Year: 1863

HIBuL 10 tue mufuerOuS words the woman


uttered.


It's all the same, replied her compan


ion; "tisn't the danger of discovery In


afraid of. IT'S the job itself don't like


the murder of sleeping man in colC


blood-iph!'


With fury flashing from her eyes sh,
sprang to her feet and seized the hatch


ct.


Coward and fool ? she hissed, do you
call yourselfa man? You see your wife
and child starving before your eyes, and
you have not the manhood to do that


deed which viii save them from the deatl


of dogsl l will do it myself


Easy, lass he said, catching her by
the wrist, and drawing her back to her
seat again. You're a plucky girl, Sal,
but dye think I'd let woman do what
had not the courage to attempt myself
| told you l did not like the job; l had
rather get at the money any other way
but | didn't tell you that l wouldn't do it,
Sit you down, and let's talk it over. The
chap is fast asleep now-the fatigue and
the brandy have done for him, and you
can hear him moaning as he sleeps
This ugly bit of steel may be useless af-
te" all. A cloth upon his mouth and my
hand upon his wind-pipe may be enough
There will be no signs of blood and
when they do find him after the snow
melts they will say he perished in the
snow


Now, Bill said the woman, with a
borrid show of admiration, you talk like
a man, and wise one. ! begin to know
you again


We'll, lass he said, consider the thing
as done. Just give me the bottle


He took ii, raised it to his lips, and
drank dead draught. With trembling
hand felt up the door for bolt or lock.
There was wooden bolt only. Gently
and silently | pushed it home, then crept
back to my bed and searched for my pis-
tol, resolved to sell my life dearly. got
the pistol drew back the hammers and
felt the nipples: the caps were gone l
tried the barrels: they we're drenched
with water. saw it all the pistol bad
been dealt with while slept at the fire !;
and | was utterly at the mercy of those
fends. But | had little time to waste in
thought, for the next moment the door
was shaken by a heavy hand. Hay back
and moaned and snored like one in
troubled sleep.


The door is bolted on the inside |
heard the man whispering 'the fellow
fastened it before he went to sleep


Then burst it open, said the woman.


No. was the rejoinder, that would
waken him up, and he might show fight.
We must adopt some quieter course


There's the window she said; can
you not get in through that ?


Quite right, lass; / had forgotten


Ilooke ed to the window; it was an ap-
arture some two feet square or more, with |
a crazy sash of four panes, every one of
which was broken. l crawled toward it |
and felt the sash; the hand of child
night have pulled it out. What was l to
10 What chance of a struggle had /
low? Faint and weary, with that bro
Ken arm, what resistance could / offer to
his man of gigantic strength? Crushed
,y the prospect of my inevitable doom,
staggered back from the window and
ell against projection of the gable wall. !
thrust out my right hand to save me
rom sinking to the ground it did not
ouch the projection, but stretched far into
ONE hollow space. A pang of hope
hot through my heart; here was large
pen chimney like that at the other end
f the cabin; and I felt the snow, which
lad fallen down through it, cracking un-
Ter my feet. Could I escape through
his ? Was there still chance of life
stopped under and thrust up my head.
The aperture was wide and deep, and the
arge stones of the rude masonry pro-
ected on every side. These were steps
y which it was easy enough to climb
70 think of all this, and to act upon my
bought, occupied less time than / have
,ken to tell it. In spite of the helpless
ess Of my left arm, and the excrueiating
ain 1 felt from it, l was up through the
Kinney and out on the roof before l
card the frail sash below forced in. To
Iide to the ground was easy enough
nd, blessing God for my deliverance, 1
rawled round to the other end of the
abin, and from this starting point Thur
led away across the moor as fast as my
seble limbs could bear me. Looking
ack 7 saw the elare of lipht from the