The Connecticut labor news., 1921-03-04
By ROBERT J. C. STEAD
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Suddenly he fancied he heard the sound of horses hoofs in the clay road along the hill side, now softened with the light rain. The sound ceased as suddenly as 1t began, and 1t occurred to him that 1t might be one of the rob- bers returning. The lantern was burn ing low, but as a precaution hes now turned it quite out. There were some cartridges in Allan's pocket; he felt for them. and decided to bring the gun out of the cabin. But before he could put his decision into effect he observed the form of a man moving silently but briskly toward the cabin. He held his breath and remained obscured in the bushes. Dimly he discerned the form stop at the door and peer into the darkness.
 There was no doubt in the mind of Harris as to the evil intent of the wis itor. He had come on horseback near the building, and had then dismounted and stole up to it on foot. That in it. self was sufficiently discriminating. One who was riding through the mountains on legitimate errand, and who knew nothing of the nights affray, would take no such precautions. Unarmed as he was, Harris resolved that the robber. probably the murderer of his son, should not on any account escape him. With the blanket which he had brought to cover Allan was a bag in which they had carried oats for their horses: this he found in the. darkness, and stole after his victim. He over took him standing at the door, in ap- parent hesitancy whether to enter the building. Without an instant's warn ing Harris threw the bag about his head, and with a quick twist uf his powerful wrist had his prisoner se- curely gagged. Throwing him violent hard knot, and despite all struggles. dragged him back to where Allan lay. Here he relighted the lantern, and, cutting part of the blanket into strips with his pocket knife, securely tied his captive hand and foot. At first the prisoner tried to talk. but he could not speak intelligibly through the close drawn sack, and presently he gave up and lay in silence in the wet grass.
  broken only by occasional gurglings ill the throat of Allan, or futile struggles by the prisoner. Harris felt little curi- osity concerning the identity of the man in gags before him, or the victim of Allan's gun in the doorway. They were absolute strangers to him, and he even feared that if he should look into the face of the one that still lived his aIiger over the assault upon Allan would burst all bounds and he would kill his victim on the spot. He was slowly forced to the conclusion that Rifles and Gardiner had also met with foul play, and that no help was now to be expected from that quarter.
 Just as the first bars of gray in the eastern sky proclaimed approaching dawn, the sound of horses hoOfs came distinctly up the valley. Harris drew himself into a sitting posture. and lis tened. Allan was still breathing. and apparently with less effort than earlier in the night. The sound of the horse came nearer and nearer. At last it was in the road just below, and mo- ment later would have passed by had not Harris called out.
 Sergeant Gray instantly swung his horse from the road and, dismounting, proceeded in the direction of the voices.
 (TO BE CONTINUED