Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 98, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 April 1913 — Molly McDonald A IALE OF THE FRONTIER [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Molly McDonald A IALE OF THE FRONTIER

By RANDALL PARRISH

Jltuber of "Keith ofmt border" My Lady of Doubt: My Lady of#* (South? cJt.dt.. . lUiotrouontf Joy y.LßdrocA CORHUONT SIS by A-C-N*CXURG a OCX.

BYNOPSIB.

Major McDonald, commanding: an army boat soar Fort Dodge, seeks a man to Intercept hl» daughter. Molly,- who la headed tor the post. An Indian outbreak la threatened. •'Brick" Hamlin, a sergeant who had Jußt arrived with mesaages to McDonald, volunteers tor the ■nimdon and a tarts alone. Molly arrives •t Fort Ripley two days ahead of schedule. She decides to push on to Fort Dodge by stage in company with “Sutler Blir Moylan. Donnies, a gambler. Is •ho « passenger. Hamlin meets the stage With stories of depredations committed by the Indians. It Is decided to return to Ripley. The driver deserts the stage when Indiana appear. The Indians are twtee repulsed In attack on the stage by Hamlin. Moylan and Gonsales. The latter Is killed. Moylan la killed In next attack. Indiana retire, and Hamlin and Molly wait tor the next move. They plan to attempt escape in the darkness by way of & gully. Molly Is wounded.

CHAPTER Vlll.—Continued. * He could feel her breathing, and Realized the danger of her return to Consciousness. If she should be frightened and cry out, their fate would be Mealed. Yet he must accept the chance, now that he knew the way to be clear. IHe held her tightly in both armß, his revolver thrust hack Into its holster. Bending as low as he could with his burden, feeling carefully through the darkness before advancing a foot, he ■soved steadily forward. Where the Cully deepened their heads were at the edge of the bank, but much of the bray was exposed, except for the dark •hadows of the slope. Fortunately (here were clouds to the west, already Obscuring that half of the sky, but to the east nothing was visible against (he faint luminousness of the sky-line. Once, far over there to the left, a gun Was fired, the flame splitting the night ■sunder, and against the distant redaction a black figure rose up between, only to be instantly snuffed out ■gain. Hamlin put down his uplifted Coot, and waited, in tense, motionless ■Hence, but nothing happened, except (he echo of a far-away voice. A dozen feet farther, some fourfooted animal suddenly leaped to the •dge of the bank, sniffed, and disap•peared noiselessly. So taut were hiß nerves strung that the Sergeant sank jgrtp his revolver, before he realized file cause of alarm—some prowling rlrie wolf. Then, with teeth grimlocked, bending lower and lower, be crept across the rutted trail, and past the dead body of the Indian. Not j wrntil then did he dare to breathe naturally or to stand upright; but now, (he gully, bending to the right, led ■way from danger, every step gained adding to their safety. He was confluent now, foil of his old audacity, yet ■wake to every trick of plainscraft. (The girl’s head rested against his ■boulder, and he bent his cheek to there, feeling its warmth. The touch of bis unshaven beard pricked her info semi-consciousness, and she spoke iso loud that it gave him a thrill of ap- , prehension. He dared not run in the (darkness for fear of stumbling, yet anoved with greater swiftness, until (he depression ended at the river. Here, under the protection of the bank, Hamlin put down his burden ■nd / stood erect, stretching his ■trained muscles and staring back info the dark. What now? Which way should they (urn? He had accomplished all he had planned for himself back there in the coach, but now he became aware of other problems awaiting solution. In less than an hoar it would be daylight; he almost imagined it was lighter already over yonder In the east. With the first dawn those watchful Indians, creeping cautiously closer, would discover thw'stage deserted, and would be on their trail. And they had left a trail easily followed. Perhaps foe hard, dry ground might confuse fooee savage trackers, but they would ■oour the open country between bluff ■nd river, and find the dead warrior in tba golly. That would tell the story. To go west, along the edge of the river, wading in the water, would be pastes* precaution; such a trick would Ibe suspected at once, and there was too possibility of rescue from that direction. They might as well walk •pen-eyed into a trap. There was but one hope, one opportunity—to cross foe stream before dawn came and bide among those shifting sand-dunes of the opposite shore. Hamlin thoroughly understood the risk involved, foe treacherous nature of the Arkansas, the possibility that both might be rucked down by engulfing quicksand, arst even such a lonely death was preferable to Indian torture. Tbs girl at his feet stirred sad 1 moaned. In another moment he had Idled bis hat with water from the riv-

er, had lifted her head upon one arm, and using the handkerchief from about his throat, was washing away the blood that matted her hair. Now that his fingers felt the wound, he realized the force of the blow stunning her, although its outward manifestation was slight Her figure trembled In his arms and her eyes opened, gazing up wonderingly at the black outlines of his shadow. Then she made an effort as though to draw away. “Lie still a while yet, Miss McDonald,” he said soothingly, “until you regain your strength.” He heard the quick gasp of her breath, and felt the sudden relaxing of her muscles.

“You!” she exclaimed in undisguised relief at recognition of the voice; "is it really you? Where are we? What has happened?” He told her rapidly, hiß face bent close, realizing that she was Clinging to him again as she had once before back in the stage. As he ended, she lifted one hand to her wound. “And I am not really hurt —net-seri-ously?” her voice bewildered. “I—l never realized I had been struck. And —and you carried me all that way—” “I—l can hardly comprehend—yet. Please explain again; ;they are back there watching for us still, believing we are In the coach; they will follow our tr&il as soon as it becomes daylight Why—why, the sky is brighter over in the east already, isn’t it? What was it you said we must do?” “Get across the river; once hidden In those sand-dunes over there we’ll be safe enough.” “Across the river,” she repeated the words dully, sitting up to stare out toward the water. Then her head sank into her hands, “Can we—can we ever do that?” Hamlin bent forward on his knees, striving with keen eyes, sharpened by his night’s experience, to learn more of what lay before them. The movement, slight as it was, served to frighten her, and ahe grasped him by the Bleeve. “Do not leave me; do not go away,” she implored swiftly. “Whatever yon say is best, I will do.”

CHAPTER IX.

Across the River. He dropped his hand upon hers, clasping the clinging fingers tightly. “Yes, we can make it,” he answered confidently. “Wait until I make sure what is out there.” He had slight recollection of the stream at-this point, although he had crossed it often enough at the known fords, both above and below. Yet these crossings had always been accomplished with a horse under him, and a knowledge of where the trail ran. But he knew the stream, its pe-

cullarlties and dangers. It was .not the volume of water, hor its depth he feared, for wide as it appeared stretching from bank to bank, he realized its shallow sluggishness. The peril lay in quicksand, or the plunging into some unseen hole, where the sudden swirl of water might pull them under. Alone he would have risked it recklessly, but with her added weight In his arnut he realised how a single false step would be fatal. The farther shore was invisible; he could perceive nothing but the slight gleam of water lapping the sand at his feet, as it flowed slowly, noiselessly past, and beyond, the dim outline of a narrow

sand ridge. Uvea this, however, was encouragement, proving the shallowness of the stream. He turned about, his face so close he could see her eyes. “We shall have to try it. Miss McDonald; you must permit me to carry you.” ' v v'j •- “Yes” “And whatever happens do not scream—just cling tight to me.” “Yes,” a little catching in her throat “Tell me first please, just what It is you fear.” “Quicksand principally; it is in all these western rivers, and the two of us together on one pair of feet will make It harder to pull out of the suck. If I tell you to get down, do so quickly." “Yes.” “Then there, may be holes opt there in the bottom. I don’t mind those so much, although these cavalry boots are no help in swimming.” “I can swim." "Hardly in your clothes; but I am glad to know It, nevertheless. You could keep afloat at least, and the holes are never very large. Are you ready now?" She save him her handß and stood up. The Sergeant drew in a long breath and transferred the haversack to her shoulder. “We’ll try and keep that from getting soaked, If we can,” he explained. “There is no hotel over in those sandhills. Now hold on tight." He swung her easily to his broad shoulder, clasping her slender figure closely with one arm. “That’s it! Now get a firm grip. I’ll carry you all right." To the girl, that passage was never more than a dim memory. Still partially dazed from the severe blow on her head, she closed her eyes as Ham-. 11 n stepped cautiously down into the stream and clung to him desperately, expecting each moment to be flung forward into the water. But the Sergeant’s mind was upon his work, and every detail of the struggle left It* Impress on his memory. He saw the dark sweep of the water, barely visible In the gleam of those few Btars unobscured by cloud, and felt the sluggish flow against his legs as he moved. The bottom was soft, yet his feet did not sink deeply, although it was rather difficult wading. However, the clay gave him more confidence than sand underfoot, and there was less depth of water even than he had anticipated. He was wet only to the thighs when he toiled up on to the low spit of sand, and put the girl down a moment to catch, a fresh breath and examine the broader stretch of water ahead. 1 They could see both shores now, that which they had Just left, a black, lumping, dim outline. Except for the lapping of the water at their feet, all was deathly still. Even the Indian fire had died out, and it was hard to conceive that savages were hidden behind that black veil, and that they two were actually fleeing for their lives. To the girl it was like some dreadful delirium of sleep, but the man felt the full struggle. There was a star well down in the south he chose to guide by, but beyond that he must trust to good fortune. Without a word he lifted her again to his shoulder, and pushed on. The water ran deeper, shelving off rapidly, until it rose well above his waist, and with sufficient current so. that he was compelled to lean against it to maintain balance, scarcely venturing forward a foot at a time. Once he stumbled ovet some obstruction, barely averting a fall; he felt the swift clutch of her fingers at his throat, the quick adjustment of her body, but her lips gave no utteranoe of alarm. His groping feet touched the edge of a hole, and he turned, facing the current, tracing his way carefully until he found a .passage on solid bottom. A bit of driftwood swirled down out of the night; a water-soaked limb, striking against him before it was even seen, bruised one arm, and then dodged past like a wild thing, leaving a glitter of foam behind. The sand-dunes grew darker, more distinct, the water began to grow shallow, the bottom changing from mud to sand. He slipped and staggered in the uncertain footing, his breath coming in quicker gasps, yet with no cessation of effort Once he felt the dreaded suck about his ankles, and broke into a reckless run, splashing straight forward, falling at the water’s edge, yet not before the girl was resting safely on the soft sand. Strong as Hamlin was, his muscles trained by strenuous out-door life, he lay there for a moment utterly helpless, more exhausted from the nervous strain indeed, than the physical exertion. He had realized fully the desperate nature of that passage, expecting every Btep to be engulfed, and the reaction, the knowledge that they had actually attained the shore safely, left him weak as a child, hardly able to comprehend the fact The girl was upon her feet first alarmed and solicitous, bending dowp to touch him with her hand. ”Bergeant you are not hurt?" she questioned. “Tell me you are not hurt?" “Oh, no,” dragging himself up the bank, yet panting as he endeavored to speak cheerfully. “Only that was a rather hard pull, the last of it, and I

am short of “breath. 1 shall be *l right in a moment” / .V There was a sand-dune just beyond, and he seated himself and leaned against it , “I am beginning to breathe, easier already,'” he explained. "Sit down here. Miss McDonald. We are sale enough .tjg3L..bt-tlriiLilarlhifM»a.?,.- —- “You are AH w«t,“soaking wet”., "That is nothing; the sand is warm yet from yesterday's sun, and my clothes will dry fast enough. It is beginning to grow light in the east” The faces of both turned in that direction where appeared the first twilight approach of dawn. Already were visible the dark lines of the opposite shore, across the gleam of water, and beyond appeared the dim outline of the higher bluffs. The slope between river and hill, however, remained in impenetrable darkness. The minds of both fugitives reverted to the same scene—the wrecked stags with its. dead passengers within, its savage watchers without. She lifted her head, and the soft light reflected on her face. "I—I thank God we are not, ove* there now,” she said falteringly. “Yes," he admitted. “They will be creeping in closer; they will not wait much longer. Hard as I have worked, I can’t realize yet that we are out of those toils.” “You did hot expect to succeed?” “No; frankly I did not; all I could do was hope—take the one chance left The slightest accident meant betrayal. I am ashamed of being so weak just now, bat It was the strain. You see,” he explained carefully, ‘Tve been scouting through hostile Indian country mostly day and night for near-

ly a week, and then this thing pened. No matter how iron a man is his nerve goes hack on him after a while." “I know.” “It wasn’t myself,” he went on doggedly, *“but it was the knowledge of having to take care of you. That was what made me worry; that, and know-' lng a single misstep, the slightest noise, would bring those devils on us, where I couldn’t fight, where there was Just one thing I could do." There was silence, her hands pressed to her face, her eyes fixed on him. Then she questioned him soberly. “You mean, kill me?” "Sure,” he answered simply, without looking around; ‘T would have had to do it —just as though you were a sister of mine.” Her hands reached out and clasped his, and he glanced aside at her face, seeing it clearly. "I —I thought you would,” she Bald, her voice trembling. “I—l was going to ask you once before 1 was hurt, but —but I couldn't, and somehow 1 trusted you from the first, when yon got in.” She hesitated, and then asked: “How did you know I was Molly McDonald? You never asked.” The Sergeant's eyes smiled, turning away from her face to stare but across the river. • “Because I had seen your picture.” “My picture? But you told us yon were from Fort Union?” "Yob; that is my station, only I had been sent to the cantonment on the Cimarron with dispatches. Your father was in command there, and worried half to death about you. He could not leave the post, and the only officer remaining there with him was a disabled cavalry captain. Every man h« could trust was out on scouting service. He took a chance on me. Maybe he liked my looks, I don’t know; more probably, he judged I wouldn’t be a sergeant and entrusted with those dispatches I’d Just brought in. If I wasn’t considered trustworthy. Anyhow I had barely fallen asleep when the orderly called me, and that was what was wanted —that I ride north and head you off.” “But you were not obliged to go?" "No; I was not under your father's orders. I doubt If I would have consented if I hadn't been shown your picture. I couldn’t very veil refuse then.” (TO BE CONTINUED.)

Her Figure Trembled In His Arms and Her Eyes Opened.

"Tell Me, Are You Hurtt"