Show I 1 il ea e e r E R IAL L STORY THE LITTLE BROWN JUG AT I 1 L D A AIR E MEREDITH NICHOLSON F lias by RAY WALTERS copyright IM by tho the dobbs cubba compa IS SYNOPSIS thomas thomaa ardmore and henry alai maine roswold stumble upon up on intrigue when th the governors over nors of 0 north and south carolina are reported to have quarreled griswold allies himself with barbara osborne daughter of the xo governor vernor of south carolina while ardmore espouses espoused the cause of jerry dangerfield daughter ot the tha governor of north carolina these two young ladles are trying tr fill the shoes of their fathers while the latter are missing both states are in a turmoil over one ona an outlaw with great political icat influence unaware of each others position both griswold and ardmore set act out to tf make the other prosecute ap plew eight ardmore organizes a big biff hunt griswold also algo takes taken tile thi field frank coluna collins atlanta reporter Is arrested by A ardmore rd but released to become press agent for the young millionaires expedit expedition lon U a men m en capuro capture bill Apple weight I 1 CHAPTER hlll bihr continued now well see happened said habersham it looks almost too tco easy the members ot of griswoldsr Gris wolds party who w 0 had been thrown round to the farther side of the church began to appear one at a time there was no nervousness among any of tho the band ban a fact that impressed griswold Oris wold they were all risking much in this enterprise but they were outwardly unperturbed and chewing their tobacco silently while they awaited the return of the two active agents in the conspiracy who had bad dealt directly with Apple weight habersham counted heads beads and announced all present or accounted for the tall leader who had ridden the mule was the first to rise out of the underbrush through which lie he had crawled circuitously from the rear ot of the church ills his companion followed afew a few B seconds e later late weve got bill all tied and gagged ga aged and a sitting ot of his boss drawled the leader and the boss is tied to the taa lack back fence rest 0 his bla boys thought hes gone ahead but they may miss him and come back hes safe enough and of ef we keep heep away from him well be ready to light out of ef the gang scents trouble and comes back bach to look ter fer dill bill youre sure hes tied up so he be cant break away or yell iles hes as aa good as dead a settin ot of his boss in the thicket back then thell and now said Habers liam what weve got to do Is to make a run tor for it and land him across the border and stick him into a north carolina jail where he rightfully belongs the question Is s can we do it all in one night or had we better lock him up same somewhere on this side the line and take another night tor for it the sheriff over there in kildare la Is Apple weights cousin but well lock him up with j bill to make a family party of it wed better not try too much tonight counseled griswold its a big thing to have the man himself it if it were not for the matter of at putting gov D dangerfield in a hole bole id favor hurrying with Apple weight to columbia just tor for the moral effect or of it on the people of south carolina wed make a big killing for the administration d way habersham yes make a killing all right but have bill on your hands handa which gov osborne has baa not until lately been anxious for r replied e habersham in a low tone that ras as heard ty y no one but his old preceptor better belter get over the idea that iberi were afraid of this outlaw rejoined griswold the governor of north carolina dare not call hl big soul his own whore where these hill bill people are concerned but the tha governor gov einor of south carolina Is a different sort while they thus stood on south carolina soil waiting tor for the sate safe and complete dispersion ot of the mount nebo congregation before selling the captive they had gagged and tied lit at the rear of the little church the fates were ordering a very different termination mi nation of 0 tito nights business miss jerry Danger dangerfield ft id galloping ol 01 way way the dutee duke w with no thought but to widen the 1 I Is between them turned off at the first crossroad cross croas road which began well enough but degen degenerated prated rapidly into a miser miserable atile trail through which she was waa obliged to walk her horse be ore she bhe was aware ot of it she was in the midst of a clearing where laborers had lately been cutting timber and the ehe found on turning to make her way out that she aho was wait quite lost for three trails all seemingly struck off into the forest she spoke aloud to the horse to reassure reu reus asure sure herself and smiled as she viewed the grim phalanx of stumps she roust must however had her way back to ardsley for there were times whon jerry dangerfield Danger fielA could be serious with herself though it rarely pleased tier her to bo be serious witia with other people and she knew that the time had bad long passed for or her return to the house she did not know then that three men had witnessed her flight frore the duke or that they had taken swift vengeance upon him for his bis able conduct in the moon blanched road it was not jerrys way to accept misfortune tamely and after circling the tha wall all of timber that shut her in to in the hope of determining where she sha had entered she choso chose a trail at random and plunged into the woods she assumed that probably all the roads and paths on the estate led more mora or less lesa directly to the great house or to some lodge or bungalow she had lost her riding crop in her mad flight and she broke off a switch loading its leavea into the moonlight and laughing softly as they rained about her suddenly ahead of her through the woods floated the sound of singing one of those strange wavering pleun canti ques peculiar to the south she rode roda on thinking to find help and a guide back to ardsley then the music ceased and lights now flashed faintly before her hut but she went forward i guardedly iro im much more lost than I 1 thought I 1 was for I 1 must be away oft off the estate she bhe reflects reflected d she turned and rode back a few rods and dismounted and tied her horse to a sapling she was wan disappointed at not finding a camp of Ard morea mores woodcutters wood cutters to whom she would unhesitatingly have confided herself but it seemed wise now to exercise caution in drawing to herself the attention of strangers she did not know that she had crossed the state line and was in south carolina or that the singing she had beard floated from the windows of mount nebo church she became now the astonished witness of a series of incidents that occurred so ao swiftly as fairly to take her breath away A tall loosely articulated man came from the direction of the church and walked toward her she knelt at the tree and watched the moonlight giving her a clear view of a rustic somewhat past middle age whose chief characteristics seemed to be a grizzled beard and long arms arma that swung oddly at his side the brim of his wool hat was turned up sharply from his forehead and she had a glimpse of the small keen gray eyes with which he swept the forest before him he treed a horse which she had bad not before noticed and she expected him to mount and ride away to loin join others of the congregation whom she heard making oft in a road beyond the church then with a quickness and deftness that baffled her eyes two men rose beside him just as aa he be was waa about to mount there was waa no outcry and no sound ot of scuffling so quick was the descent and so perfect the understanding between the captors captora in a moment the man was waa gathered up bound and flung on his saddle she had a better be ater view of him now cow that he was waa hatless hat lesa though a gi gag bad beer been forced into his mouth and alid a handkerchief tied over his eyes so that he be presented a grotesque appearance jerry was waa so absorbed that sho she forgot to be afraid never in her life had bad she witnessed anything so amazing as this and now to her more ft 41 renewed his efforts to free himself som om bewilderment the captors captora after carefully inspecting their work and finding it satisfactory seemed to disappear utterly from the face of the earth in the woods to her left she thought she beard a horse neigh thep then she saw shadows moving in that direction and again from the road she heard beard the brief debate of the two men as to tle ho whereabouts of and it struck jerry humorously that lie he would not soon see his friends unless they came and help od him out of hla his predicament it may help to an understanding of miss jerry Danger fielda character it if it Is recorded here that in her short abort life had she tailed failed to respond to the call of impulse she was lost in the woodsy woods and strange men lurked about a man had bad been attacked seized and left sitting in a state of absurd helplessness on a horse presumably suni ably his bix own and there was waa no guessing what dire penalty his captors tors had in store for him quiet reigned in the neighborhood otaie ot the church the lights had blinked out the bang of the closing shutters reassured jerry and she crept on her knees toward the unconscious captive loosed hla his horses rein had led it rapidly toward her own horse a little farther back inthe in the woods ifer her blindfolded prisoner thinking hla his original captors were carrying him off 03 renew ed his efforts to free himself jew jerry gained her own saddle in the least bit of a panic and when sno she had bad mounted and made sure sura of the leading strap with which lier her prisoners horse was waa provided she eha rode on at a rapid walk until she reached thal the clearing where the stumps again grimly mocked her she stopped ed to listen and heard through the still night first one cry and then roam man voices lo in various keys of alarm and rage tien then sho she bent bant toward the prisoner toro tore the bandage from lita big eyes and with more difficulty freed him of the gag ito he blinked and spluttered splutter ed at this unexpected deliverance then blinked and spluttered splutter ed afresh at seeing that hla his captor was a young woman who was plainly not mot ot of hla his world jerry watched him wonderingly then addressed him in her most agreeable tone you were caught and tied by two men over there by a church I 1 saw them and when they went ott oft and left you I 1 camo came along and brought you with me thinking to save your life I 1 watt to got get honie home as quickly as possible and though I 1 do not know you and am ain quite suro sura we wa never neer met before b I 1 hope you ou will kindly guide me to ardsley and thereby render no me a service I 1 shall always deeply appreciate mr bill alias poteet was aa well hardened to the shocks ot ol time but the pleasant voiced girl coolly sitting her horse horsa and holding his own lank steed by a strip strap was the most amazing human being that had bad yet dawned on hla his horizon ile ha was not stupid but jerrys manner of speech had baffled more sophisticated minds than and the sweet sincerity of her tone and her frank countenance hallowed as it was by the moonlight wrought in the outlaws mind a befuddlement not wholly u unlike that which bad possessed the w wits its of many young gallants south of the potomac who had laid siege to jerry Danger fields heart but the cries behind them were moro more pronounced noun ced and Apple weight was nothing it if not a 0 man or oc action take these things ohn me he commanded fiercely and ill see y safe to ardsley not mot in the least replied jerry jerryc who was herself not unmindful of the volet voI cLi behind behl nd you will kindly tell me the way and I 1 will accommodate my pace baeb to that of your own somewhat ill III nourished beast and as theres a mob looking tor for you back therea all ready to hang you to one of 0 f these noble forest trees I 1 advise you to use more haste and lose less caution in pointing the way Apple weight lifted hla his head and took his bis bearing then ho he nodded toward one of the three trails which had bad so BO baffled jerry when first she broke into the clearing taets the nig highest hest said apple weight and wed better git she set the pace at a trot and was relieved in a few minutes to pass one or two landmarks which she remembered from her flight through the woods As they splashed through the brook she had bad forded corded she was quite confident that the captive was vat playing her no trick but that in duo due course she should strike the highroad to ardsley which she abandoned off tho duke of it was now ten dd and the moon was sinking behind the forest trees jerry took advantage of an occasional straight strip of road to go forward at a gallop but these thesa stretches did not offer frequently and the th two riders kept pretty steadily to a smart trot As they walked their horses through a bit of sand tho the prisoner spoke 1 who air yu litt little legal gal jerry turned in the saddle so that Apple weight enjoyed a full view of her face 1 I am perfectly willing to tell you my name but first it would be more courteous to tor you to tell me yours particularly as aa I 1 am delivering you I 1 from a band of outlaws who undoubtedly intended to do you harm lie ile laughed a curious chuckling laugh lie ile had ceased to struggle at ills his bonds but seemed resigned to his strange fate ile he had not answered jerrys question and had no intention of doing so the sudden attack at the church had bad aroused all his cunning Apple weight alias poteet was an old wolf and knew well the ways of tie cie trapper but the bold attempt to kidnap him was wag a new feature of the game as heretofore played along the border ile did not make it out nor was kas he wholly satisfied with the girls explanation of her presence in that out ot of the way place ile he had several times called out directions ions as they crossed other paths in the forest slid and they now reached the main trunk road of the estate the red bungalow jerry knew was not far away clr prisoner spoke again TO DE CONTINUED |