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Show fk Questiop of Courage t X case or NECESsny. ' Hr. Thomna Ludlow said what ho believed be-lieved to be the truth when he told his Mlfo that tho cfToits of the company's nttorneys to purchnsa the iiymuu farm had come to naught, but In making the statement he hnd ccrlously underrated tho nstulciicfcs of the frcntlcmcn In question. ques-tion. Instead of abandoning the ut-tempt, ut-tempt, they had merely wlthdtnwu from the field for tho purpose of approaching ap-proaching It tit n different angle, and l.udlovv'i ngxcrtlim only proved liovv well tho Fccrets of their plan hnd been gunrdcil. Indeed, at the very time when ho had spoken so confidently of tho failure of the New York nttorneys, thceo worthy gentlemen had already begun nn attack from another quarter; and the enilssnrj of n CiHclunatl broker, who wns supposed to represent a new mining company orgnulzrtl in that city, had made more than one stealthy lslt to tho farmhouse In the cove, driving thereto from Dunb.ir, tlio rnllvvny Motion net above Tregnrt hen, for the purpose of keeping himself ills-Meetly ills-Meetly in the li.iekgrouiiil. This dip-lomntle dip-lomntle ambassndor lind liis final inter-v inter-v v Willi the IH minis on tliotl.i) fol-1 fol-1 ivvi itr ltliigbrnnd's rxcurslon wllh tho colonel, unci when, Into in the afternoon, after-noon, he ilrove linek to tlio hotel In Dunbar, the deeil to the ltynuui neies wns 'tiMv buttoned up In the Inside pO( kel of Iiim coat. If the shrewd ngent eongratulnled hinru'lf n little on the success of his mission, II wns lurtainl.v pardonable, 1"nr ihiro luul licen illllicultiei.. .Inle Ilvniim wnw . bstinntely opposed to the iilc from Hie first, because It involved tho upinolliig of the fiimlly from the toil of Tennessee nml u migration to the linfumiliar rtgions of the Texns frontier; mid herieltictiincewiiHshnicd in n less degree by her brother .Ted. On I lie other side, however, Jeif, in whom t'ie peed of restlcAsnesi hnd been Im-I Im-I liinled tin his fotnivr journey, wns i iisions to lie gone ngain; nnil his sto-i sto-i ii h of tho unrestrained life on the Imidrr hud uniued him n partisan Jo Hi.- person of hWothirbi other. With tills eqtiul division in numbers, the (dims- liiming upon the sale of the fnrm hung in the lutlauce until.lule'KopiHwi- ti'in v n fii ally overcome by themiival of a htler ftom her Lncle Jed, who ii. i rllH-il. in Nilch glow Ing tennu uh hit lirnititl voenhulary could furnish, the piohpintv which iiwaitid them in the uril This letter hnd oppoitimel.v K.iehed tho rov oirtheilny pieeidiug the (mis.ii,vn final visit, nml lis urging, urg-ing, together with n subi tnntinl iu-i iu-i lease In prico ofTeied by the ambassador, ambas-sador, had piocurcd the reliu Innt consent con-sent of the two obMructionlkts. Having thus arrived at the threshold of the proponed migration, the details of lis accomplishment wero arranged In the fvuiliig of tho snino day, when tie fnmil) wnsgjilhcnd in the 1 ili'lii u of tho f 'i-tnhousc. .ieiT nod .lulu did Moil of the InlUing; .Ttd k.I beck in tho ehiimieviorner, snjing little; nnd llud had t.iktn (he Rtoel, from Ids title nnd was HVMilihlng tho barrel liinpau of unter Leforo the wide Rtcplarr. "1)' jo 'low jo eun get ready for to light out by to-morrer night, JuleV" imkcd .lefr. "Oh, 1 leekon so." leplied his sister, with n dluuitisfiid aii; "y'nll niu't gvvlue In icit now tell we'd dono to'n up nn' gone. Hut how tl' ye leekou we-nll can go In (he night? They nln'l no eyars n-iiiiiiiin' then." .leff lose fiom lin sctit on the bed and broke ofT n leaf from tlio bunch or tobiueo hnnglng over tho ilieplnee. "We-.ill didn't 'low to takq the cyum at the u'ttlemeiit." ho explained. "I bun roil ' llgurin' on gultln' hquai' with Ihut dorn ciovvd up on tho mounting 'fore we-ull ilone lef'Tiunes-seo lef'Tiunes-seo for good, an' 'tain't gwluo bo henlliiy for ntmo o' we-ull to bo seen lnuiid herenttciwuids. t'omoto think of il. thou;''i, they ain't no use o'lnnkin' you tide over the mounting lu the night; ,ve can go jest ns well tho ue' day nn' v .lit for wo-all nt JIoNiilrvllle." "What on top o' the yetb does y '-nil want to Mart fiom MeXolivllle for?" she asked, lu suipiise. "leuse the eynrs done lenvo thttr bout thieo o'clock in the mn'ulu', nn' we-nll run get th'oo jeio nn' iiinLo hit 'crost the mounting 'fore Unit time." "An' jo was 'low in' to do that to-inor-icr night?" "So: Hint M bo too booh for what we'd ii-flgurlii' on; lo-nioricr's Thursday Thurs-day jo enn tnko the mar' nn' rldeuver l'ridny, nn' we-nll '11 Jlno yo Trldny night. Hovv'll that thnr do?" "Oh, I reckon 1 can go ono time's well as nnothcr. What did j'-all do with tlio city feller las' night?" liud chuckled. "Scared him plum to ilcnth an' dinppcd hlin In tlio holo in 'Possum holler." "Didn't tote him up nothln' to eat, did ye?" "No. 'Lowed to let him go hongry for n spell, so 't ho could sort o' seo w lint hit was like." "What y'-nll gwino do with him?" Asked .led, speaking for tho first time. 'Jlcchon we'll turn him loose after lie's done seared up enough to inlii' his ouu business," responded Jeff, leisurely leisure-ly filling his pipe w Hit tho crushed leaf of tobacco. " Tain't gwino hurt him none to stay tlmr 0 day or so." Jnleweiil to tho cupboird in the corner, cor-ner, nnd n few minutes later left tho room. Jed broke- tin) silence w hlch followed fol-lowed her departure, "I done heard ', that Tom Lildlow'd put a gaDgtowork-In' gaDgtowork-In' In the McNabb ng'ln to-day," he said. 'I know hit," replied Jeff. "We-nll '11 giv e 'cm n s'prlse party 'bout to-mor- icr night. I reckon they'll keep gyard 1 up thnr. but thnt ulu't gvvlne do no 1 good." Ilud shook his head, "So, they-all don't know nothln' about tho crevice, i Wonder If the. rlty- feller enn hear 'em s n-vvoikln'?" "I reckon so," replied Jeff. '"Jfof. likely bo's been n-hollcrlu' tho top o' . Ids bald off all day, n-tryln' to make out to raise somebody. I believe ho was 'bout tho worst scnredup feller 1 ever did see." i Una Ifiiir'nii "He shore wns He treurl. -t the a gal when I wns n ' (Jill' his ni ms." Jeff tilled his e1i i r ij ailisf tin nil nnd smoked mid it v.-lv urn I l. s ij. went out. "D'uli r. ', lenvnt get shot ' tin uli ' .ii i do.. i te thnt thnr feller nfoie" he In. ii kill the nshes out of the pln nml dropped It Into ills pocket "nn' 1 Jest caj n't rlc'llct vhar-lly I'lck'ryt I do rlcf-llcf, rlcf-llcf, now!" Tho speaker bfomrht bfs clinlr down with a cresh. nnd the others looked up with astonishment nt his sudden sud-den ctelnmntlon. "Wlmrw n hit. .TefT?" asked Hud. "Hit wns tlownnt Unco; that's wlisr hit wns" be got ii. and ccd the floor crlledly "that's jst w hnr lilt wns. I 'lone told j on nil Txnil thot thnr iiyttau in lln e- j rps orr.ee, when thnt plum fool pjesrgip Toned to slnn' weill off wild u run; ll-nrv n-n'l nolimefoj i i t.il, ni Jest ns t flird 1 (lonr-sawri in-in inniin' III nt the bnelt do'--" If.-pi If.-pi tt'rd ii d then r. Med. iniprrssively ' I'o i, I .( v n i !.. t ni e ly chop, on' he', ilown vrrr loget hip." n nvv.il kilenrc fell upon III-" group in llw 1 .1 In n Mftri'.lrlT R .lib t imnn-I'liiini imnn-I'liiini ent. Hiid ,mt Mi ; t.n U"?cllior 'I i i' I n csr ...I,.', !. i'f,'iMtlj nfi i .ml vh'i Ihe v rnym i Bcroru bin I i ' i 1 .icd i , ii-e out of his dark i i.t i i, ilnee i ill in the high m inl.1 -iilf fcr In '". lie 'In h.nl 1 1", il in w Hi 'toi in sigt rl.i ll ii'g in I 'ii i lorn sky, mid the r'mlngw I ml began Id igb dlui.iiill.V tiirourh the licts, iHmlinpr oeriisloiiHl puffs eddying tlovvn the ehiiiiiiey to penttwr little elouds of light nshes from the CKplring embers on tlio Iienrth. The mcnstireil ob of the great engine nt the furnnee rose nnd f II on the brw'ze.mlMffllnrHs lone with tho hoarier mntteilni' of the npproiiehlng storm. At the he.ul of the tnve tliero l n deep cleft In the. peipendleiilnr wnll of lock, known to the dwellers in Harmony Valley tn "Tho Chimney." With tho breotli of the tempest, the (Ism ne becomes the diapason di-apason of iKitiitu'ngirnl organ, and nl-leailj' nl-leailj' its deep reedy volco eotltd be heard, filling the cove with a sound Ike the rushing of the waves on n sandy bench, or like the dlstniice-softened mnr of n inllitj- eutnraet. 1'ioin his waleh tower in the blnslcd oak behind the burn, n great owl milled bin mournful mourn-ful call to tho weird iioIm-h of the night, while all the shriller nnd ehecrf tiller voiccsof natiiio wuio hushed nnd silent in tho prt enieof the storm-Mug. .IeiT Hviiitmcoiiliuiie(lhisinonolonoiu.vulk up and down tho mil ion- limits of the l.Ili I p. stopping nt each turn to pcei on' i tho windows Into tho thickening gloom. Hud won the first to speak. "What-all does je 'low to do 'bout hit, Jeff?" ho inqiiirul. Tho chh r brother dropped Into a chnir ni.d tin ust htx hands deep into his pockets. "I 'low I don't jesl rightly know. Untidy--1 don't, forn fnct; thnr cavn't lie no mistake; I nin't nowise llkelv to forgot Hint Ihnr fneo; IiII'r licen a huiut lo ine moie'n ono nlglit Bence 1 seed lilt, lul has, for shore." .led got up mid threw nnothcr stick of wood on the fire. "Yo lccknn yo'ro plum shoio, Jeff?" he nsked. "'l'cars like this jere feller's been niindln' his own business tol'able dost sonco ho come to the settlement." 'Vo, Jed, he hain't; that's whatJ n-r.itllln' me. Ho was n-pryin round this ere very covo only duy before yls-I'uhly; yls-I'uhly; 1 sfedhlininit'JuloshetooU'Iilm up the mounting and p'lntcd him the win back fiom the McNttbb." 'Jul "Yes, Julc. 1 'low sho didn't know who 'r what he was. Shetloue left him ntnmliu' nfoie tlie nimitli or the tunnel, An' that ain't the mos' ouilousvut part o' hit, lie si rambled Into the holo over the broken roi k-, an' jcrtnboutn inlu-ule inlu-ule nflciunid. lie conic n-pllln' out o' thnr like ho se. d n hninl.nir tho lust I see.l n' him he wiiiui-mnl.lu' the longest kind o tniekn to'nlst the Millay." "What il" je leekon lie seed In thnr?" "I'll in-.' tell .e; but that hain't the question; lilt looks mighty like he's a-Hiienl.in' a-Hiienl.in' round jcrc to fin' out sonje-"ihln' sonje-"ihln' 'bout we-ull. nn' I reukoii thar's got to be Honiethln'done." Hud ; l-ii.etd niomul into Uiognther-lug Uiognther-lug shndows in the room, and nuked: 'Wbnr's J ule?" "1 diitino," replied Jeff; "gouo to bald, Ticekon." llud stood his illle In the chimney corner nnd went out, coming hnck In n moment to say: "I icchou sho has; lensltviiv i'. Ib.ii'n no light." Anothir Inttrvnl of opiiiesslve silence si-lence followed Hud's assurance. The time u i u uil around tho benitb. each know Ing the othci'i' thought, nnd icli hoping tluit oi e of (he olhei- .u.' put. the pltilcia suggestion iutowouls While they waited the first gicut dinp of inln pntteretl on the roof, ai.il llu soughing of tho wind through thctrue-top thctrue-top and the loudor growllnff of the tliiiuder, drowned tho lo.ir of "The Chimney." Tho dusky Intel lor of the kitchen grew more shadowy ns the handful of fire on the hem I lid led down, nnd tho durl.nrr.n was Intensified by tin oeeiuloniil flash of llghtnlnr conti -it ing its gloio vvi.li the twll ght of t'ie l-oolll. 'I ho led glow f rot i Ihe co.i' fell upon tho faces of tho tbn e I .!'. Rtoniicd nbont Hie flu phi u d i I lu' 111 i.ileiit It'iljmcnt iiivun n imins 1 o only offenso vns his icMiiiblnnw to some othci mill. Inehnf tile tlu.o ft 1 Unit them wns n terrible i.u rln of doulit, m.d jet cith knew Unit It wus only ilonlil nnd not leilnmtv lft'n.11 prifcoi ir . ml the fii .! v iliu of J 'fl's crlmo vcie idcntle.il, thriu eoulil be i.u snfetj' foi til least one of them wlilli the niuii lived; if not- If Jeff were mis t.ikcn, lifter nil tho alternative vvus siifhcleiilly drendful to m.iLo thomhes-Itulo thomhes-Itulo to give II shape in speech. Tho suggestion, canio finally from the one who was most tl , ej'ly coneerued JolT rose slowly nnd took down hlsrlilc from Its pegs ovept lie tnuntel, "I leekon leek-on lilt's got to bo dom?. boys," he said, huskily "I hate hit ruin-lily bod, but I cnyn't nffoM to lnke no chrdueos," llud joined htm nt once, but ,el lies-itnlod. lies-itnlod. "You don't have to come, Jed," said the elder In other; "two of us Is enough, nn I know jo niu't nfeurd." "I'm goln' 'long with j on-all, only I hope jcie low'ful kliuro, JeiTl hwui like hit's mlghly tough lo go nn' shoot liim like lie's n nit In a hole, less je're p'lnt-blnnk (eilain j'e got to do hit " They went out noiselessly, ro tn not to until en Jule, nnd . Toff Ictl the wiu to the tiail up which tun woman liul piloted pi-loted Hliigbrsud twodayjbeforf. The wind had risen lo a g. lo, nnd il wus wringing nnd twisting the trees above their heads, but the lain dclnjcd ami . I i the storm '.ceuicil to be blowing ovu When (key readied tho base of the (lilt, they left tho path and turned shortly lo the right, following tho MA n is Si5&'i t J0 roM tlowly snil took down his riflo. IJiieof thoioeu) wnll until tliry reachetl n miriiv.v Itdgk ntfording n piecuious IKIMigu up lo the tnl I '-kind. I'lucrf. liWte'",ia;'tllili ' .'.h'i b!e, iijc.ii, "The 'tiHslieilctp motii,.'.,li 'n , where the wind had full sweep, tin., j nsledon gasping mitli tlioy stoo I In t u nl rnvlno nntler -the Ire of tie I i.v lilei tilurkiiig the cnlrntn o ' i.'lini I' pvihon. .It (T uncoil d I' e upo lie h. I lirought, and VI I'lipaiii.glodi tei nil. iiIipii Jed hto, mil liim: "Don't ji low t'liit'llbeir.rt o'reskv II tl.at thnr fill i's vli.it . done ti i lilnifor.lio'si'wineflghl.forKl ore. fb nln'l gvvlue nun's: ill nn' Ion je to shout bilu in i nl' blood " 'I lie million l.iuiight hnek with up p. 11 ing dial i in I iu is the ph i-ih lion., of the ilcid tl i v v eie .il u.il l.ulo, nml thev pan d Ii fi ai ful In i il itum 'llu llud pro)iosid t lint Ihey pi ilimn ml the otlier envoi n, using Hie n.ino cievice for a loop-hole, and n di. i ,in utos inter he and Jeff vert, landing in Ibepllcliydaikiiessof thei ublerinuc.ui chamber, while Jul wiitihul tit tl aperture nbovu. JciTfellliiwa,v alou one of tho w alls until he caiur ton in tie wheie they kept a mliui's 1 . i i, lighting tills thej cnulioii'lj ueoii-lioltered ueoii-lioltered the adjoining chnniUr as well as they could tij-its in. .lit lent in lp The light from the lamp pmclrnttd but n slioit distance bejond Hie miirow opening, but it unswired the purpose, aiidtbcj (.oiildhcc the shadow j oullii.ei of tho figure of n mnii slntditd out upon the snudj tlooi of thetovern Ji IT handed the lamp to his brother and took careful nlin nt the motionless form his hand trembled so Unit be could not hold the gun steady, nnd he got duvvn upon his knees and icstedll ngnlnst th sltlo of the crevice. Uvcn then he n ho long nhout It Hint Hud's neive to! Inpscd and the lamp fell fiom Ids slink ing flugeis; it tlid not go out, nnd ns he held It up again he w hlsperod: "Shout quick! I inn't " A blinding flash illuminated th.' cnvcrii, nnd the dead air of tho place jm ml avIUi a concussion Unit inn nut tlio light nud rcverbnited like pent-up Ihuudcr in tho atchesofth vnult. Tho two men fell over enc other in their fiuntie haste to une the open ulr, fighting like cage' wilt) iiensls foi' precedence up tli difficult stairway; uud when I lie,, emerged from the mouth of the smoky pit, Urn contagion of tenor corumuiil cute.l llwlf to their puss I hi accomplice, and tho thrco men senttered In n mod flight tow aid tho covo. vmi' a sonTnniUNiiAN xirrrAvioitniosts. When llliigbrnnd opened his eyes he vili d hln-o'lf Ijiug on hln buck lu h 1 1 it,), '.ii. il to Nt tlio bottom of a II in In l, that was his second lin-ik. lin-ik. 'on. Willi the fJrit glrnnis of lour lo-ur irjr ionseliisneii there wmi no o' ct tun of tho ovunts imuK'd'ntelj i. .dim. Ids fall, and for n moment is b In vague Idea thnt ho UuJ vtuud lid uud hurt himself In thot uud, tlid fiat i'ie elmide had covered nil but Ur n.ie'.l pftteh of sky directly over-it over-it I wheie the stars weic still visible. .i mni.ou tun.e Isvoh, and he re-nil re-nil d the details of thu enptllio up tn the Midden blunk fo'llovvlng the pluiijrn ipto tho holo lie t woo n the bowlder , sljarp twlngo ot 1111 bridged the Interval In-terval nnd reminded him that thoio were two present nnd rirc&slug sources ot discomfort In the gnarled log across ... i , . 'ns'ujiiuvv uojiiHod ppi.iojitio.nmoii ;o ino.iIU;'v oj, 'sipis upi oi stuiu st tuo i(i ik,ittM .xtoi nq. jo .unss.i.iil fli jn .).-) u pan JIiii ( sow oq t3qw but loosening l lie rope was another lr.nt-li lr.nt-li r Mi" ki ot bud been diitvin tight l' the (' il f h j fall, and it was un !i u.. i r moi b. foits he ruceeidcd In work'iig Ii tiroiind where it could Is reached, cvtn vhrn this was done, Il was o.ily n l "inulrg, and the (1-st faint .truxku of tlewn were filloili , lhioi"l the ajirture overhead wher he flnall' loiestifllj nndswi tig his tirma to start the sn .hUsI iln.i'lntion. In a tilth while It was llrM enough to ti ttble him to wo hiu i . iiotimlh'gs a. d lie found that he wns imprisoned ii ti cievite-tavc much like tin me hehn1 esploi d two days before. It occiirrci' to him tit once that It might be a eon tinuiition of tho same cavern, or thin possibly he might bo in the vcrj ch nubi r Into which he had tried ti , nt ti.ite; but this seemed unlikely, foi 'wo lenroiis. One wnH that ho coult' not lu.ikc the loeullty of the Mc.VnLL tvnii el agiee with the gcneialdncclioi of bis wanderings ot the nir-ht previous, nml Ihe otlier wan even more com ine .ii!, lur, whilehlscell terminated alone e .tn ui'tv in n n n now fismire like tin one lu which he had lost tho pick and Mn l.unp, lie Lould not find the inlbsiiig i IiuKh, though lie Inst no time in nml. inf a tnrefiil 'ictirch for them. In do-, do-, ing this, however, be stumbled upon nuotlipr discovery which was of much more iimncdinto importance: reaching down Into tho cinimlcH of the fissure, Ills. hand found n pool of water, nnd ho drank gratefully, dipping up tho cool liquid by spoonfuls in his hollowed palm. Continued next week. |