The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-08-07

Twelve, altogether" replied final
~. "They-they were too many for
u.s."
Three to one, or more. should
Judge. We got here Just in time"
was up now, looking into their
faces, slowly grssping the situation.
"Yes," I said, feeling the necessity
OF knowing. How did it happenf
What brought you? Washington"
"AlI natural enough. Clinton got
away night before last with what was
! left Of his army. Left fires burning
and made a forced march to the ships
at Sandy Hook. Left everything to
| save his troops. Washington, reaIiz
ing the uselessness Of holding them
! longer, sent most OF his militia home
/ About six miles out there on the pike
/ road a haIf-crazy preacher named
/ jerks came up with US. He was too
/ badly frightened to tell 8 straight
story, but we got ont Of him that Tiers
was fight on here, and came over as
last as our horses would travel!" His
ayes swept the hall. Five minutes
alter would have been too late" }
"But Farrell, the girl! Do you
NOW anything about the girl?"
What girl? Do you mean Claire
Mortimer? Is she here?"
Yes, her father is lying helplessly
wounded up stairs, and she must be-
with him. Eric is somewhere in the
| hall, either dead or wounded. l saw
him fall just as We retreated to the.
stairs" !
Farrell leaned over and called to-
some one below.
mot yet, sir" was the answer.
well, hunt for him. Now, Wen go
up and find Claire. Major, can you
climb the rest Of the stairs? Help him,
/ DuvaL"
I experienced no great difficulty, my
strength coming back rapidly. There,
was q wounded Dragon leaning,
against the wall, and halfway down
the hall lay another body, face down.
Without doubt this was the guard Fa-
gin had stationed there. Duval paused.
to help the wounded man, but Farrell
and moved on across the dead guard
to the open door beyond. Colonel
Mortimer, unable to move, was.
propped up on his pillow, one hand.
grasping pistol. With shaking arm.
he levelled it at US.
who are you? Quick, nowl" he.
uuavered. I've shot one, and I'm good
Tor more"
you know me. Colonel" and Far
rell stepped inside. 81 am Bull Far
rell; this is Major Lawrence" He
looked at us with dull eyes, his hand
falling weakly.
''Farrell-FarreIl--surely, the black
smith. What Lawrence? The-the Of
| acer Claire knows7"
Yes; he's rough-looking object I
admit, but there has been q fight
down below, sir, In which he had a
share. We've Just cleaned out Red Fa-
gins gang. We came up here to tell
the good news TO you and your daugh-
ter"
The Colonel's head sank back upon
Ehe mussed pillow.
MY Observation-Disclosures is not
here"
mot hsref" I cried, aroused by the
admission. did she not return to
you"
mo; they came for her to go down
stairs-a tall man with a black beard,
and two others. They took her away
an hour ago, and I have seen nothing
Of her since. heard the shots, the
sound Of fierce fighting, but could not
move from the bed. Tell me, Major.
what has become Of my little girl?"
Il do not know" I confessed, gag
ing about in bewilderment. "She came
up the stairs, am sure. It was just
as the fight began, and had scarce
~ a moment to observe anything be-
fore we were at it fercely. She shot
Fagin down, and then ran"
Shot Fagin! Clairel"
Eyes; she was justified. Had she
not acted so quickly l would have
done so myself. He was forcing her
into marriage"
Into marriagel With whom7"
Captain Grant" 1 answered pas.
stonately. cit was a deliberate plot,
although he pretended to be innocent,
and helpless prisoner Later the
man fought with the outlaws against
US; after Jones was killed he even as.
sumed command"
"He has been hand and glove with
those fellows from the first, Colonel, u
chimed in Farrell hoarsely. 1--WE
known it, and told Lawrence so a
month ago. only hope he was killed
down below. But what can have be-
come of Claire?"
"She never passed along here" in.
sisted Mortimer. 'for 1 haven't taken
my eyes from that door"
"Then she is hiding somewhere in
those front rooms. Come on, Law.
renee, and Wen search them"
We went out hurriedly, leaving the
wounded man lying helplessly on the
bed. and stepped carelessly across the
dead sentinel lying in the hallway
The memory of Peter required to me-
He was not the kind to desert his mis-.
tress at such a time. Stopping Far.
rell, 1 stepped back to inquire. The
COional 0DeDad his evas vaa riIvy %