The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-04-07

The whir of the motor was rapidly ad-
vancing. She could scarcely hope to
escape unseen. Her wits sharpened
by her peril. she steered with swift de-
cision toward the overhanging bushes.
They parted as her prov ran into
them, and, bending low. she found her
self shot into entire concealment. The
whir of the approaching motor grew
loud. Quick as fash June reached
for the telltale rope which had be-
trayed this hiding place and drew 1t
under cover of the matted bushes.
Louder and louder grew the whir. II
was just upon her. With her, heart
beating SO that her ears were full or
the sound of it. June peered out through
her leafy screen. Grin Cunningham!
He circled the island in his swift little
cutter. his keen eyes searching every
where. He passed within ten feet OF
her She held her breath lest he might
hear it. and once as his eyes turned
full in her direction and she thought he
had certainly detected her hiding place
she almost screamed
He passed on. however. and, running
his light little boat ashore, stepped out
and went up to the hut. the only pos
sible place of concealment on the is
land. June had a swift debate with
herself Should she leave her conceal
ment and. running her motor at its
quietest speed. slip away down that
other channel while Cunningham was
in the hut? That debate was settled in
an instant. for up the other channel
slipped the swift little speed boat car
| fying Edwards and Gilbert Blyei
Blye's dark. handsome face was with.
out its usual suave smile. and it wore
look of concern as, making a quick
landing. he hurried up to the hut, fol-
lowed by the plodding Edwards
1t seemed ages before they came
away, and they had apparently made
thorough search. for they even stopped
down as they came outside to peer I'M
der the stilted foundation amid the
rubbish which had accumulated there.
When they had gone away June re-
manned for q long time in her hiding
place. but finally she stepped from her
boat and crept from her concealment
Thirst. inspired by the fever of her ex-
element. had driven her forth in
search of drinkable water.
There was a cask of water in the hut.
brackish and stale, but it was water.
and she drank of it from a rusty old
tin cup which hung to it. She had just
set down the cup when her quick ears
detected n low. steady hum. She step
ped to the door. ready to make dash
for her boat. but as she set her foot
upon the threshold she saw the dark
gray prov of a skiff protruding its
point around the bend of the lower
channel. She darted back out of sight
and. looking through a crack in the
board wall. saw in the skiff three
rough looking men and rough looking
woman The skiff rode low in the wa
ter. and from under its tarpaulin fiaunt
ed fringe of celery leaves.
June laughed in relief. 1t was good
to see human beings who were not in
pursuit of her, who would befriend and
protect her. and she had almost run
down to meet them when suddenly
loud. angry voices came from the frai
little craft. There was bitter quarrel
in which the woman took shrill part
and as the boat landed the woman
jumped out and stopped swiftly Th'
man with the scraggly mustache an6
the scattered tufts of beard on his face
jumped ashore, cursing. The woman
raised up swiftly and, with shriel
: like cat, jumped for the man with {
t long knife glittering in her hand. Thu
knife flashed down, and the man stag
gered back. The cleaning blade wa
raised again, but before it could de
scend the huge. rawboned man. VIII
had jumped from the boat. caught tn
I woman'S arm.
June saw no more. She ran Wild.
around the little hut. looking vainl
+ for some place of concealment. rust
: stove, rickety table. some rule bench
es, two straw pallets-that was al
. There was no other room. not even
cupboard. In the ceiling June's fran
tically rowing eyes found trapdooI
one of it's boards loose. On the WOOD
, en- wall beneath it was a series
cross sticks, and without hesitation
: June ran up this rude ladder, shove
the trapdoor aside and scrambled int
the attic
There were voices below. The qual
d rel, whatever it had been about, ha
evidently been settled, for the woma
was laughing. and so was the big, raw
boned man. June peered down throug
2 9 crack in the ceiling boards. Thes
two and the lean fellow with tn
hook nose were loaded with all the
: could carry. The big man with th
scar on his chin dropped his heav
e bags on the floor with a clatter. an
q the brass stopcock of a washDasi
f rolled out of one of them. The woma
d carried silks and fine linens in he
q bundles. and the lean little fellow wa
K loaded with silverware. As they d.
}, posted their burdens on the floor til
+ other man came in and sat heavily o
{. a bench.
e "Well, Babe. you sliced me. all right,
n he grinned, and, throwing off his Goa
k he loosened his shirt at the neck an
3 barred his left shoulder. There was a
J. ugly wound near his armpit. and it wa
v bleeding profusely.
"a June clapped her hand over he
i mouth to prevent a hysterical outer.
" while her senses swan. She was se'
I. ing phases of life that she little dream
a ed existed
"a The woman made a laughing repl
n and after the people exhibited diffe
r ent articles OF jewelry. clothing. etc
=. they started cooking meal.
n The men were at the table an II
n credibly short time. They gulped the
food. and then. tired and sleepy. the
/. lay down on straw pallets for a fe'
II minutes of honest rest. while the col
- and starved little runaway bride in IL
;. attic looked down with ravenous eye
- on what they had left. The odor of til
- hot coffee made her feel faint Onl
terror kept her on the alert
The important thing to June in b,
Dradioa mont was tn devise Soma NM