Year: 1878

a corner Of the stable He was on guard,
and then l knew they had sent off for
reinfOrcements. stunned for a moment
l turned around and started helplessly
at Bose; but he, brave fellow that he was,
neTer lost his head for an instant


Bound to leab heah, Mars Ralph"
! he said, quite confidently. @An' dar
amt no way gwyne 'cept tro dat win
dow" and he pointed to the one over
looking the cliff.


I merely shook my head ndturned to
watch again, hoping to get good shot
at the rascal on guard.


Bose, left to his own devices, at once
went to work. / heard him frlssing
about the bed for some time, but
never looked to see what he was after
until he spoke.


"Now, den. for de rope" l heard him
say, and, in an instant, caught his
meaning.


He had stripped the bed of its cover
ing, dragged off the heavy tick and the
stout hempen rope with which it was
corded. In five minutes he had drawn
the rope through its many turnings, he
threw up the sash and prepared to take
soundings. 1t failed to touch bottom;
but, nowise disheartened, he seized the
cotton coverlet and spliced on. This
succeeded, and the cord was drawn up
preparatory to knotting it in place of
cross-pieces.


In the meantime the silence without
had been broken more than once. A
shrill, keen whistle, such as l had heard
before, was given by the man on watch,
and replied to by some one seemingly a
little way off. Then / heard footsteps
soft, cat-like ones-on the veranda out
side, showing that the robbers were on
the alert at all points.


Atlength Bose announced the ladder"
ready. 1t was again lowered from the
window, and the end we held was made
fast to the bed we had dragged over for
the purpose.


"Now, den, Mars Ralph, go down
fust and see if um strong enough to
bar u.s." And he was half way out the
window before l could speak.


"No, Bose, you shall not" answered,
firmly, drawing him back into the
room.


"You must"


The words were lost in the din of a
furious and totally unexpected attack
upon the door. The dull, heavy strokes
of the ak were intermingled with the
sharp, quick clatter of hatchets as they
cut away at the barrier, nd once in a
while l could hear deep oaths, as though
they had been rendered doubly savage
by our resistance.


Here, Bose, your pistol Quickr' 1
whispered, and the heavy charged went
crashing through, followed by shrieks
and curses of rage and pain. "Come
Bose, hurry, or all will be LOST


The brave fellow now wished to insist
upon my gong first, but he saw that
time was wasting, and he glided down
the rope, gradually disappearing in the
heavy shadows.


The fail of one Of their number had
caused only a momentary lull, and
heard them renew the assault with ten.
fold fury. 1 dared not fire again, for
felt that every bullet would be needed
when affairs we're more pressing.


1t seemed an age before / felt the sig
nal from below that the rope was ready
for me but il came, and / let myself
down, pausing an instant, as my eyes
gained a level with the sill, to take a
last look into the room. As / did so, the
door gave way and the blood thirsty
demons poured over the threshold. 1
knew that l had no time for deliberate
movement. They would instantly dis
cover the mode of escape, and either cut
the rope or else fire down on me. Ihad
taken the precaution to draw on heavy
riding gloves, and my hands, thus pro-
tected, did not suffer as much as might
have been expected.


With my eye fixed upon the window,
1 slid rapidly down and struck the earth
with a jar that wrenched every bone in
my body. Quick as lightning 1 was
seized by Bose and dragged some PAGES
on one side and close against the face Of
the cliff. Not a second too soon, for
down came volley, tearing up the earth
about the foot of the rope, where, a mo
ment before, had stood.


Thunder, they Will escape After
them-down the roper yelled a voice
almost inarticulate with rage.
saw dark form swing out and
hastily begin the descent.


Now, Mars Ralph" whispered Bose
significantly, and with quick aim i
fired at the swaying figure.


Without word the man released his
hold and came down like a lump Of
lead, shot through the brain. Another
had started in hot haste, and was more
than half way out of the window, when
suddenly the scene above was brilliantly
lit up by the glare of torch.
Again the warning voice of the
watchful black called my attention tC
the figure now struggling desperately
to regain the room; as before, | threw
up my pistol, and, covering the exposed
side, drew trigger. With convulsive
effort fine wretch, springing far out into
the empty void, turned once over and
came down with rushing sound upon
the jagged rocks that lay at the foot ol
the precipice.


A single look to see that the window
was clear-we knew there could be nc
path leading down for long distance
either way, or they never would have
attempted the rope-and we plunged
headlong into the dense forest that lined
the mountain side. We got clear, it i:
true, but with the loss ofour animals and
baggage. The next day, when We re
turned with part ofthe regulators, we
found the place heap of smouldering
ashes, and no living soul to tell whittier
the robbers had fed.


The Beggars' Feast