To ses you"
-@To see me-. Captain Grant! 70,
6isobeyed my fathers orders to rids