The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1913-05-09

lying back against the opposite win.
dow, her head bent sideways.
My God" he thought, did those
devils get herr"
She lifted her slight figure up on
one arm, all else blotted out, all 9TH
er memory vanished through this in
slant dread. His cheek stung where
lying splinters had struck him, but
mat was nothing. She was warm, her
Ilesh was warm; then his searching
fingers felt the moist blood trickling
down from the edge of her hair He
let out his breath slowly, the sudden
relief almost choking him. 1t was bad
enough surely, but not what he had
hrst feared, not death. She had been
struck hard-a flying splinter of wood.
perhaps, or a detected bullet-her
hair matted with blood, yet it was no
more than a flesh wound. although
leaving her unconscious. If he hest
tated it was but for an instant. The
entire situation required to him in
flash; he must change his plans. but
dare waste no time. If they were to
escape it must be accomplished now,
Swallowed by darkness, while savage
watchers were safely beyond sound.
His lean jaws set with fierce deter
mination, and he grimly hitched his
belt forward, one sinewy hand finger
ing the revolver. He would have to
trust to that weapon entirely for de-
Tense; he could not carry both the
rife and the girl.
Moving slowly, cautiously, fearful
lest some creaking of the old stage
might betray his motions to those
keen ears below, he backed through
the open door Once feeling the
ground firm beneath his feet, and ma.
king sure that both canteen and hav-
ersack were secure, he reached back
into the darkness, grasping the form
of the unconscious girl. He stood
erect with her held securely in his
arms, strands of hair blowing against
his cheek, listening intently, striving
with keen eyes to penetrate the black
curtain The wind was fortunate
blowing steadily across the fiat from
the river. and they were surely invis.
IDLE against the background of the
overhanging bluff. He did not even
feel it necessary to crouch low to
avoid discovery. He knew that peril
would confront them later, when they
ventured out into the open.
How light she seemed, as though
he clasped child Bearing
her was going to be easier
than he had supposed; the excitement
yielded him new measure of
strength, yet he went forward very
slowly, feeling along, inch by inch.
planting his feet with exceeding care
The earth was hard-packed and would
leave little trail; there were no leaves,
no dead grass to rustic. Beyond the
protection afforded by the stage he
felt the full sweep of the wind and
permitted her head to rest lower on
one arm so that he could look about
more clearly. She had not even
moaned, although he had felt her
breath upon his face. Once he stun
and farther along a foot slipped on
treacherous stone, but the slight noise
died unnoticed in the night 1t was
farther to the gully than he had sup
posed; his heart was in his throat
fearing he had missed it. half believing
the depression failed to extend to the
base of the bluff Then his foot, ex-
ploring blindly, touched the edge of
the bank. Carefully he laid his bur-
den down, placing his battered cam
paign hat beneath her head. He bent
over her again, assuring himself that
she breathed regularly, and then crept
down alone into the shallow rayine.
His nerves were like steel now, his
hand steady. his heart beating with
out an accelerated throb. He knew
the work, and rejoiced in it. This was
why he was a soldier. Silently, swift
ly. he unbuckled his belt, refastening
it across the straps so as to hold can
teen and haversack noiseless, and
then, revolver in hand, began creep
ing down under cover of the low
banks. He must explore the path first
before attempting to bear her along
in his arms; must be sure the passage
was unguarded. After it swerved to
the right there would be little danger,
but while it ran straight, some eau
tious savage might have chosen it to