The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1923-08-09

4 his ambuscade. She had objected, be-
cause of the scarcity of dense cover
at the point he named. But, weak in
his confidence, he had laughed at her.
| given her q farewell hug and kiss,
and struck out. Juney told him she
was going to sit up and listen, because
she was uneasy for the first time.
Jim, fearless and calm, lurked be-
/ hind the shoulders of projecting
bank of earth and waited In time
came the rattle of iron-tired wheels
and horses steady trot. The night
was black. The waiting bandit
brought up his revolver in one hand
and his lantern in the other, and each
arm was steady as beam of wood
At the right moment he moved the
slide, funnel-shaped shaft of light
leaped forth, and Jim shouted his old
challenge:
'-Th'ow up yo' han'si"
The sharp report of revolver was
his only answer, and his lantern
dropped from his numbed fingers, It's
disk shattered Surprised though he
was, Cant kept his presence of mind
and shot back.
1t was all guesswork, but Jim grim
" pumped his lead pellets toward the
spot where the daring unknown had
been, moving back all the while. Balls
Kissed by him, and just as he emptied
his last chamber one struck. 1t was
as though some one had touched his
leg above the knee with red-hot
poker, and when he attempted to
move the limb he found that it had
grown dead and helpless.
Sinking to the ground, he dragged
himself to cover. quietly as he could.
In the dense gloom he put his weight
upon a dry stick. 1t snapped sharply,
and instantly ball whizzed over him.
He pulled himself forward with set
jaws, felt the ground dip, and soon
was lying under a small ledge of earth
about two feet high.
If he kept quiet now he was safe
for the time. The man who had put
up that game fight was as badly hand
icapped as himself. Neither cdald
see, and if either produced a light it
would simply be to make target OF
himself for the other.
Jim didn't know if any of his shots
had hit He listened, feeling down In
side his. trousers for the wound. 1t
was bleeding freely, and that leg did
MT have any feeling in it.
He hoped the man would go away,
but there was nothing to indicate that
this was his intention. A silence had
fallen over the mountains, broken on
ly by the occasional sound of wheels
moved jerkily. Then Jim knew that
his opponent was either dead or wait
ing, and the horse was taking care of
itself.
Silently he broke his revolver and
put in new cartridges. He wrapped
his coat about it to smother the click
when he snapped the barrel back in
place.
Then he knew something was NOV
ing near him. 1t was not coming from
the direction of the road, but up the
hill from the ravine below. He could
see no outline of form; he could
barely hear the creeping passage of
some living thing. Had a wildcat
smelled his blood? There were a
great many about. He determined
not to shoot till the last moment, and
began to watch for the CLEAN of the
creatures eyes.
Slowly and all but noiselessly it
came on. A few feet from him it
stopped, and, as Cant strove to get
its exact location before he fired, the
low wind brought sound to his ears
which sent a SILVER over him. In the
faintest whisper he heard him name
-"Jimi''
He shut his mouth tight on the
word which leaped to his tongue, and,
feeling in the darkness, found twig.
With this he began to rustic the ear
ly leaves which had fallen. Again
his name was breathed, and again he
replied with the twig.
a moment later Juney had slid to
his side and both her arms were
around his neck.
Quickly he put his broad palm over
her mouth and drew her ear down to
his lips. In this manner he told her
of all that had happened. He knew
her story before she told it--of her
following him, keeping at distance.
Then she was whispering:
"I jes' got O. tie it up" she said.
"Yo' mought bleed to death. I'll take
one o. my stock'n's."
This she did in spite of his mute
protests, rolling his trouser-leg back
beyond the hurt, wrapping the cotton
stocking firmly about the wound and
making the bandage secure with
garter. There was no other way, for
absolute silence was imperative.
Then she lay close beside him, for
the night was chilly as it advanced to-
ward day, and they planned together,
his mouth first to her ear, then her
mouth to his. They dared not speak
even In whisper.