Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1922-11-02

She drew back quickly through the
door, and down into the fringe Of tail
cane he went, parting his way to the
canoe that lay nosing the messy bank.
Only now that she was gone and
night had come did he remember-re-
member that this girl who had be-
witched the swift minutes with him
Stepho la Vitte.
A voice called him as he was ours
ing himself for traitor to his fathers
memory. On a point of land he saw
three men standing. One Of them
beckoned him, and he turned in to-
ward them. One of them spoke:
"Would you be kind to set us
across? The night he comes, and we
would not be lost in the swamp. We
will get to the river. Would you,
please"
Eyes, but don't know that my ca
noe will hold four. We may get a
ducking"
He pulled alongside and steadied the
canoe while they got In. Now he pad
died carefully. The man who had
talked, and whom the other two ad-
dressed as Toner, requested to be set
on bushy shore where the water was
SO shallow that the canoe was almost
stuck in the ooze. With his paddle
BRACE propped his craft steady, for
them to get out. Toner got out-and
with the quickness of a cat snatched
rope from beneath his coat and
threw moose about Braces arms.
Tfen the two men in the boat threw
themselves upon him. There was a
nard struggle in the canoe and then
out into the water, but they brought
him ashore, wound about with the rope.
Now they made haste to tie him Sc
curely. The canoe was dragged
ashore; BRACE stretched out in it, and
now they took it on their shoulders
and fastened through the tangled I'M
derbrush. He had fought hard, but
had not cried out. But as he was
carried along, he swore bitterly at
himself for not looking at first with
suspicion on the brutes who now had
him In their power.
"Ah, you would steal about and
spy" said Toner. But you steal about
no more. The carpetbaggers, they say,
You drawer and you say, Yes, I am
brave Then they say, You find old
Stepho.' And you go to find him. He
is not at home. But his men, they
come just in time"
you are liars. / was"
"Ah you come with the joke To
morrow. we will laugh. Will you? No,
you will not laugh"
BRACE lay quietly tugging at the
ropes that bound him. If he could
spring out free what scattering he
would make of them! They stopped,
entering some sort Of doorway. and
rested the canoe on the ground. Toner
lighted q candle, and BRACE saw that
he was in an old cabin, almost ready
to fall. They rolled him out on the
floor, face down, and beneath his arms
they passed the paddle of the canoe,
so that he could not turn over Then
the others went out, leaving Toner
holding the candle.
''Does the kind gentleman know why
they gone? They go to get the dry
rushes and the dead bark. For why7
To make the fire. 1t is not cold, no?
But they will make the fire of the cab
in, and when the morning come, there
will be the ashes of the kind gentle
man; and the people they will say:
'Ah, he lie down to sleep, and burn
up
derous fuel into a corner. Again he
appealed to them, tried threats, told
them that his friends would hang
them; but they laughed, Toner bend
ing over him with the candle
''In few minutes I light the blaze
and take the candle away You
talk of Stepho's daughter. Remember
she may love me some, too"
"You Spanish DEVIL"
"The kind gentleman he come close.
I'm Portuguese But no matter. When
Stepho come, we tell him what we do,
and he pat US on the back and give us
money But the light would hurt the
kind gentlemans eyes when he lie
that way on his jaw. l will not stoop
so low with the candle Oh, what
a fine pile they get 1t will make the
blaze beautiful All ready, yes? will
touch it off"
brace could not see him, but he
heard the first crackle of the dried
rushes, saw the flame dim the candle
light Now he cried aloud, the men
laughing, the mounting flame crack
ling louder. Toner came back to him.
1--WE leave you now You will not
need this candle to light you to bed;
so blow it out, see? And l take 1t
with me-"
They FASTENED out, and he heard
them laughing as they ran through the
underbrush. With all his harnessed
might he strove to break the paddle SO
that he might roll toward the door, but
it was strong, and he broke only the