The Holly chieftain., 1919-02-27
CHAPTER VII.
My Third Peril,

July day when l was In my sixteenth
year. He behaved badly, and l, as any
normal boy would have done who had
had my schooling In the candle light.
We had kept Grimshaw from our door
by paying interest and the sum of $50
on the principal. 1t had been hard
work to live comfortably and carry the
burden of debt. Again Grimshaw had
begun to press us. My uncle wanted
to get his paper and learn. If possible,
when the senator was expected in
Canton.
So he gave me permission to ride
with Purvis to the post office-a dis
tance of three miles-to get the mall
Purvis rode in our only saddle and
bareback. on handsome white fiIly
which my uncle had given me soon
after she was foaled. l had fed and
petted and broken and groomed her
and she had grown so fond of me that
my whistled call would bring her GAL
Ioping from the remotest reaches of
the pasture. I had pamed her Sally
because that was the only name which
seemed to express my fondness.
Mr.. Purvis" was not an experienced
rider. My filly led him at a swift gall
lop over the hills. and l heard many
muttered complaint behind me, but
she liked free head when we took
the road together, ard l let her have
her way.
Coming back we fell in with another
rider who had been resting at Seaver's
little tavern through the heat of the
day. He was a traveller on his way
tC Canton and had missed the right
trail and wandered far atield. He had
big military saddle with bags and
shiny brass trimmings and pistol in
a holster, all of which appealed to my
eye and interest. The filly was little
tired and the stranger and were rid
ing abreast ut walk while Purvis
traiied behind u.s. +sa-lsz-=s-s- -
We heard quick stir in the bushes
by the roadside.
whats that?' Purvis demanded in
a half-whisper of excitement. We
stopped.
Then promptly voice-a voice
which did not recognize-broke the
silence with these menacing words.
sharply spoken:
"Your money or your life!"
>'Mr. Purvis" whirled his horse and
slashed him up the hill. Gancing
backward, saw him lose stirrup and
fall and pick himself up and run as
if his life depended on it. saw the
stranger draw his pistol. A gun went
off in the edge of the bushes close by
The flash of fire from its muzzle
leaped at the stranger. The horses
reared and plunged and mine threw
me in n clump of small peoples by the
roadside and dashed down the hill.
My fall on the stony siding had
stunned me and lay for three or four
seconds, as nearly as can estimate 1t,
in strange and peaceful dream. Why
did l dream of Amos Grimshaw COM
ing to visit me again, and why, above
all, should it have seemed to me that
enough things were said and done in
that little flash of dream to fill
whole day-enough of talk and play
and going and coming, the whole end
ing with talk on the haymow? Again
and again | have wondered about that
dream. l came to and lifted my head
and my consciousness swung back upon
the track of memory and took up the
thread of the day, the briefest remove
from where it had broken.
l peered through the bushes. The
light was unchanged. could see
quite clearly. The horses were gone.
1t was very still The stranger lay
helpless In the road and figure was
bending over him. 1t was man with
handkerchief hanging over his face
with holes cut opposite his eyes. He
had not seen my fall and thought, as
I learned later that had ridden away.
His gun lay beside him, it's stock
toward me. I observed that piece
of wood had been split off the lower
side of the stock. I jumped to my feet
and seized stone to hurl at him AS
l did so the robber fled with gun in
hand. If the gun had been loaded I
suppose that this little history would
never have been written. Quickly
hurled the stone mt the robber. l re-
member 1t was slnalliSh stone about
the size of hens egg. I saw 1t Craze
the side of his head. saw his hand
touch the place which the stone had
grazed. He reelcd and nearly fell and
recovered himself and ran on, but the
little stone had put the mark of Cain
upon him.
The stranger lay still in the road.
l lifted his head and dropped it quick
ly with strange sickness. The feel
of IL and the WAY II fell back nnon ths