Show BY 6 MAU MURK RICE Before this conversation was ended end d da a i rain began to fall fail and it rapidly thickened from a desultory shower to toa toa toa a roaring downpour that effectually quenched not only the fires around around which the savages sa ages were dancing but the enthusiasm of or the dancers as well wen During the rest of the afternoon and andall andall I all night long the fall taU was incessant accompanied by a cold lOld panting wall wail wallIng lug Ing southwest wind Avind Beverley lay on the ground face up upward upWard upward ward the thc rawhide strings torturing his limbs the chill of cold tOld water Mater search searching ing lag his bones b nes He could see nothing but the dim strange canopy of flying tt ing ingrain rain against which the bare boughs of the Ule scrub oaks were wre w re vaguely out outlined outlined outlined lined he could hear nothing but the cry of ot the wind and the swash awash of ot the wa water water water ter which fell feU upon him and ran under him bubbling and gurgling as If fiend fiendishly fiendIshly exultant The night dragged on through its his I terrible length dealing out Its inde indescribable horrors and at last morning arrived with a stingy and uncertain gift gUt of or light slowly Increasing until the dripping trees appeared forlornly gray jray and brown against clouds now breaking into masses that gave but lit littie tie tte le rain Beverley lived through the awful trial and even een had the hardihood to brighten Inwardly with the first flash of or sunlight that shot through a cloud crack on the eastern horizon He thought of Alice Allee as he had done all aU night light but now the thought partook somehow of or the glow glo yonder above old VIncennes although he could only oni see its ts reflection the In Ia Indians Indians There was great stir sUr among diana LongHair L stalked about acre scrutinising the ground Beverley Beverle saw sa him ilm come near time and again with a hideous inquiring scowl on his face tace Grunts and laconic exclamations pass passed passed passed ed from mouth to mouth and present presently ly h y the import of it all COUld not be mIstaken Kenton and Jazon were gone had escaped during the night Highl Highland and the rain had completely their tracks Indians Indi ns were furious Long LongHair Hair sent out picked parties of at his best scouts with orders to scour the country in all directions keeping with himself a few of ot the older warriors Beverley was fed what he would eat of venison and LongHair made him understand that he would have hae to suf sur suffer surfer suffer fer some terrible punishment on ac account account account count of the action of his companions Late in the day the scouts straggled straggled back with the report that no track or sign of or the fugitives had been dis die discovered discovered covered and Immediately a consulta consultation consultation consultation tion was held Most of the warriors including all of the young oung bucks de demanded demanded a torture entertainment as compensation for their exertions and an anthe the unexpected loss of or their own pris prisoners prisoners prisoners for tor It had been agreed that Bev Beverley Be Beerley Beverley erley belonged exclusively to Long LongHair LongHair LongHair Hair who objected to anything which might deprive him of the great reward offered by b Hamilton for the prisoner pris If it to In the end it was agreed that Bev Beverley Be Beerley erley should be made to run the gant gantlet gantlet let provided that no deadly weapons were used upon him during the or ordeal ordeal deal Forgive Forshe me mes J I d d not O know It was lS an accident I could not 1 do such a ahing athing thing hing purposely Believe me believe me aie Miss 1 SRo Roussillon 19 n I did di pet not mean nean m a tOle tt 1 She stood st od fing f him trying ying t to t look right into his eyes e es A quality in his voice oice had checked her hot anger She could i e dim dint outlines In the dull gleam l the forts lantern He Hee seemed e med to be forlornly tor wretched 1 I should like Uke to believe you she presently said but I cannot You Yott Yo English are all aU all aU despicable mean vile She was remembering the young om officer with his ce who had assaulted her hor In the house a while ago And what a strange thing the human brain brainis is she at the same time comforted herself with the further thought that Beverley BeYerle would never neer never be guilty of or rudeness to a woman Some time you shall not say that Farnsworth responded I L asked you to stop st p a moment that I might beg you ou to believe bellee how wretchedly sorry som I am for what I am doing But you ou cannot un understand understand Understand me now Are you really hurt Miss Roussillon I assure you that it as purely accidental My hurt is nothing she said saidI I 1 am aln very glad giad gladWell gladWell Well then shall we go on to the fort You 1 may go where you please mademoiselle She Site turned her back upon him hint and without an answering word oro walked straight to the lantern lanten lantE that hung by bythe bythe bythe the gate g ate of stockade sto kade where a sen sentinel s sentinel tinel tramped tramp to and fro A few mo urn moments moments ments me ts later Captain Farnsworth Farn worth pro pre presented pre presente her to Hamilton who had been called calle from his bed when the news of the trouble at Roussillon place reached the fort fortSo fortSo fortSo So youve oue been raising hell again have you ou miss he growled with an ugly frown darkening his fact faco 1 I beg your our pardon said Farns Fame Farnsworth worth orth Roussillon was waS not to blame for forIn forIn forin In your our eyes ees shed not be to blame sir if She he burned up the fort and all aU of ot us In it Hamilton gruffly interrupt interrupted ed Miss what have you ou been doing What are you here for Captain Farnsworth th you ou will please state the particulars of the trouble that I have hae just heard beard about And I may as well notify y u that I wish to hear no ape special cial lovers loyers pleading in this girls be behalf halt half s face whitened with an anger anger ger he bit his lip and a shiver ran through his frame but he had to con conquer conquer conQuer quer the passion In a few words blunt and hd direct as musket balls he told all the circumstances of what had bad taken place making m no to favor Alp but hut boldly bold blaming the officer of the patrol Lieutenant Bar Barlow Barlow low 10 for losing his head and attacking a young girl in her own home homei To be e continued tomorrow i |