Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1920-05-14

burden, and when safely hidden from
the sentry's view lowered the girl TO
her feet, with low, "Sh-sh, ? when she
would have spoken.
Then he led her a little farther into
the forest, halted beneath a large tree
with spreading branches buckled
cartridge belt and revolver about her
waist, and assisted her to climb
into the lower branches.
Tomorrow" he whispered, "as
soon as I can eIude them, I viii re
turn to you. Be brave, Lady Grey
stole-we may yet escape"
"Thank you" she replied in a low
tone, you have been very kind, and
very brave"
Werper did not reply, and the dark
ness of the night hid the scarlet flush
of shame which swept upward across
his face. Quickly he turned and made
his way back to camp. The sentry
from his post saw him enter his own
tent but he did not see him crawl I'M
der the canvas at the rear and sneak
cautiously to the tent which the pris-
oner had occupied, where now lay the
dead body of Mohammed Boyd,
Without an instants hesitation he
seized the dead wrists and dragged
the body upon its back to the point
where he had just entered. On hands
and knees he backed out as he had
come in, drawing the corpse after him.
Then he lifted 1t to his shoulder, and
risking all on a quick sally, ran swift
ly across the narrow opening which
separated the prisoners tent from
that of the dead man. He stopped and
raised the bottom Of the tent wall,
backed in and dragged the thing that
had been Mohammed Boyd after him,
TO the sleeping rugs Of the dead raid
er he drew the corpse, then he fun
bled about in the darkness until he
found MOhammed Beyd's revolver;
kneeling beside the bedding, and in
sorting his right hand with the weapon
beneath the rugs, piled number Of
thicknesses Of the closely woven fab
ric over and about the revolver with
his left hand. Then he pulled the trig-
ger, and at the same instant he
--COughed.
The mufled report could not have
| been heard above the sound of his
cough by one directly outside the tent
Werper was satisfied. A grim smile
touched his lips as he withdrew the
weapon from the rugs and placed it
carefully in the right hand Of the dead
man, fixing three Of the fingers around
the grip and the index finger inside
the trigger guard.
Then he returned to his own tent
entered, fastened down the canvas
and craWled into his blankets,
The following morning he was
awakened by the excited voice Of Mo
BANNED Beyd's slave calling to hin
at the entrance of his tent,
quick! Quickw cried the black il
frightened tone. Come! Moham
med Boyd is dead in his tent-deaC
by his own hand"
81 come Werper called to the slave
and drawing on his boots, rose ant
went out of his tent.
For a time he pretended to believe
murder had been committed, but al
last permitted himself to be convinced
that Mohammed Boyd had indeed
killed himself in remorse for the death
Of the white woman he had, all I'M
known to his followers, loved so de
yotedly.
With Achmet Eek and MohammeC
Boyd both dead the raiders were
without a leader, and after a briet
conference they decided to return into
the north on visits to the variou,
tribes to which they belonged.
AS they rode off Werper sat hi,
horse in the center of the clearing
watching them disappear one by ont
| INTO the jungle ana thanked MS GOO
that he had at last escaped their vii
famous clutches.
When he could no longer hear any
sound of them he turned to the right
and rode into the forest toward tht
tree where he had hidden Lady Grey
stoke, and drawing rein beneath 4
] Cd IN, f,,I f.tt
a pleasant Good morning."
There was no reply, and though his
eyes searched the thick foliage above
him he could see no sign of the girl
Dismounting, he quickly climbed into
the tree, where he could obtain view
Of all its branches. The tree was
empty-Jane Clayton had vanished
during the silent watches of the
| iunplp NIGHT