Show I By FREDERICK JOHN II BURT BURTH U UPHAM P H AM ADAMS Author of The Kidnapped Colonel I Millionaires l s 's Doctrine Etc Etc L CoPYRIGHT 1903 BT DY I All rights CoPYRIGHT 1903 1003 BT BY UPHAM ADAMS I reserved A. A J. J D a E L D D L IE MOM s CHAPTER FOUR FOUR Continued Jim aimed a blow at Johns John's head s which was parried John swung to tor r the chin and the next Instant Jim clenched and both fell eight feet Into the water The The pool was deep and it seemed to Jim as if they never would cometo come cometo to the surface When he did anc and and had gasped for breath a pair of of- strong hands gripped his neck and he went d v do doa v again The water sang in his ears cars th the world grew black around him Then It suddenly became light The cool and splendid air filled his nostrils and a voice sounded In his ears t Say enough or down you go 4 Y again nough E nough E Ill I'll quit spluttered Jim Blake throwing his arms about wildly With on one hand firm firmly gripping Jim Blakes Blake's collar John Burt swam ashore with the other It was ten minutes before Blake recovered his breath grav- grav gravity then they shook hands with the gravity grav grav- ft ity of trained pugilists A week later John met Jim and was as told of a flogging he had received received rec re re- c iv ed from his father who was notorious notorious no no- F as the village drunkard Thereupon Ther developed in John Burt and James Blake that strong friendship friendship friend friend- ship so frequent between boys of contrasting contrasting contrasting con con- natures They i seemed Enned to have only two traits traits' In common common- both were frank and b both th generous 1 When Jim Blake was wils seventeen ye years ts t's o old d he decided to run away t S from home The two boys bors' talked It t i. i ov over r many times To the scanty canty scap y hoard heard In Jims Jim's possession df r it John Burt V 1 added thirty-five thirty dollars dollars all all tl the e f h money money he had saved from sums given given E given en en him at various times by Peter A Burt Burt So with forty odd dollars In inI I I f his pocket and with tears in his Ii handsome eyes Jim Blake shook hands ands with John Burt and w went nt out into the world to seek his fortune Little did these two boys think as rf i they parted that October afternoon that their acts and passions and lives J w would one day be woven by fate into tv 1 a a web of marvelous workmanship CHAPTER FIVE The Runaway Three years elapsed lapsed before Jessie 1 Carden returned to the Bishop farm J John Burt was now twenty years old and had successfully passed the examination examination examination ex ex- which admitted him to Harvard General Carden came with Jessie delighted with the prospect of ofa a weeks week's rest in the old Louse General Carden was an enthusiastic tt tf tic horseman Jessie was was was' still unpacking un unpacking unpacking un un- packing her trunks when her father sent cent word that the carriage was was ready and that she was to drive with him aim A few minutes later they were sp speeding eding down the old beach road They the drove for miles along the winding windIng wind- wind t Ing shaded shaded roads The breeze came cool and salt from the ocean and the i ib sir air b was fragrant with the breath of summer A bit of the harness had become unbuckled Handing the re reins ns to Jessie Jes Jes- Jes- Jes Jessie sie isie sie General Carden stepped to the ground p to adjust It His feet had bad hardly touched the ground when a prowling hunter a few fen rods away discharged a cun gun The report was was terrifying and the affrighted horses leaped ahead Jessie was thrown violently violently vi vi- backward the lines Jines slipping from her hands General Carden sprang sprang for the horses' horses heads heads heads-an an in in- too late He caught one gli glimpse of hi his hiJ daughters daughter's white e facas face fac I as she SWept past him The agony of years was wall compressed into the succeeding moment moments The frenzied team dashed down the steep grade at a appalling speed At AtI t. t I 7 the base of the hill and almost in front of the Burt farmhouse was a sharp curve Then Thel the road skirted the cliffs for a quarter of a mile Beyond Beyond Beyond Be Be- yond lay Jay a crooked hill hUl lined with ragged rocks the rocKs the most dangerous slope for miles around Through the cloud of dust the old soldier saw the team as it pass passed d the theold theold theold old house A few rods beyond a man vaulted a fence and darted towards the road General Gardens Garden's eyes were blurred but he saw a flash of blue and white as if something something something some some- thing had been hurled in front of the maddened team It clung to the head of the off horse and was tossed back and forth by the frantic animal Foran For Foran Foran an instant the figure seemed beneath the hammering hoofs Could any human being hold bold fast fast in such a po po- At the turn In the road the general distinctly saw a man clinging to th the horses' horses bits bruised by the swaying pole pole pole-a a pigmy who dared check the flight of giants They swerved sharply at the curve The off horse stumbled lurched sideways and fell There was a crash the sickening sound of splintered wood and clinking steel then a silence as the dust lifted lifted lift lift- ed and revealed the Jagged o outlines or a mass of wreckage As General Carden neared the fateful fateful fate fate- fateful ful spot he saw an old man run from the Burt yard and plunge int Into the wreck A moment later he he saw som some some- threw his weight on the beasts beast's neck Jessie was hovering near wringing her h hands u ls in pity pIty pIty- and excite excitement When I 1 lift that horse will you drag my boys boy's leg from under Yes sir oh hurry sir Crouching down Peter eter Burt threw the head of the dead animal across his shoulder He grasped the trace trace with one hand and the foreleg with the other In his prime prime he had raised twelve hundred pounds dead weight With a heave of his massive shoulders should should- ers he raised the forward part of the horse clean from the ground and Jessie Jessie Jes Jes- sie quickly released the pinioned limb of the motionless young man The old man gathered the body in his arms and carried it to a grass grassplot grassplot grassplot plot by the side of the road He rested rested rest rest- ed d his gray head for a av a moment on the the young mans man's chest chestand and and heard the faint flutter faint of the heart In accents which thrilled Jessie Carden he exclaimed exclaimed exclaimed ex ex- claimed He lives Ho lives Praise God my boy Is not dead At that moment Jasper appeared and was dispatched for Dr Randall General Car Carden ea cut the traces and the uninjured horse regained his bis feet Mrs Jasper brought a basin of water and when General Carden joined the I silent group Jessie was washing the dust and blood from the white face and smoothing back the curling locks Why Its It's John Burt Its It's John Burt papa she exclaimed tears Starting to her beautiful eyes Will he die Mr Burt Will he die Oh papa Is there nothing we can do He will not die my my y child said the old man in a cle clear r calm voice It is writ writ-en en that he shall live these man many years years' years Just as Dr Randall arrived John regained consciousness and begged a glass glas of pf water Jessie and her father waited waited anxiously for the physicians physician's verdict Th The old man appeared first J y y yC C o GO W thing in the rescuers rescuer's hands A crumpled blue hat above dark curls showed plain In contrast to the white whitehair whitehair whitehair hair of the aged giant who handled the little figure as if it it were a feather feath feath- er laid it gently by the side side of the I road and again darted into the twisted twist twist- ed mass General Carden breathed a silent prayer He was a few rods away when Jessie moved slowly lifted her head and sprang to her feet Im not hurt papa she exclaimed bravely I am not hurt a bit Oh what has happened Thank God Thank Thank G God d He e caught Jessie in his arms arms gazed fondly into her eyes and tenderly embraced her Gen General ral Carden turned to the aid fid of Peter Burt Tangled in the harness a horse was plunging and struggling In an attempt to regain his feet Th Theother The Theother other horse was dead and beneath his shoulder was pinioned ini ed the leg ofa ofa of ofa a a ayoung young man Blood was trickling rickling down his face and he lay in the dust of the road limp and deathlike His right hand still grasped the bit his head was near the hoofs of the frantic frantic fran fran- tic animal Hold that horses horse's head down ordered ordered or or- dered the old plan man General Carden f 1 l' l a and d though he spoke not his radiant face told the sto story y He is badly cut an and bruised in sey sev several eral places but no no bones are are re broken broke said Dr Randall Jessie Jessie clapped clapped her hands bands for Joy He will b be up up and about bout In a week Jasper was r ready adr with th the Burt family carriage arriage and leaving a a kindly kindly kindly kind kind- kind kind- ly message for the grands grandsire ire they returned returned re re- returned turned to the Bishop house Jessie found that she had a f few w bruises bruises but she laughed at her aches and and talked only onlY of the i heroism heroism n of f brave brave JohnB John B Burt rt The h. h n next next xi day py sh she sent sent him a beautiful bunch of roses and another each day until UI until w word ld came came from Dr Randall that t the e young man I was able to sit sitt up and m might r receive visitors They drove to the farmhouse farmhouse farmhouse farm farm- house and were ushered Into the library library Johns Johns John's study-room study for seven years General Carden advanced and grasped Johns John's hand My boy God bless yo you you I 1 do not know how to thank you Jessie have you n nothing thing to say to the young man maD who saved life your I never thought said Jessie placing her hands in his that the boy who taught me how to catch crabs would o one day save save my life rt i 11 j iJ f But you Ou know I always told Miss Maiden Malden Mal Alai den that you jou OU weren't riffraff and you see I was right t John looked handsome as afi he lay back in the great arm arm chair chair Im lm glad I I had a chance t to be of service to one I had met before he said as Jessie took tool a seat beside him though I confess I should not recognize recognize recognize nize you as the little girl who visited here several years rears ago You are ayoung a ayoung ayoung young lady now and I should hardly dare address you as Jessie and that's the only name I knew you by In those days I am not yet sixteen and you ou can call me Jessie until I 1 tell you not to Cant Can't he lie papa I 1 suppose so said General Car Car- den She is a spoiled le l child Mr 1 Burt turning to the old gentleman and I have ceased making rules lest she should break them During the he hour which followed Jessie and John talked of a score of topics topic John deftly turning the c conversation conversation con con- n- n from the r runaway accident How dainty yet how healthy Jessie Jessie- looked The July sun had begun its its' etching of tan The slender neck where the brown tresses protected it was dazzling shading away to cheek and brow in blending's of cream pink and tan which defied touch of brush or skill of words Th The arched eyebrows eyebrows eyebrows eye eye- brows and the dark silken sillen lashes framed eyes which glowed with the fires of dawning woman woman- hood The mouth was not too small and the lips were ruddy as ripe cher cher- ries And this was the being he had saved from mutilation against the cruel rocks As he looked at her heard the rippling music of her voice voice- and felt the subtle Inspiration of her hel presence the thought came that there was something selfish in his his' joy and pr pride de What was it Is love selfish CHAPTER SIX Summer Days A J John Burt sprang into his saddle saddle- saddle with an ease that showed complete recovery from the runaway Accident accident f and cantered to Jessie Gardens Garden's side They waved their hands gaily to to Mrs Bishop and galloped away under the thear ar arching maples that formed an avenue avenue avenue ave ave- nue before th the old mansion It was Johns John's fourth visit since Jessies Jessie's arrival arrival arrival ar ar- rival and ann his suggestion of ofa a a ride to Hull had been smilingly accepted An hour later they stool stood on th the heights above Point Allerton Below the wide crescent of Nantasket t Beach swung to the south and east within it crawled the wrinkled sea Every foot of ground was hallowed by history history history his his- tory and legend Fro From that point their ancestors watched the Chesapeake Chesapeake Chesapeake peake as sl she e sailed proudly out out outto to fight the he Shannon Shannon- Shannon Shannon- r there there they had wept when they learned that the brave Lawrence had gone to his death shouting encouragement to his crew Thence Captain John Smith first sighted the harbor The red warrIors warriors of King Philip camped where the they stood A short distance away th the Mary and John had anchored with her freight of pioneers A A. A mile to the north stood Boston Light and they pictured Lord Howes Howe's fi fleet et sailing sailing sail sail- sailing ing past it swelling disdainfully outto out outto outto to sea To To be continued |