The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1923-02-22

eyes except gruce's-that she kept
her W body as much as she could
between him and the ambush. In an
instant they were in the darkened
room. Bruce stood up, once more
wholly master of himself.
You're not hurt bad?" she asked
quickly.
mo. Just a deep scratch In the
arm muscle near the shoulder. Bullet
bleeding pretty bad."
Then there's no time to be lost"
Her hands in her eagerness went
again tn his shoulder. Don't you
see-hem be here in a minute. Well
steal out the back door and try to
ride down to the courts before they
can overtake us"
In one instant he had grasped the
idea and he laughed softly In the
gloom. 81 know. III 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 FASTENED
into the little kitchen. He took up
the little sack containing a few pounds
Of jerked venison, spilled II a few
pieces for Elmira, and carried it
with a few pounds OF fiour--out to
meet Linda. The horse still stood
saddled, and with deft hands they
tied on their supplies and fastened
the blankets in a long roll in front Of
the saddle.
Get on" she whispered. "Tll get
up 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'ti
I'll stay here, then
Don't you seer" he demanded.
You can make it out without me.
I'm wounded and bleeding, and can't
tell how long l 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 muir
dered? Oh, don't waste the precious
seconds any more. ! won't go with
out you. i mean 1t. IL you stay here,
| do, too. Believe me If you ever be-
lleved anything"
Once more the lightning revealed
her face, and on 1t the determination
of a ~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.
1.-The out-trail-around the noun
TAIN she whispered. "Simon will
overtake us on the other-he's got q
magnificent horse. On the mountain
iiati ven hofO " rNNNNA AtnhiNS w
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, II would seri-
ously handicap them in such a test as
this. Their one chance was to keep
to the remote trails, to Turk unseen In
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 i'm 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 o.
the rifle fire that Linda had opened
upon the elan to wish to approach
the house with care. 1t would be
wholly typic1l Of the girl to lay her
lover on his bed, her go back to the
window to wait for a 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
prised to find IL unlocked. The truth
was 1t had beer left thus by design ;
Linda did not wish them to encircle
the house to the rear door and dis
cover Bruce and herself In the act Of
departure. The room was In dark
ness, and the two intruders rather
expected to find Bruce's body on the
threshold.