The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1913-05-22
5yD.FLET(HER ROBINSON

AeS&<ST1H
then. as II raised by these echoes,
there changed a distant bell. deep
voice OF loud alarm from the prison
tower, telling the moor that convict
had escaped, that julius Craig was
Tree and that II. miserable fool that
was. had failed In the trust which
nad been placed upon me.
! tried not to think, but ran stub
bornly on beside the horse with that
Internal bell rioting in my ears. My
life on the moors had put me In
sound condition, and never slack.
ened my pace till / had trotted UP the
rise to where the track to the ruined
farm began. l checked the horse
and walked slowly forward studying
the edge Of the moor besides the high.
way for the mark Of the grass-grown
ruts I knew SO we'll.
l heard the footsteps long before ]
saw him. quick patter upon the hard
surface behind me. As he came out
Of the fog he shouted, bringing his
rife to his hip with an easy swing.
He was stoutly built man In the
neat dark uniform that marks the
prison warder.
BE careful with that gum" / said /;
for he still had me covered.
i beg your pardon, SIR" he pant
ed; but we were close to him and
Close to whom?"
There's a convict escaped" he ex.
planned. you haven't seen him?"
mo, nor likely to In this weather"
He had got his breath by this time
and stood leaning on his rife. look
Ing vaguely about him.
You are right, sir. We stand far
better chance of losing ourselves than
OF finding him in fog like this. But
one thing is equally certain-he can't
get far, either"
1t was while he spoke that l heard
1.-THE clink OF a boot striking a
stone, and that not a score Of yards
away.
I'm afraid you are only wasting
time." I said. as carelessly as l was
able. "A needle In haystack is
easy compared to convict in a
fog"
Il think I must take your advice,
sir" he laughed.
We wished each other good after.
noon, and he melted away as a man
might slide behind a curtain. His
footsteps died out down the road by
which he had come as I moved for
ward.
THAT was near thing, Kingsley
said voice In the shadows. and ]
numbly thanked my luck that Hearne
stepped out upon the road.
i've no excuse" began. 1T was
all my fault, and"
Hush! keep quiet"
He stood for a moment listening
like dog at door.
IF that fool Of warder had not
gone back we were DONE" he whisper.
ed. The guards chased us right into
the ruins. While they searched them
we slipped down the track. Come
along, Craig. alPs WELL"
The convict rose from the heather.
where he had lain, and stumbled to,
ward us. He was shaking like man
with the ague. and the sweat was
running off his forehead and down his
cheeks in narrow streaks.
Am l safer" he suffered. grab.
bling my arm. I've money. man.
money. You shall have 1t, I swear
you shall have it ALL But l won't &c
back there-not alive!"
Come. pull yourself together" said
Hearne, with a hand on his Shout
der. We have no time to waste. re-
member"
We wrapped the long coat over his
yellow clothes. stuck the wig over his
cropped head. and helped him to the
front seat. l took my place beside
him. Hearne clambered up behind. and
our journey began.
The horse was of the old moor
breed. He could have bowled us along
at good ten miles an hour II the
fog had allowed it; but as 1t was we
rarely exceeded half that speed. II
was miserable time. Craig sat hud-
died by my side, now cursing me for
the delay. now peering back along the
road, while he implored us to tell him
II 1t were galloping hoofs that he
heard. He was an ill-tempered, pet
ulant man. and did not waste either
politeness or sympathy upon him. II
was not until we had passed over
some miles of rolling uplands and
dropped down steep descent to a
moss-grown bridge. that the fog show.
ed signs Of breaking. AS we strain