Argosy and Railroad Man's Magazine — page 106: what you’re looking at

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

A448 When the sun began to reach such a posi- tion that traveling beneath its rays seemed dangerous, Mary Ann unstrapped her pre- cious burden and eased his descent to the ground. She was enraptured to find that the wounds bled very little during this oper- ation. She hoped she was learning better how to handle her patient. And she was; for, in the cool of the afternoon when she again bore her burden to his place upon the horse, she found that she had managed mat- ters with much greater comfort to Fred and with less strain to herself. All that afternoon and all that long night they went forward. There was a little moon ‘ which came up early and aided her in find- ing her way across the prairies. Not a ' single human creature did she see, although often in the thicket she would startle small animals and in the open she passed several “droves of wild ponies and more than once encountered feeding herds of buffalo, which took not the least notice of her. In the early morning, more dead than alive, but with an infinitely thankful heart, she arrived in Nacogdoches. No one was awake yet and she went, unescortéd, toward the inf. The man—bound to the horse was still burning with fever and looked as though he had been dead, buried, and dug up; but he was still alive. And Mary Ann realized that whether he lived now or died, she had done what she could. She hitched the horse and staggered into the big room. “ Help, help!” she cried. Several men who were sleeping here sprang to their feet. One of them caught at her as she swayed drunkenly en the threshold. To Mary Ann in her pitiful state it all seemed a dream. For Colonel Carrington was beside her and so were Hamilton and the two Rogers boys. She would not have been surprised if Neil had also appeared. ‘ ‘““Why, how did you escape?” the old man cried. “Escape?” she repeated as she. almost fainted in the old friendly arms. “ Yes, weren’t you abducted?” Hamilton cried. ““ Abducted?” muttered. Mary Ann ARGOSY AND RATLROAD MAN’S MAGAZINE. “ Abducted? Everybody is crazy. Fred —-outside—somebody. help me—h-e-l-p!” Then unconsciousness wiped out every- thing. CHAPTER XIX. IN THE BALANCE. W HEN Mary Ann came to herself, The- tis Carrington was bending over her. The first words to escape the young woman’s lips were: “‘ Where is he?” “Where is who, dear?” “ Fred—my husband?” ‘“ He’s quite safe, child. ‘Be quiet. Lie still. You have been very ill. Lie still.” Thetis attempted to hold the girl upon the bed. “Where is he?” Mary Ann cried again, Struggling to get up. =e ‘“ He’s over there,” Thetis waved vaguely. “The doctor says he will get well. You are the one—you have scared us far more than he has.” “Te” Mary attempted to remember. “ Abducted!” she muttered. “ Who is ab- ducted?”” A puzzled expression came into her pinched face. “We thought you were,” Mrs. Carring- ton explained, “‘ but all that can wait. You must lie still and be quiet. You almost died.” “Died?” Mary Ann quavered. ‘“ What makes me so weak? When was all this?” “Four days ago: Now do be quiet and sleep.”” Mrs. Carrington seated herself on the side of the bed. Mary Ann remained silent for a short time, then she opened her eyes again and asked: ‘‘ What is this about my being ab- ducted? I must know,” she persisted. “TI cannot rest until you tell me.”’ Thetis decided that it would be less ex- citing to tell the girl than to allow her to fret over the matter. Besides, the old woman placed little faith in the abduction story; she thought it was largely a figment of her husband’s rather romantic brain. “It’s like this,’ Mrs. Carrington began. “The morning we arrived we found the inn in confusion. Mr. Bailey, just before day, had heard a noise in your room and investi- commiclooolkks.conn