Bonny Jean, and A Severe Threat — page 53: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

46 BONNY JEAN. was not familiar to them, and almost uninhabited; but they knew that they could not lose their way, for they must journey due east to reach the village where lay the steamboat landing. On they went. ‘The sun was down now, and the gray shades of twilight began to creep slowly over all things. ‘‘Mother,” said Jean, anxiously, ‘‘ where shall we stay to- night? What shall we do?” Her eyes fell upon a small cabin, a deserted shepherd hut. She rode around to the open door and glanced within. All was silent. There were no signs of life. Evidently the shepherd had driven his flock to some other pasture. They decided to spend the night in this place. Fortunately it was warm, and the bright sun’s rays had long ago dried their drenched gar- ments. They alighted, and, taking the saddles from their horses, they fastened them to a neighboring tree, leaving them room to graze, and then they entered the hut. It contained one room without windows, ‘There was no lock to the door, only a huge wooden socket, through which a bar of wood had been passed to serve the purpose of a bolt. ‘They seated them- selves upon a rude bench which stood near the mud fire-place, their arms about each other, when Jean glanced up, and saw | the ugly face of Gabriel Black peering in at the door, which had been left open to admit the air. With a cry of horror, Jean sprang to her feet, and dashed the door to in his face ; but, alas! there was no bolt, and only that frail plank intervened between the two women and their feared and hated enemy. He laughed aloud in derision, and pushed the door as though to open it. Thetwo women exerted all their strength to resist. At that instant Mrs. Conway’s eyes fell upon a piece cf wood on the opposite side of the room, which might serve the pur- pose of a bolt. She darted after it, but, alas! the wood was decayed, and broke at Mrs. Conway’s touch. Gabriel Black shook the door wildly. It began to give way. There was no help for it. Jean thrust one arm through the huge socket, de- termined to keep the villain at bay, if it cost her her life | Eomichooks (e(@)