The Elk Mountain pilot., 1922-10-12


talking with you. he would-Pleasc.
Mr.. Drace. go at once, before 1t is too
late. See, the sun Is almost set. The
stars come soon, and then through the
cane he come. Oh, won't you please
be kind to me and 60 at oncei"
kind to your God bless you.
would die for you"
"Oh, you make love sooni But
won't you please 60 now Quick, hear
something"
you hear my heart. Let me stay
ten minutes, and then CO."
"Ah, but why would you give me ten
minutes of fear7"
He saw that her anxiety was real,
and his heart smote him for cruelty to
this dazzling creature whose father he
would hang with a rope brought from
the North.
"Yes. will go. wanted to tell you
something, but my regret at going is
SO deep that forget what 1t was. But
must come again when the sun is not
so low. No. tell me please, when that
shall be?"
Never would man before talk like
this to me But If you must come
when L beg you no, let it be next
Thursday. My father then will be In
the hills to buy cattle"
This is Friday, and that will be
week, lacking one day. You have set
doomsday for my return"
IF you come before, you will not
find me. And now it is the good-by."
She drew back quickly through the
door, and down into the fringe of tall
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
was the daughter Of his sworn enemy
Stepho la vitte.
A voice called him as he was ours
ing himself for traitor to his fathers
memory. On 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
across7 The night he comes, and we
would. not be lost In the swamp. We
will get to the river. Would you.
pleaseT 1 Sac 0- isrl se
"Yes. but don't know that my ca.
noe will hold four. We may get
ducking."
He pulled alongside and steadled 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
Drace propped his craft steady, for
them to get out Tonez got out-and
with the quickness Of cat snatched
a rope from beneath HIS coat and
threw a moose about Drace's arms.
Then the two men in the boat threw
themselves upon him. There was
hard 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; Drace stretched out in 1t, and
now they took 1t on their shoulders
and hastened through the tangled un-
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 braver and you say, Yes, 1 am
brave Then they say. You find old
Stepho.' And you go to nnd him. He
Is not at home. But his men, they
come just in time"
"You are liars. 1 was"
"Ah, you come with the joke. To
morrow, we will laugh. VIII your No.
you will not laugh"
Drace lay quietly tugging at the
ropes that bound him. II he could
spring out free, what a scattering he
would make Of them! They stopped,
entering some sort Of doorway, and
rested the canoe ON the ground. Toner
lighted candle. and Drace 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 gone7 They 60 to get the dry
rushes and the dead bark. For why7
To make the FIRE. 1t Is not cold, NOT
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