Show W jtb OCilA PT raff AS fl r U R I 1 C OR THE IE CAUSE OF compromise by EMERSON HOUGH copyright 1910 by emerson tough hough CHAPTER continued they were in Iii time to see the last of the disaster but too late to offer remedy by tile the time tile the coach had pulled up tit nt jhb head fiend of the grovel gravel way before the yet more rapid horsemen had flipi blung themselves from their saddles the end easily was to be guessed the house lind had been fired in a halt score places at tile the rear even now the long streaks of flame were reaching up to tilt flit cornice casting all the front portion of the house aind the awn which lay illy before it into deep shadow the shrubbery and trees thus outlined widowed black and grim rim the rhe mon men of tile the Tal lwoods party dashed here an landhere dhere and there among the cov erani of trees lack hack of the tionne there bere shots fins hastily tily es exchanged changed glimpses ait f f fi 1 I slinking away across tile the nelds lint hait tit attacking party had dour theft and now alarmed by the sudden smilen of a resistance strong tir than they had expected were inaina niu kinc their escape once in awhile there was heard it a loud lond derisive shout now awl and awain tile the crack of a spiteful mile resounding in echoes against the dunwody was amons among the first farst to dis dia appear aap ar in search of these besie besiegers gem ic y t ephine eph lne hafl A ft atone undecided decided nn alarmed in front n of r tilt gront urn at doors doork eleazar elcazar to savo san the wim Villa team ream had find now wheela eln tile the vehicle demot hack and was a place piave for fix tr ir lower down the lawn it was wae as sim she stood thus hesitant that there ther e approached pro ached hot her from some point in abd tbd hushes bushes it a disheveled figure turning she recognized none lione other th anold sally y her former jailer and conle time ft friend sally Ij lly she cried sally I 1 what is it ft who lias has dotie done this where are t they h ey willit what is it all about cant anything be done int cut sally terrified terr ter ined rifled beyond reason could exclaim only is he mr dunwody Dnn quick an instant later inter slie she too was goue gone at the same title moment dunwody weapon in hand dashed around the corner of tile the house and up on the front gallery apparently he was gear searching ehing lor for sonic some one whom ile he did not haij here fiere ile ho was soon discovered by tile the old negro woman who began an excited harai harangue igue ith wild gesticulations to josephine it seemed that sally y pointed toward tho the interior of tile the house as a though she beckoned explained pla ined she heard ills his deep zice voiced d very cry ly ity this time tile the flam flames es had taken firm hold upon the entire structure 1411 smoke loRe tinged with red lines poured through va 11 tile tho great double doors of tho the otilla mansion ill ion house yet even as aa she met the ho act with an exclamation of horror josephine saw dunwody fling away lily lils weapons run to the great doors and n 1 I crash through them apparently bent upon reaching somo some point deep in ill tile the interior others saw this and joined in her cry of terror the interior of the hall thus disclosed by the opening of the doors seemed but a mass of flames an instant later inter dunwody staggered back b ills his arm aaros his face ills his hair was smoking tile the mustaches s halt half bj burned from his lips ile he gasped for breath but revived by air drow drew his ho he once again dashed back coat across lily ills mouth and once a again e ain dashed back josephine standing w with ith hands clasped her eyes filled with terror expected never to see him emerge alive lie n e was scarcely more than alive when once more he be cattle came buck back blinded and staggering this time arms reached out to to him steadied him film dragged him from tile the gallery through the en shroud shrouding int 4 smoke to a place ot of safety he bore something Soi shielded concealed lu in ms his arins soui ening which now tie liu tarried carried and placed faced down a avny w ay tiie the sight of others behind the shade of a protecting protect clump of shrubbery his breath ti catli labored soh sob bins r showed ills his distress they cau caught e at I 1 him aguill wilon ile he yta staggered bitell him film to it a point somewhat removed upon tile law all the time he ta idled Ig sled led as al though once more to dash back into the llamba or its as though to find his weapons ho he was sobbing half crazed horribly hewri bly burned but seemingly c L v unmindful of his S hurts 1 11 arts the alre went on in steadily with its work the more r rapidly i ii f d ay now that the opening I 1 of the front doors had admitted all air to tile the interior Dull dunwody wooly I 1 censed ceased to lr with those who restrained him he walked apart near to the little clump of shrubs lie ile drope ped to tit lic ground ills his face it in ills his hands an hour litter later Tal lwoods mansion house was no more ill the last insi oscor nice and pillar and corner post and beam had fallen hallil into a smoldering m mass I 1 s s lu u front ol of otie lon on 1 window a part of the henvy heavy brick foundation remained mili liell some bent and warped iron burs bars appeared across 1 cros i 1 window wili flow to 1 do anything those who had ancl s scenes aties scarce found it possible to to dopol th they 0 stood ilont or remaining tf flent some bonit nn dinK the oner once in it liend fiend was turned over shoulder Kli toward a bowed form which st nat close under i sheltering shel r I 1 i it tree upon tilt the III lown NIll rie T is inking it mighty hard said aid this or that P I lo lost alli h I 1 ba U t I 1 he lind in tile the world but still lits his bowed form stern in Us ts senti onti guarded ini rUed the something cou coll ceaud beit ed heh 1111 nd and the shadows and still they anit IlIr kid d not so 0 o 1111 dunwody was that which and ome come to him film us its human lian be laff must tile the gray rny of tit the dawn crawled up up over the eastern edge orthis of tills this little ozark valley after a 11 time the lay day would come ml again would look with franker eyes upon this scene or of horror As tha it ellit lit grow stroller though 1 yet cold and pray gray dunwody mighill f raised his head fiend from ills hands handa and turned there was it a claure seated to be continued I 1 |