The Lamar register., 1923-05-23

believed she would be safer hidden
out there In the shrubbery than in
the house. The jump from the win
dow would be easy for her.
She pulled ut the door. 1t did not
bulge. 1t had caught ut the bottom.
Pulling with all her might proved To
be In vain. Pausing, with palms hot
and bruised, she heard louder, closer
approach of the invaders of her home.
Fear, wrath. and Impotence contested
for supremacy over her and drove her
to desperation. She was alone here,
and she must rely on herself And as
she strained every muscle to move
that obstinate door and heard the
quick, harsh voices Of men and the
sounds of a hurried search she sud
denly felt sure that they were hunting
for her. She knew IT. She did not
wonder at 1t. But she wondered II
she were really Madeline Hammond.
and II 1t were possible that brutal men
would harm her Then the tramping
of heavy feet on the floor OF the ad-
Joining room lent her the last strength
of fear. Pushing with hands and
shoulders, she moved the door far
enough to permit the passage OF her
body. Then she stepped upon the
sill and slipped through the aperture.
She saw no one. Lightly she jumped
down and ran In among the bushes.
But these did not afford her the cover
she needed. She stole from one clump
to another. finding too late that she
had chosen with poor judgment. The
position OF the bushes had drawn her
closer to the front OF the house rather
than away from II. and just before her
were horses, and beyond Il group Of
excited men. With her heart In her
throat Madeline crouched down.
A shrill yell, followed by running and
mounting guerrillas. reused her hope.
They had sighted the cowboys and were
In flight. Rapid humping Of boots on
the porch told Of men hurrying from
the house. Several horses dashed past
her. not ten feet distant One rider
saw her, for he turned to shout bnck.
This drove Madeline into n panic
Hardly knowing what she did, she he
gan to run away from the house. Her
feet seemed lenden. She felt the same
horrible powerlessuesS that sometimes
came over her when she dreamed Of
being pursued. Horses with shouting
riders streaked past her In the shrub
berry. There was Il thunder Of hoofs
behind her She turned aside, but the
laundering grew nearer. She was be-
ing run down.
As Madeline shut her eyes and. stag
gering, was about to fall. apparently
right under pounding hoofs. rude.
powerful hand clapped round her
waist, clutched deep and strong, and
swung her uloft She felt heavy
blow when the shoulder Of the horse
struck her. and then wrenching Of
her arm as she was dragged up.
sudden blighting pain made sight and
feeling fade from her
But she did not become unconscious
to the extent that she lost the sense
of being rapidly horne away. She
seemed to hold thai for long time.
| When her faculties began to return the
motion of the horse was no longer vIO-
lent. For few moments she could
not determine her position. Apparently
she was upside down. Then she saw
that she was facing the ground, and
i must be lying across saddle with
her head hanging down. She could
not move hand; she could not tell
| where her hands were. Then she felt
the touch of soft leather. She snw
high-tOpped Mexican boot. wearing
huge silver spur. and the reeking flank
and legs Of horse. and dusty, mar
row trail. Soon kind Of red JArkness
veiled her eyes. her head swain, and
she felt motion and pain only DULY.
After what seemed thousand weary
hours some one lifted hel from the
horse and laid her upon the ground
where. gradually. as the blood left her
head and she could see she began to
get the right relation If things
! She lay in a sparse grove Of frs, and
the shadows told OF late afternoon.
She smelled wood smoke, and she
heard the sharp eranch Of horses teeth
nipping grass. Voices caused her to
| turn her face A group of men stood
and sat rourt campfire eating like
wolves. The looks of her capturs made
Madeline close her eyes. snd the fnsci-
nation. TIE fear they reused In her
l made her open them again. Mostly
they were thin-bodied. thin-bearded