Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-01-07

rOr n Dreatn OF TWO the wonder
Of this thing that was happening held
her speschless and still lifeless.
though her senses were adjusting
themselves with lightning swiftness.
At first Philip had not seen her
open eyes, and he believed that she
did not hear the words OF love he
whispered in her hair. When he
raised her face a little from his
breast she was looking at him with
all the sweet sanity in the world.
A moment there was silence-a
silence of even the breath in Philips
body, the beating of his heart. His
arms loosened little. He drew him
self up rigid, and the girl lifted
her head trfle, so that their eyes
met squarely, and world of ques-
tion and understanding passed be-
tween them in an instant.
AS swift as morning glow flush
mounted into Isobel's face, then
ebbed as swiftly, and. Philip cried:
you were hurt-hurt back there
in the wreck But you're safe now.
The train was wrecked by outlaws.
We came out after them, and II
found you-back there on the prairie.
You're safe now"
His arms tightened about her
again.
You're all right now," he repeat
ed gently.
He was not conscious of the sob
bling break in his voice, or OF the
great, throbbing love that 1t breathed
to her. He tried to speak calmly.
There's nothing wrong-nothing.
The heat made you sick. But you're
all right now"
From beyond the hill there came
a sound that made him break of
with a sudden, quick breath II
was the sharp, stinging report OF
Billinger's carbine, Once, twice,
three times-and then there follow
ed more distant shots.
Hes come up with them!" he
cried.
The fury Of fight, OF desire for
vengeance, blazed anew in his face.
There was pain in the grip of his
arm about the girl.
DO you feel strong-strong enough
to ride fast?" he asked There's
only one man with me, and there
are five of them. It's murder to let
him fight it alone!"
"Yes-yes-" whispered the girl.
her arms tightening round him.
ride fast-or put me off. I can
follow"
1t was the first time that he had
heard her voice since that last even
ing up at Lac Balm, many months
before, and the sound of it thrilled
him.
Hold tight" he breathed
Like the wind they swept across
the prairie and up the slope of the
hill. At the top Philip refined in.
Three or four hundred yards distant
lay thick clump of poplar trees
and thousand yards beyond that
the first black escarpments OF the
Bad Lands. In the space between y
horseman was galloping fercely to
the west. 1t was Billinger. With
a quick movement Philip slipped the
girl to the ground, and when she
sprang a step back, looking up at
him in white terror, he had whipped
out one of his big service revolvers.
There's little lake over there
among those trees" he said Wait
there-until | come back"
He raced down the slope-not to
cut off the flying horseman-but to-
ward the clump of poplars. 1t was
Billinger he was thinking of now.
The agent had fired three shots.
There had followed other shots, not
Billinger's and after that his car.
bine had remained silent. Billinger
was among the poplars. He was
hurt or dead.
A well-worn trail, beaten down by
transient rangers, cut through the
stunted growth Of prairie timber, and
without checking his speed Philip
, sped along 1t, only his head and
shoulders and his big revolver show
PAGES and the timber gave place to n
sandy dip, in the center of which was
the water hole The dip was not
, more than an acre in extent. Up to
, his knees in the hole was Billinger's
, riderless horse, and little way up
the sand was Billinger, doubled over
: on his hands and knees beside two
{ black objects that Philip knew were
, men, stretched out like the dead
Z back at the wreck. Billinger's yel-
. low-mustached face, pallid and TWIST
l ed with pain. looked over them as
Philip galloped across the open and
, sprang out of his saddle. With ter
1 rible grimace he raised himself to
r his knees, anticipating the question
/ on Philips lips.
s Nothing very bad, Steele" he said.
4 zone of the cusses pinked me
through the leg, and broke It,
guess. Painful. but not killing. Now
a look at that"
h He nodded to the two men lyinK