, 1912-07-25
CHAPTER XIX.
ESCAPE FROM A TERRIBLE dealt

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halt. 1 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 coioriess face.
He took a flask from his pocket and
pressed 1t to her lips. In a few min.
utes she opened her yes and stared
around. Then her look fell upon me.
aad b smiled.
How my heart bounded! And again
1 struggled vainly to reach her. but
she put up her hand. smiling once
more. and motioned me to be quiet.
Love her! Heaven knows how 1 loved
her!
Il could die happy" I thought, IF
only 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 | hoped that, after
all. ! had killed him. but the fact that
Susan had beef left behind gave me
a CLEAN Of hope. If only our friends
could find her she might be of inval-
liable aid in putting them quickly on
the right track.
How | did pray that they had come
and that they would follow us.
In five minutes. perhaps. Miss Gray
man 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
a trail and occasionally the Indian
stopped and carefully replaced branches
that had been broken or brushed aside.
This gave me the idea of struggling
whenever l had the strength In order
to leave ineffaceable marks of our pas
sage. But l had not long essayed these
tactics before the Indian gave me an
other blow upon the head with the
butt of my own pistol. which left me
senseless.
1t must have been a considerable
time that ! hung limp in the hands of
my bearers. When at last | opened
my eyes and stared about l was lying
on the ground.
There was a light from my lamp.
which Payton held In his hand. direct
ing its rays upon the ground a short
distance away. Beside me on the
moist ground knelt Miss Grayman.
tears shining Oh her cheeks, while her
hand rested. as in b~enediction. upon
my brow.
I could see that her lips were NOV
ing silently. Opposite to her In the
shadow appeared the m~otionless form
Of the Indian. guarding US.
As my eyes opened she gave a little
cry. and. leaning over. pressed her lips
to my forehead. 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 | noticed the sound of digging
In wet. sticky soil. l twisted my head
toward the spot where the full illumi-
nation Of the lamp fell and saw the
man who had helped the Indian to car
~ 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 flood OF emotions that
rolled over me one thought. n resist
less longing. rode upon the surface. l
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
Then our lips met.
God. What 4 betrothalI