Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1922-12-22

In one instant he had grasped the
idea and he laughed softly in the
gloom. Il know. I'll snatch two
blankets and the food. You get the
horse"
She sprang out the kitchen door
and he hurried into the bedrooms
He snatched two Of the warmest
blankets from the beds and hurled
them over his shoulder. He hooked
the camp AK on his belt, then hastened
into the little kitchen. He took up
the little sack containing a few pounds
of jerked venison, spilled out a few
pieces for Elmira, and carried 1t
with a few pounds of flour-out to
meet Linda. The horse still stood
sadded, and with deft hands they
! tied on their supplies and fastened
/ the blankets in long roll in front of
/ the saddle.
Get on" she whispered. "Pll get
no behind you"
! She spoke in the utter darkness ;
he felt her breath against his cheek.
Then the lightning came dimly and
showed him her face
mo, Linda" he replied quietly.
You are going alone"
She cut him off with a despairing
cry. "Oh, please, Bruce-I won't |!
I'll stay here, then"
Don't you seeT' he uemanueu.
you can make it out without me.
I'm wounded and bleeding, and can't
tell how long | can keep up. We've
only got one horse, and without me
to weigh him down you can get down
to the courts"
And leave you here to be mur-
dered? Oh, don't waste the precious
seconds any more. / won't go with
out you. | mean 1t. If you stay here,
l do, too. Believe me If you ever be-
ieved anything"
Once more the lightning revealed
her face, and on it the determination
Of Zealot. He knew that she spoke
the truth. He climbed with some diff
Guilty into the saddle. "A moment
more and she swung up behind him.
The entire operation had taken an
astonishingly short period of time.
Bruce had worked like mad, wholly
disregarding his injured arm. Just
beyond, Simon with ready rifle was
creeping toward the house.
(Which way?" Bruce asked.
''The outtrail-around the noun
tain," she whispered. Simon will
overtake US on the other-he's got a
magnificent horse. On the mountain
trail Wen have a better chance to
keep out of his sight"
She spoke hurriedly, yet conveyed
her message with entire clearness.
They knew what they had to face,
these two. Simon and whoever of the
clan was with him would lose no time
in springing in pursuit They each
had a strong horse, they knew the
trails, they carried long-range rifles
and would open fire at the first glimpse
of the fugitives. Bruce was wounded;
slight as the injury was, 1t would ser1-
ously handicap them in such test as
this. Their one chance was to keep
the thickets, and try to break through
to safety. And they knew that only by
the doubtful mercy of the forest gods
could they ever succeed.
Linda took the reins and pulled out
of the trail. then encircled a heavy
wall of brush. She did not wish to
take the risk of Simon seeing their
forms In the dimming lightning and
opening fire so soon. Then she turned
back into the trail and headed into
the storm.
Simon had clear enough memory Of
the rifle fire that Linda had opened
upon the clan to wish to approach
the house with care. 1t would be
wholly typical of the girl to lay her
lover on his bed, then go back to the
window to wait for sight Of his
assassin. She could look straight
along a rifle barrel A few moments
were lost as Young Bill and himself
encircled the thickets, keeping out of
the CLEAN Of the smoldering tree. Its
light was almost gone; ii Kissed and
glowed in the wet snow.
They crept up from the shadow,
and holding their rifles ready, opened
the door. They were somewhat sur
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