Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-05-04

| the two hurried around the end of
the house toward the pine tree. They
| had almost reached this when Il muir
mur unlike the sounds of the storm
made De Spain halt his companion.
| What is it?" she whispered. He
listened intently. Without speaking,
/ he took Nan and retreated to the
\ corner of the house. There is some
4 body in that pine" he whispered,
| waiting for me to come after the
| horses. SasSoon may have found
them. TIL try 1t out, anyway, before
/ i take a chance. Stand back here,
/ Nan"
He put her behind the corner of
| the house, threw his rifle to his
] shoulder, and fired as nearly as he
! could in the darkness toward and
! just above the pine. Without an in
! stant's hesitation a pistol shot an
| swered from the direction in which
! he had fired, and in another moment
a small fusillade followed. by the
| Almighty" muttered De Spain, I'VE
must have our horses, Nan. Stay
right here. I'll try driving those fell
lows off their perch"
She caught his arm. What are
you going to do?"
Run in on them from cover,
wherever l can find it,, Nan, and
push them back. We've got to have
/ those horses"
IF we could only get away with
out a fight"
This is Sassoon and his gang,
Nan. You heard Pardaloe. These are
not your people. I've got to drive 'em
or were gone, Mani"
Then l go with YOU"
Nan, you can't do it," whispered
De Spain energetically. "A chance
| bullet
She spoke with decision: II go
with you. l can use rifle. Better
both of us be killed than one. Help
me up on this roof. I've climped it
hundred times. My rifle is in my
I room. Quick, Henry"
Overruling his continued objec-
tions, she lifted her foot to his hand
put her second foot on De Spain
shoulder, gained the sloping roof, and
scrambled on her hands and knees
up to the window of her room. A
far-off peal of thunder echoed from
the mountains. Luckily, no flash had
preceded it, and Nan, rifle in hand
slid safely down to the end of the
lean-to, where De Spain helped hel
to the ground. He directed her how
to make a Zig-Zag advance toward
the pine, and, above all, to throw
herself fiat and sidewise after every
|, shot-and not to fire often.
) In this way they advanced SLOWLY
J but safely to the disputed point anC
then understood-the horses were
gone A fresh discharge of shot:
came from two directions-seeming
ly from the house and the stable. A
moment later they heard sharp firing
far down the gap-their sole avenue
of escape.
They withdrew to the shelter of g
large rock familiar to Nan even in
the dark. While De Spain was de.
batting in his mind how to meet the
emergency, she stood at his side, his
equal he knew, in courage, daring
and resource, and answered his rapid
questions as to possible gateways oi
escape. The rain, which had been
abating, now ceased, but from every
fissure in the mountains came the
roar of rushing water, and little
openings of rock and waterway that
might have offered a chance when
dry were now out of the question. In
fact, it was Mans belief that before
morning water would be running
over the main trail itself.
yet" said De Spain finally, "be.
fore morning we must be a long way
from this particular spot, Nan. Sas-
soon has posted men at the neck oi
the gap-that's the first thing hC
! would do, I'll tell you," he said sud.
denly, as when after long uncertain.
! ty and anxious doubt one choose:
an alternative and hastens to follow
it. Retreat is the thing for us, Nan
Let's make for Music mountain anC
crawl into our cave till morning. Le
J fever will get in here some time to
morrow. Then we can connect will
him"
Realizing that no time was to bt
| lost, they set out on the long jour
, ney. Every foot of the troublesome