Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1917-02-09

with kind Of awe OF Nan, asleep, so
close. under that roof-contident too,
he had not been seen-though, In mat
ter Of fact, he had been.
Other cabins back toward the north
wall could be seen dimly to his right,
but all were well removed from his
way. In due time, as Scott had nd
vsed, he saw confronting him, not far
ahead, a small, misunderstanding cabin
shack. Dismounting before this, he
threw his lines, shook himself little,
and walked up TO the cabin door. II
was open.
De Spain called gruflly to the cabin
inmate. There was no answer. He
hitched his trouser band near to the
butt OF his revolver with his right
hund, and laid his left on the Jamb OF
the door his eyes meantime boring the
darkness to the left. where SAssoon's
bed should be. The iiga.at scrutiny
fniled To disclose any sign Of It or any
sound of breathing from that corner.
He took few steps toward where the
man should be asleep, and perceived
beyond doubt that there was no bed
In the corner ut all. He turned toward
the other corner, his hand coverine
the butt OF his gun. Hello, Shike !"
he called out In slightly strained tone
Of camaraderie, addressing Sassoon by
common nickname. Then he lis
tened. A trumpeting snore answered.
No sound was ever sweeter to De
SPANS ear. The rude noise cleared
the air and steadied the intruder us II
Music mountain Itself had been lifted
or his nerves.
He tried again: "Where are you,
Shike?" he growled. whats this stuff
on the fioorf ne continued. shutlling
his way ostentatlously to the other
side OF the room. He felt his way to-
ward the inner door. This was where
he expected to find II. and 1t was
closed. He laid hand gingeriy on the
latch. where are you, ShikeT he
demanded again. this time with an i'm
patient expletive summoned for the
occasion. A second fearful snore IN
swered him. De Spain. relieved, al
most laughed as he pushed the door
open, though not sure whether curse
or q shot would greet him. He got
neither. And O welcome surprise In
the dim light came through stuffy
pane Of glass at one end OF the room.
II revealed at the other end man
stretched asleep on wall bunk-a
man that would. In all likelihood, have
heard the stealthiest sound had any ef-
fort been made to conceal II, but To
whose ears the rough voices OF q
mountain cabin are mere sleeping po-
tons.
The sleeper woke to feel hand laid
lightly on his shoulder. The instinct
OF self-preservation acted like flash.
His eyes opened and his hands struck
out like cats paws TO the right and
left no knife and no revolver met
them. Instead, In the semidarkness q
strange face bent over him. His fists
shot out together, only to be caught
In a wise that broke his arms In two at
the elbows, and forced them back
against his throat. A knee, like an
anvil, pushed inexorably into his stom-
ach and heart and lungs. Another lay
across his right arm, and his strug.
Cling left arm he could not, though his
eyes burst with the strain from their
sockets, release from where, eaglelike
claws g-ipped at his throat and shut
off his breath. He lay still.
Are you awake, ShikeT Sassoon
heard from the gloom above him. But
he could not place the voice. "You
seem to move around good deal In
your sleep. II you're awake. keep still.
I've come from Sleepy Cat to get you.
Don't mind looking for your gun and
knife. Two men ore with me. YOU
can have your choice. We've got a
horse for you. You can ride away from
us here inside the gap, and take what
hits you In the back, or you can go to
Sleepy Cat with US and stand your
trial. I'll read your warrant when the
sun gets little higher Get up and
choose quick"
Sassoon could not see who had sub
dued him. nor did he take long to de-
eide what to do. With less trouble
than he expected, the captor got his
man sullenly on horseback. and gave
him severely plain directions as to
what TO do. Sassoon. neither bound
nor gagged. was told to ride his horse
down the gap closely ahead of De
Spain and neither to speak nor turn
his head no matter what happened
right or left.
In the growing light the two men
trotted smartiy mile down the trail
without encOuntering sign Of life.
When they approached the Morgan
ranch.house De Spain rode close to
his prisoner. told him what would
happen II he made a noise. and even
held him back In his pace as they
trotted together past the gap strong
hold. When they left the house behind
and the turn In the road put them out
Of range Of Its windows, he closed up
the distance between himself and Sas-
soon. riding close In to his side, and
looked back for fraction Of second.
When he looked ahead again he saw
confronting him, not hundred yards
away, a motionless horseman.