Gunnison news-champion., 1913-02-21

only sound the wind The SirI Grippea
the back OF the ssst nsrvosoly VITA
both hands. holdihO her brseth: Tie
Sergeant, the outline of his face stl-
hoaetted asasnst the sAy. stoes1 mo
tionless into the night without Sud
denly. not making . soanA. - ltfts1
the rife to his shoulder.
cAAsrGa vtM.
a Wsy - ems oIsse.
0he waited In soony - 10 s1UA4s1
carefully, strivia0 - OssOs TIE -
tance. Il seemed "a tnseeNinob1D
time bsfore his Ringer prssssA sAe
trigger. Thea came the rsDort. . AasA
of name. anA the powd der smoke blown
back In her face. Half blinasd BY tAe
discharge. she yet ssw tAst black
smudge leap upright; again the Henry
blazed, end the aim agure went Aowa.
There Vas = cry ned yeil Of raos
in which scattered voices joinsd;
spits OF hre clesvinS the dnrknsos.
the barking Of Ouns Of ai4sseat soN-
Der. A bit Of AyinS isal tore tAsosoA
the leather bsck Of the coach eth sa
odd rip; another struck the easing q
the door. sendino the 0DOAsn splia-
ters Aging like arrows. Hswk-eysA,
Hamlin fred twice more, simina ct
the sparks. srimly certsin tAet . re
spending howl from the lon sviAsaeeA
. hit Then, - euiekly. eli Wes stiA,
intensely black oscs nOss. The 0ss.
Geant drew bach frOa TIE WinAoU,
heaniRG HE osn aOoin1t the eaoinG.
That yin hole tAsa sos . whils,s
he saiA cAssrfully. Tive ~ 60
there. I pschea. enA ~ seAsss Vsn{
get eersesss a0aiA YiOAt sWaV. HeV
y eur tine; ere poe ruolVr
Thsro was ~ Rssponsa, the otillness
- Dsos0unA As could hsar TIE faint
tickin0 Of the Giri's vatcA. He
rseched out alnost charmed, and
touched her 1ress.
What - the troublo?" hs sues-
toned snHiously. "Ds1nt yos ksas me
soeak?
He wsited brsathlsss, but tAere was
10 movement, no sound, snl Ais hand.
trenbiiho. In spits q Ais iron nsrve,
gFops1 its way spvara. She was
lying baok aGainst the opposite win
Gov. hsr Asal lent sideways.
ny osl." - tAssOA1 "ail those
1svtls - hssf"
~ hftsl Ass saiGAt Aours q, %
eas ern. all slss basttsl sst, en- 9th
er memory venisAsd sAroaoA this in
stant 1rsol- Nis chssk stunn vhero
ayfnG sp1intses hal struck hin, bue
that was DothinG. She was warm, hee
Mesh wao warA; thea IN osoPchina
nn0ofS foat TIE moist bl0ol trfchlin0
1own from the edge of her hair. He
let out his breath slowly. the sudden
relief almost choking him. II vas baA
enough surely. but not what he haH
arst feared. not death. She had besa
struck hard flying splinter Of wooA
perhaps. or . detected bullet-hes
hair matted with blood. yet II was -
more than q flesh wound. although
leaving her unconscious. II he hesi-
tared it was but for an instant fhs
entire situation REQUIRED to him in Q
nash; he must change his plans, hot
dare waste no time. n they wer. 70
escape 1t must be accomplished nov,
shadowed by darkness, while savaao
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 -
trust to that weapon entirely for Ae-
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 flrm beneath his feet, and ua-
king sure that both canteen and hay.
ersack were secure, he reached back
into the darkness. grasping the form
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 fat from
the river, and they were surely invis-
ible against the background Of the
overhanging bluh. He did not even
feel it necessary to crouch low to
avoid discovery. He knew that peril
would confront them latx, 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 a new measure of
strength, yet he went forward very
slowly. feeling along, inch by inch.