Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-07-04
CHAPTER XI.
(COntinued.D

Its Kate" the answer came in
a hoarse whisper as l recognized
her form and staff.
Run boy-they have just come
out o the woods. | saw them. They
will take you away. Run"
She had picked up the fail and
now she put it in my hands and
gave me a push toward the door. I
ran, and none too quickly, for I
had not gone fifty feet from the
barn in the stubble when l heard
them coming after me, whoever
they were. saw that they were
gaining and turned quickly ! had
time to raise my fail and bring It
Gown upon the head of the leader,
who fell as | had seen d beef fall
under the ak. Another man stop
ped beyond the reach Of my fail
and, after a seconds hesitation,
turned and ran away in the dark
hess.
l could hear or see no other mo-
ton in the field. I turned and ran
on down the slope toward the VII
lage. In a moment | saw some one
coming out of the maple grove in
the fields end, just ahead, with a
lantern.
Then l heard the voice of the
schColmaster saying:
Us it you, my lad?"
Yes" l answered, as l came up
TO him and Mary, in a condition Of
breathless excitement.
1 told them of the curious ad-
venture 1 had had.
Come quick" said the school
master. Lets go back and finG
the man in the stubblc."
l remembered that l had struck
the path in my flight just before
stopping to swing the fail. The
man must have fallen very near it.
Soon we found where he had been
lying and drops of fresh food on
the stubble.,
Hush, said the sChoolmaster.
We listened and heard a wagon
rafting at wild pace down the
road toward the river.
There he goes said MI Hacket
His companions have carried him
away. Ye'd be riding in that wagon
now, yerself, my brave lad, if he
hadn't "a made a lucky hit with the
fiail-God bless YET"
What would they "a done with
me?" I asked.
ooh, l reckon they'd "a took We
off. lad, and KEEP We for a year or go
until Amos was out o. danger" said
Mr.. Hacket Maybe they'd drowned
We in the river down there an left
yer clothes on the bank to make it
=
devil knows what they'd "a done
with ye, laddie buck. Well have
to keep an eye on We now, every day
until the trial is over-sure we will.
Come, We'll go up to the barn and
see if Kate is there"
Just then we heard the receding
wagon go roaring over the bridge
on Little river. Mary shuddered
with fright. The schoolmaster re-
assured us by saying:
Don't be afraid. l brought my
gun in case we'd meet a painter.
But the danger is past"
He drew a long pistol from his
coat pocket and held it in the light
of the lantern.
The loaded cart stood in the mid
uIe Oh tue DARN HOOTt NAtIG / He
left il, but old Kate had gone. We
closed the barn, drawing the cart
along with us. When we came into
the edge of the village began to re-
fleet upon the strange peril out Of
which l had so luckily escaped. It
gave me a heavy sense of response
bility and of the wickedness of men.
l thought of old Kate and her
broken silence. For once | had
heard her speak. I could feel my
flesh Jingle when | thought Of her
quick words and her hoarse pas
sionate whisper. She must have
come into the barn while | was
swimming and hidden behind the
straw heap in the rear end of Il
and watched the edge Of the woods.
through the many cracks in the
boarding.
l knew, or thought l knew, why
she took such care of me. She was
in league with the gallOws and
could not bear TO see ii cheated Of
It's prey For some reason she
hated the Grimshaws. | had seen
the hate in her eyes the day she