Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1913-06-24

with him. Ben gritted his teeth.
II only Merriman would lay aside
his rifle. But he kept his clasp OF II
even at the supper table; 1t was only
later when he arose that he placed
1t for moment against the mud wall.
| The watcher knew that his time had
come. Mollie's hands were on Merri'
mans arm and she was pleading very
earnestly. Ben fancied that she was
crying.
He sprang to his feet and rushed
! through the open door He saw In
distinctly: the world was revolving in
fiery mist, through his weapon.
Next moment, too enraged to fire, Ben
had dropped his rifle and his hands
were on the sheriff's throat
To and fro they wrestled. The Ia
| BILE was knocked down. The clumsy
chairs went spinning across the room.
The candle was dashed to the floor.
and in the bewildering night each
only knew that he was fighting for
life with an implacable adversary.
Ben dug his knuckles into the hollow
space between the point of the jaw
! and the great cord behind the ear-an
| old woodsmans trick, to compress the
/ carotid and produce unconsciousness.
He felt his enemy weakening. He had
/ him at his mercy now. Suddenly
tremendous blow fell upon his head
| from behind He heard the shivering
| % ri HnnO Dllt his
hands, felt for some stable hold in
the encompassing darkness. and tum-
! bled to the ground The last thing
that he saw as his senses left him was
the faint glimmer of the relit candle
and Mollies agonized face, in its
aureole hair.
Benz"
"Mollie!"
He started out through the whirlins
phantasmagoria that surrounded him
He was dizzy and deathly sick Gradu-
ally, as the fog cleared from his brain,
he realized that he was lying in
little room. He lay in Mollies room.
upon bed. and the face that he
loved best in all the world was bend
ing over him.
Thank God he is coming to,
Frank"
You had better leave him for the
present" 1t was the voice Of Merri-
man. He came into the circle of
Ben's vision. a mighty man, his face
swathed in bandages Looking upon
him, Ben dimly wondered how\he had
ever had the strength to wrestle with
such a fellow He was too weak to
lift a finger now.
We'll, young fellow" Merriman
was scowling down at him. You've
done for yourself pretty well
now" he continued. IF my nephew,
Walt, hadn't had the gumption to
come up at the right moment and
snatch my rifle you'd have had MUIR
der charge against you. thought
you were gone when | saw the whack
| he gave YOU that night"
THAT night! When?"
1.-TWO weeks ago tomorrow. Yep.
reckon you've kind of lost count Of
time" he continued, smiling less evil
ly. You've been mighty near death,
young fellow, let me tell you"
We'll, l guess you've won, said
Ben feebly. When are you going to
take me back to the penitentiary?"
Frank Merriman scratched his head,
then, lingering his bandages, he
scowled at length a smile broke out
upon his face.
When will you be ready to start?"
he asked
You'll have to put me in cart, |
reckon" answered Ben. Frank, he
continued, I'm likely to get life SEN
tence now and we aren't likely to
meet again. | want to ask promise
of you. Treat Mollie well. She's
the finest girl In the world, and If
she was false to newell, | reckon 1t
was for your sake, Frank"
The sheriff stared at him. Then he
turned abruptly away. "The-devil-
you-say!" he muttered.
He went to the door and called the
girl Ben heard them whispering out
side And presently he was aware.
in his weakness, that Mollie was
bending over him again.
BEN"
"Mollie!"
Ben dearest, Did you think had
betrayed you, Ben? Did you dare to
think that | was untrue to you?"
He felt her tears drop on his hand.
I He listened dumbly, in an agony OF
anticipation and doubts he dared not
utter
Listen, Ben! You are flee. Free
to go where you will. When you es-
capped the newspapers took up your
case. They demanded that you should
be set free The governor was ap-
pealed to. He said that you had been
punished enough Your pardon ar
rived the week before you first came
to the cabin. That was why | went
to the mountain. | should have told
YOU, but | wanted it to come as a
surprise, That night Mr.. Merriman
was waiting here to hand it to you.
You are free, Ben free to go where
YOU will-sree TOTO marry me-if
you want to-"
Copyright. 1918 by w. G. Chapman)