The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-11

And II was he--not you-he?"
"Hush!" he warned her again. Hes
trying to sleep"
He drew her away from the door,
but not before she, glancing in, saw
Jim sitting up. That the lot had
brought death for that one was lost
in the flood Of relief that it kept life
life--in this man so newly loved. But
fear for him rushed as quickly back.
She knew now he had drawn the
white bead of safety and he would not
tell her. Why? Because he knew Jim
might not dare die. The mere drawing
of glass beads from jar could not
change their characters, and as she
reckoned with this she caught Kinks
hand frantically.
Kirk, he must go back. You must
let him do 1t. Don't let him think for
a moment that you will go back to
get their bullets IL he doesn't, and he
will have to-
Kirk stared away from her.
isn't II better for one to go back,
even IL he isn't drawn, than for four
to be shot?"
Hush" she stopped him. He can
hear you"
Reilly came to the door dishevelled
81 did hear you" he said quickly
He looked at Kirk. II won't force you
to go back" He stood a moment, look
ing vacantly up the moonlit valley.
He turned back to the others ITS
not midnight yet. But We cant on,
can't we, Kirk" he asked quietly.
Kirk nodded. Jim went into the
hut. After an instant Alice started
back to wake up the older people. AS
she turned before she entered their
hut she saw Kirk take something
from his pocket and fling it far down
the gorge.
The seven rode silently down the
valley. The moon in the cloudless sky
lighted all Of the trail and made the
path safe. Before the shadow OF the
mountains to the west reached over
the gorge the peaks on the east stood
out gray and distinct before the pale
spread Of the dawn, and the road, ris-
ing from the river, climbed high up
on the flank of the mountain and
turned into the defile out OF the valley.
Up and up it climbed until around
the sharp bend it ceased to ascend and
dropped away gradually. evenly down
to the coast. The way began to widen
and descend gentle smiling. green
slopes. frightened further and fur
Their ahead as the sun. striking over
the mountain range in the rear, lit
field after field. painted a white strip
of shore to bound them and then
showed the sea, purple blue. green and
now glinting as the breakers rolling in
caught the rays. And off the shore,
an almond shaped neutral gray dot.
lay cruiser-the American warship
waiting for refugees from the interior.
As they saw it the seven riders so
unconsciously quickened that the
women called to each other that the
horses had seen the ship and knew
they were going toward II. But Alice
as the horses hastened looked to the
brush covered sides of the noun tain,
still close. commanding them on either
side, and she noticed as the others
forged ahead that Kirk and Jim let
them pass, and directly on the right a
rifle shot cracked out
She tried to turn in her saddle but
some one, galloping up behind her,
'''"'h NV H'iSe ana ldSHtu MN lor-
ward. She was flung upon his neck
and chung not TO be thrown. so that
she did not see who was the rider
who passed. She made out only that
he was passing the others and drv-
ing them in rout down the valley
But the other man stayed behind.
for following the single shot a VOL
ley, ripping, irregular cracking of
rifles, ripped and ripped and ripped
sharply. clearly, in the still air, and
as she looked back the horse lay dead.