The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1919-07-03
Copyright, 1919. BY Naasss6

Smoldering fire below. Awakened 0y
the noise and flying ashes. Rainface
bent forward to see whence the dis
turbance had come. AS his head ana
shoulders appeared within the range OF
vision Of the downpeering one on the
roof. Morgan swiftly dropped the loop
Of his RATA about the others form
and drew it taut. Rainface, jerked
upward so that his toes barely touched
the floor, was fairly caught, but COM
pretending the meaning Of it all he
squirmed until he managed to draw
forth the plan that he had hidden In
his bosom. With last effort ne
dropped it upon the Goals and the pa
per, old and dry, burst into a blaze.
With a twist of the rope about the
chimney, Morgan leaving his victim Sc
curely trussed up. came clambering
down and entering the cabin swiftly
searched the Indians clothes. Find
ing nothing and filed with rage he
stepped back just as Rainface with
conclusive kick upset the table, spilHng
it's contents Gathering upon the floor.
Quick as the dart Of weasel the
prowler left the room.
Attracted by the noise Of the falling
objects Ethel and John rushed into the
room. The suspended body Of Rain
face needed no explanation, and whip
ping a knife from his pocket John
slashed the imprisoned one free. Rain
face, sinking to a chair quickly told
them all.
"Me not know who he was. Him
have a handkerchief across his face.
but wear old coat Of master. Anyway
me burn the map" Silently he pointed
at the few flaky ashes upon the Goals.
"some prowling thief that was pass
.ing this way" said John lightly. "He
won't come again. All we can do Is go
back to sleep, little girl" For the first
time realizing that she was clothed
only as she slept, the girl turned and
fled from the room.
The door of the harness room again
opened and once more Hawk Morgan
entered. His face was dark with anger
and disappointment that all his ef-
forts proved unavailing in that no plan,
had been found, and clenching his fist
he shook it in the direction of the
cabin.
'Tll get you yet, Davis, and then the
fortune and the girl will be mine"
His glance fell upon heavy bowie
knife that hung in it's sheath on the
wall, and taking it down he tested It's
edge. Then with a flash of his teeth he
picked up a hay rake from the floor
and severed 1t just behind the wooden
prongs. Then with leather strap ne
bound the handle of the knife fast to 1t
and crept out into the night, his dead
ly lance firmly gripped. Catlike he
crept toward the cabin.
Within the lean-to John, who had
been reading by the light of lamp
upon the shelf, had fallen asleep with
the glow still falling over him. dis
bunk was against the lowest side OF
the lean-to, and in order that he might
be ready for instant action should the
mysterious prowler return had removed
only his coat, vest and boots. A blan-
ket was thrown partly over him and
his revolver lay upon the table at his
side.
Carving a wooden horse to the side
of the lean-to and carefully placing 1t
in position, Morgan again mounted to
the roof. With hatchet he pr1ed up
the weather strip and looked through
the crack between the shrunken boards
and gazing down upon the exposed
breast of the sleeping man. Cautious
ly he pointed the lance down through
the opening.
Slowly, silently the murderous Wea'
Don descended, inch by inch drawing
nearer to the heart Of the sleeping one.
A moment more and it would have
been buried in the recumbent form'
but at that moment the guardian angel,
which so often watches over US in our
HELPLESS moments, intervened to save
a life. Through the crack above great
snowflake sitting down fell upon the
cheek Of the sleeper, and at its cold
impact. John opened his eyes. And
though the thrust Of Morgan was as
quick as the strike Of serpent, the
movements of John we're even quicker.
One upward sweep of his hand and ne
had grasped the lance just above the
murderous knife.
Now ensued a silent struggle be-
tween the would-be assassin upon the
roof and the one who was fighting for
his life below. Taken at a terrible
disadvantage, PROSTATE upon his back
and with nothing but his naked hands
with which to ward off death, John
Davis struggled for his life. Three
times the terrible weapon, hail
vrenched from his grasp, plunged Itself
into the bunk, but each time by deS-
norate twist of his arms and body ne
diverted it 50 that the keen point
pierced nothing but the blanket. 1et
it did rot seem that he could mucn