Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1914-11-04
(copytxt. 1914. By Frank \ Man,ry)


" ~ tcopyrtxhs 1914. b
CHAPTER xxvlI-contInusd.
By the signs the land ahead was full
of bandits and .ladrones, men to whom
human life was nothing and a woman
no more sacred than q brute. At the
pass all trails c%onverged, from h
north and from the south. Not by any
chance could q man passover it in the
daytime without meeting some one on
the way, and If the base revoltosos
once set eyes on Gracia it would take
more than a nod to restrain them.
So, In q sheltered ravine they sought
cover until 1t was dark, and while
.lGracia slept, the heavy-headed Bud
watched the plain from the heights
above. &,.tG& -:
AS he watched he dreamed OF a
home in which this woman now sleep
ing beside him was the queen. He
dreamed Of years to come with un-
bounded happiness throughout all OF
them. Thoughts Of Phil and duty to
his pardner 8 far away. Nothing
on the plain below served to distract
him from this dream Of happiness.
A far as he could see there was
nothing that savored Of danger TOT
the woman in his keeping. There
were no sounds or signs Of either
federal or revolutionary troops, from
both OF which they ere fleeing, and
from both Of which he must guard
her. Again they were I'M world that
was all their own, an Eden with but
one man and one woman.
For an hour and more he watched
and dreamed, and with the dreams
came the desire for sleep, the cry of
nature for rest. Gracia stirred, then
spoke softly to him, calling him by
name, and her voice was as music
far away.
When she awoke and found him nod
ding Gracia insisted upon taking his
plsce. Now that she had been re-
freshed her dark eyes were bright and
sparkling, but Bud could hardly see.
The long watching by night and by day
had left his eyes bloodshot and swOl-
len, with lids that dropped in spite of
him. II he did not sleep now he
might doze in the saddle later. or ride
blindly into some rebel camp; SO he
made her promise to. call him and lay
down to rest until dark. s5@&ss4 4
The stars were all out when he
awoke, startled by her hand on his
hair, but she reassured him with a
word and led him up the hill to their
lookout It was then that he under
stood her silence. In the brief hours
during which he had slept the de-
serted country seemed suddenly to
have come to life.
BY daylight there had been nothing
to suggest the presence of men.
But now as the velvet night set
tied down upon the land It brought
out the glimmering specks of q hun
dred camp-hres to the east and to the
north. But the fires to which, Gracia
pointed we're ret fairly IN their trail,
and they barredSthe way tosGadsden.
E"Look!',, abe said II did not want
to wake you, but, the fires have sprung
up everywhere. These last ones are
right in the pass" 'z .2,
when did you see themr'' asked
Hooker, his head still heavy with
sleep. Have they been there long7'
mo; onlyla few. minutes" she an.
swered. AT shutdown I saw those over
ITO the east-they IRE along the base
OF that big black mountain-but these
flashed up just now; and see, there
are moro, and more!"
, some outfit coming In from the
north said Bud They've crossed
over the pass and camped ut the nrst
water this side"
who do you think they are?'' aske<
@Gr.c1a in an awed voice. "Insurrec
Stos?
Like a. not muttered Bud, gazing
from encampmant to encampment
--But whoever they are" he added
they're no friends Of ours We've 60
to 90 around them"
And IL we can't?' suggested Ora
cia. a a
f84 Il reckon wen have to go through
them.- answered Hooker srimly. 1--WE
don't want to get caught here In the
morning" e
ride right through their camp1'
sasped Gracia-
let the sentries get to Sleep" he
went OF. half to himself. Then. just
before the moon comes mp, we'l.try tc
edge around them, and II It comes tc
! showdown. well ride for it! Are
you gamer .
He turned to read the answer. and
she drew herself up proudly.
Try mel" she challenged. drawing
nearer to him In the darkness. And st
they stood. side by side, while theil
hands clasped In promise. Then. n
the night grew darker and no new
nres appeared, Hooker saddled up thu
weILfed horses and they picked thet1
way down to the trail
The nrst fires were far ahead, bu'
they proceeded Ut . walk, their horses
fest falling silently upon the solder
ground Not . word was spoken ant
they haltsd oftsn to listan, for others
too, might be abroad Tho distan'
hrss were dying now, exoepe . fev
where men rosa to feed them
The bsaying Of burros came in from
the nats 10 ths right and as the fugi
uves drew nea the nrst encampment
they could hear the voices OF the nigh,
guards ss they rode about the horse
herd Then, ~ they waited impatient
ly, the ~watch-nres died down. the
guards no longer sang their high fal
setto, and even the burros were stu. 9
This was their opportunity. II they
were to get through that line Of sleep
ing men 1t must be done by stealth.
Should they be discovered it would
mean n man against an army to
protect the woman, and the odds. great
Ah~u ---A