The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1914-08-13
AROnaRG Of ExtaeTaindy DibfnctM
IfIE MARSHAL
BINARY Raymond Shipman Andrews
Asf'"r The Perfect TzJu1e. efE
CHAPTER xxII-tcOntinued).

.
Pushing. crashing. staggering through
he came into strange place. II was
as II a giant had taken a huge spoon
and acooped out the top OF the earth
deep--very deep. All OF this great hol-
low was filled with trees and tangled
underground. 1t was fun OF vague
shadows In the glimmer OF earliest
dawn. Francois. standing there Sob
bling, CHASTITY with paleness, with mat
ted hair and wild-staring eyes and
gasping mouth and wet torn clothes,
was fit demon for the haunted spot.
He saw nothing, no one; with that
there was a soft swapping OF twigg and
a movement In the darkness farthest
from him; a movement toward him.
lettering he crawled to meet 1t; In an
other second the shadows had shaped
into figures--a peasant boy on horse,
leading another horse.
Then he stood close to them, and the
boy, leaning over without a word put
something into his hand, and Francois,
swaying with exhaustion, saw that II
was flask. He took a long swallow
or cognac and his chilled blood leaped,
and with that he had caught the bril-
die from the lad and was in the saddle.
Silently, without word spoken, they
climbed the shadowy slope under the
overhanging trees OF Riders Hollow.
Silently fast, they rode through the
pale darkness. through the showroom
ing day, down wooded roads, across
fields, always toward the sea. Steadily
the day came; now they were galloping
most OF the time, only pulling to let
the horses breathe going up a hill, or
to guard them from stumbling down
one.
In the shadow of trees, In a lonely
lane, the peasant boy stopped his horse
suddenly and made a short gesture to-
ward the flask sticking out OF Fran
COTS coat pocket His strength was
going again; 1t was exactly the right
moment. Another swallow of brandy
and he rode on with fresh courage. But
something in the gesture OF the peas
ant boy: something about his seat in
the saddle, about the touch OF his hands
on the rein, gave Francois q curious
underlined shock In the growing day
light he turned toward the silent rider.
The coat collar was up and the broad
brimmed soft hat drawn down. The
slim figure outlined aginst the cool
pink vastness OF the morning sky was
clad like an ordinary young peasant
yet! There was a poise, sure grace,
which seemed unlike peasant. which
seemed like
Have we far to go?' Francois de-
manded suddenly In French. .-
The head turned swiftly; black ex-
aggerated lashes lifted and under them
were the blue eyes he knew.
Alike"
He cried it out loud. reckless. for
getting everything. But she did not
forget. In an instant her hand was
on his mouth. and she was whispering
I'm terror.
Francois. dear Francois. be care
ful. We are not safe yet. We have a
village to ride through--see. there Is a
house. IL is almost time for them to
be awake. Ride fast. 1t is two miles
yet" ~
They were racing again over the soft
ground. the horses unshod feet making
little noise. and Francois heart was
playing mad music. No need now of
cognac. Then they were galIoping
down the sand OF a lonely beach and
with that there was a little group OF
people and boat drawn up; and they
had pulled In the horses. and Francois
felt himself lifted off like a child and
lying like very little. worn-out child
In the generals arms; and the
general was CRYING. swearing. hugging
him without shame. Pietro was there:
Pietro was rubbing the thin hands in a
futile useless sort of way. and hold
Ing them by turns to his face. Alike,
her peasant hat or now. bent over
them. loveller than ever before, not
minding her boys dress. and smiled at
him, wOrdless. There was q huge man
also who took the horses. and Fran
co.'s wondered IL he had heard Alright
that Alike called him little Battista."
Wondering very much at everything.
the voices grew far away and the faces
uncertain. and he decided that II was
without doubt q dream and that Bat
tista would unlock the door shortly and
bring in his breakfast. And with that
~ irnavU mn hsa n. a..
q boat.