The Holly chieftain., 1914-11-20

breath. "Out Of the way. or. BY 0odl
Ill shoot through you"
There was the crash Of an opening
door.
Whats ths-this noise and shout
ing7" came = deep voice.
Holton. watching his enemy like Q
hawk, saw the revolver-barrel defect
cd from him. the mans head turned In
the direction whence the voice had
come. Springing backward and side
wise like deer, Holton shot across
the room.
There was . loud report-a bullet
singed his hair. The next instant he
had leaped through the window. glass
and all. and was ON the porch. Frsm
here, ~ two bullets sped after him. he
leaped down upon the back Of . horse
that was being held by . soldier.
Striking the animal with the butt Of
his revolver. he went careering on
through the darkness like rocket.
From the men on the drive. from
men ON the porch. came . rain of bull
let's: and Holton, who had learned =
trick or two In the way Of horseman-
ship. slipped down along the animals
body. shielding himself almost COM
pletely. But the horse was exposed.
and whining bullet pierced the steed
to the heart. He suddenly plunged for
ward. throwing Holton to the ground,
then rolled over and was still.
Holton landed on his knees, and. al
though Jared, was not stunned. He
scrambled along desperately. regain
ing his feet, and struck out for the
woods, about a hundred feet away.
He toiled on for two hours, distanc-
ing all sounds Of pursuit, and then
flung himself on the wet ground like
a tired animal and fell at once into q
deep sleep. When he awoke the sun
was shining through the trees.
But 1t was not this that had reused
him. 1t was the roaring OF field ord
nance and the racketing Of small arms.
Evidently they were at 1t again. His
one thought was that this was the End
of July, and that on the morrow the
Spanish warships meant to dash out
of the harbor and attempt an escape.
what he was there for. and this, from
now on, must be the single aim of his
life. the one thought In his mind, the
supreme struggle of his body.
By constant concentration upon the
object Of his mission, he brought his
mental condition into sort of hys-
teria- The heat, too, had got into his
hroin Az hn Ctr 1ar1 h
would sob or curse. and once, when
he tripped and was thrown dat, he lay
for a second, weeping like child.
So he went on until once, upon
climbing tree to ascertain his posi-
tlon, he looked down upon the upper
waters Of the harbor. He was on the
hills to the right. and another hours
journey would bring him within sig
nal of his feet.
He struggled feebly, and then lay
back with the realization that. great
as was the exigency, he was not able
to meet it. A sort of stupor, partly
hunger; partly fatigue, stole over him.
and he closed his eyes.
1t was night when he opened them
again, starlit night. At FIRST be could
not recall where he was. Then he re-
membered, and with q start remem.
bered why he was there.
He sat up and with dificulty got on
his feet. Then he walked. He did not
know he was walking; he had no con-
seriousness of moving, and no sense of
direction; but his subconscious pow
ers were leading him right. A breath
Of pure salt air blew on his face. He
turned toward a line of brush and
parted 1t, and there, below him, lay
the Spanish fleet, their lights, reflect
ed in the velvet waters, twinkling and
winking. He heard the chug-chug of a
steam launch, and several times the
murmur of voice rose to his ears.
Farther down, in the moonlight, he
could see the masts and funnel of Hob.
sons Merrimac. Ships bells struck
as he looked. and the sound noated
sweetly TO the hilltops.
He turned his face seaward and
walked along. partially revivined by
his rest. At length sense Of open.
ness came upon him, the sensation OF
/, q vast void in front Of him. He
paused, and then stole noiselessly on
ward. until at last, passing through
a growth Of manigut. the wide ex
panse Of the Caribbean lay before
him.
Here he flung himself on the ground
and waited for morning. His limbs
were aching with almost unbearable