Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1914-07-24
0IeMADOf \
MODEST
81 RANDALL PARRISH
HLUSTRATED@ DJLANN
ILLUSTRATED 6r DJ.LAVN
CHAPTER xxlI-contInued.
'0eN0GW AcNecLl2G s GO, IA5

H.MrNs @'tH tEh
He lowered himself into the stream,
which was deep to the shore, as silent
ly as a ghost. A dozen feet away |
lost sight of him entirely amid the
dim, dancing shadows. Then l fol.
lowed with equal caution, my face
turned up to the sky. 1t was a dark
night, but with a few stars visible
peeping down through riffs of cloud.
The small river was not wide, nor the
current particularly swift, and l had
not been carried far down stream
when the oyerhanging branches of the
opposite bank gave shelter. / drew my
self ashore, and sat there, ~shiyering in
my wet clothes, the night air chill, and
stared a~nxiously about, and across to
the shore we had just left.
| moved down the shore cautiously,
keeping we'll below the concealing
bank until / found Brady. He was
crouched in the shadow of a great tree
root, his whole attention riveted on
the opposite side.
There are no signs of %pursuit?"
mot that l can see. have watched
here some minutes, but there has been
no movement along the bank. We will
move on down stream"
1t was hard walking amid the tangled
roots, and we made slow work of it.
Brady, in advance, stumbled once OF
twice, and, / noticed, held one hand
pressed against his side as though
from pain, breathing heavily. To our
Lee I,4 5,oto-oo o1r,y n roioo
called, and was answered by another.
So, toiling on, we came to a SHARP
bend in the stream.
1T must be about opposite here
Hayward" he said stopping. "the girl
told you the boat would be. What is
that Jumping shadow yonder? Your
eyes are younger than mine"
l looked where he pointed, shading
my eyes, and gradually focusing the
outlines until they assumed definite
shape.
1T is a big tree BEN down over the
river; no doubt the n she meant"
You see no movement"
I strained my eyes. searching the
dark shore inch by inch, but could per
ceive nothing; the lights of the fires
were far away.
at is still as death over there"
He shot a swift glance at me, as II
the words pleased him little. In the
dim starshine his face appeared ghast
ly white.
Perhaps the days Of miracles are
not gone" he said doubtfully, "and
Girty may have played fair. Anyhow
there is nothing to be done now but
test it. Come on, lad; we'll take to
water again.
The cheerful note in his voice boil
stored my own courage. We swan
straight this time, with steady stroke
our eyes scanning the bank we were
approaching. And the canoe was there
smuggled under the leaning tree, bow
to bank, rendered shapeless by a GOV
ering of broken branches. We lay
hold of the sides, standing waist deel
in water, our eyes searching the high
bank towering dark above us. There
was no movement, no sound, and | low
cred the branches one by one into the
water, and permitted them to float ST
iently down stream.
Concealed by the shade of the grea'
tree / waded cautiously ashore ant
crept out into a maze of roots. TIT
higher bank rose sheer before me. Tt
the right there was an opening, as il
trail led down to the river, and re
vealed there against the upper sky
something moved. For an instant
could tell no more; then I recognized
a human figure stealing cautiously to
ward me through the gloom. 1t moved
silently as a spirit. and my heart bea
sfiercely as ! rose UP and stared. Sht
raj close upon me before l was sure
Rene"
aOh," a little catch in the quicI
whisper; "then-then it is you; how
how did you come here?"
l drew her back into the deepe,
shadow, and told her the brief story ii
swift words, clinging to her hands, al
l held her close. / could not distin
buish her face, but she listened, he
soft breath on my cheek.
ooh, 1 am so glad-so glad, mon
sieur. I did o know until after l CAV,
the signal. l-Icame down here to b.
sure-to, to say good-by." she faltered
Nand-and saw them waiting"
Then it was treachery? The pun
pose was to kill US? Girty lied?"
Yes, monsieur. aYou-you will no
believe 1 knew? ThatI suspected sue
a thing?" u
My handclasp frightened.
mo. dear, no; go on Where are tn
mem"
Most of them, ten or twelve as nea
as l could make out, are in a ravine a
the edge of the camp, yonder close t
the shore. There are three others u
above here, hiding behind the bank"
Il see; the attack was to be made b
those above as we crept along, and
either of us got away those tire
devils were to-complete the job"