Year: 1870

careleSsiy around. AS ne ola sc
I saw him stop suddenly and draw
himself up to his full height.


Standing along side ! could Sc
the figure of a man crouching lik,
a wild beast behind the stone
his head was just visible above it
and thellong barrel of a cavalry
pistol was pointed directly at. us
| The dogs now sprang forward
and commenced baying furiously
The man was the first to speak.


Call off your dogs he shouted
'av yez care for them!'


Let the dogs alone, Ryan, sale
Frank coolly, 4 havea warrant fol
you for the murder of Captain
-. Put your pistol down
and come forward


The fellow gave a savage laugh


Come step nearer, Butler,
and see if your warrant can stop
a BALL! ~ i4 aa.as-a szi ~
Franks eyes flashed at the
threat, but restraining himself, he
drew back TO the shelter of the
angle.


I'VE must give the fellow time
to think, Harry. If we rush al
him now, he is sure to knock one
or the other of us over, and ! dc
not like shooting him if it can be
any way helped


Had you not better go for some
of your fellows now. i will keep
guard until you retnrn.',s 1913
They would shoot him down
at once, and | care not to risk it
on that narrow path


NO, dead or alive, | shall not
leave this place without him!'


He stepped back a few PAGES
and scanned the rock above at
tentively.


'Doyou see that holly bush right
over him, Harry? Could you get
to that bush without being seen?'


Easily enough, but what good
could / do there?'


Leave that to me, old fellow
his flank will be turned, at all
events, and you will have him
under your gun. Don't fire until
you see me down, then use your
own discretion.


With some reluctance I con-
sented to go. Taking off my
shoes | crept cautiously down and
peered over. | had scarcely done
SO when Frank stepped out again
with his watch in his hand. He
spoke low, but every word |
heard:


4 shall give you five minutes,
Ryan; if you don't throw down
your arms then and come out, ex-
pect no mercy, for you will get
none. I'll shoot you as would a
raving dogp


Then say your prayers in the
meantime said the ruffian ieer-
ingly; you'll want them if you
ever lift that ere gun to your
shoulder


The five minutes that ensued
were the longest | ever spent in
my life. 1t was a beautiful sum-
mer evening The sun was going
down, throwing food of light
on the ocean far below, and the
white wings of the sea gulls fitted
in and out from their nests in the
cliff. The rabbits were at play
on the slopes, and a colony of
COUGHS were wheeling and scream
ing over my, head. But for the
crouching and blood stained fig
ure beneath, all would have
looked peaceful and happy.


| tried to keep counting the
seconds by the beating of my own
heart, which was plainly audible,
but every trifing. incident was
sufficient to attract my attention.


There was a great black, snake
c. awling toward a stone, and |
began to speculate whether he
would reach it before the time was
up. Then wren, whose nest
was in a bush; perched near me
and commenced chatting and
swearing in my face, until a hawk
came gliding round, and the little
fellow, with a cry of terror, dis
appeared in the grass.


Two minutes had passed away.
| looked down at the murderer
1t was evident that the words
were beginning to tell. He
moved uneasily from side to side,
like wolf in trap. !


Several times he examined the
lock of his pistol, and tried to find
a place in the rock which would
afford some shelter. Once /
thought he was going to speak,
but the words seemed to choke
him. Then crossing himself de-
voutly and arranging the weap-
on apparently to his satisfaction,
be lay sullenly abiding bis time.