Argosy, Vol. 1 (1882) — page 65: what you’re looking at

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

56 issue. He pretended to be seized with a well nigh fatal illness. By refraining from food, he became pallid and ‘ap- parently much feebler than was the case, while his delusions increased. He convinced his jailers he was close to death, and such was the belief of both women, who offered no objection when he tottered forth from the cabin, to ap- pear shortly after, just in time to save me from the witch’s parole, and to send Peters, Sawyer, and Harbridge flying through the woods in a panic. And all this being as I have stated, the question comes up again as to whether the fright of Zach Peters was real or pretended. Dick Montgomery maintained it was real, while I prefer to give the rascal the benefit of the doubt, though to do so raises the no less interesting question as to how he would have shown his good will to- ward me, but for the timely arrival of Montgomery. CHAPTER XVI. A ROCKY ROAD. 7 ENOUGH has now been told to bring events down to the minutes that I spent hidden in the undergrowth near the spring, impatiently awaiting the com- ing of Dick Montgomery. Fortunately for my peace of mind, I was not kept long in suspense. I did not hear his footfall, but a guarded whistle caused me to rise to my feet, cautiously advance several paces to- ward the spring, and then peer through the vegetation. There Dick stood, looking on all sides of him, and wondering what had become of me. I noticed his ghastly paleness, and dreaded that, despite the two good meals he had eaten that day, he would break down before we could get far from the cabin. He was keyed up by his excitement, but how long could he stand it? ‘“ Here, Dick!” I called in a guarded voice, and, hearing me, he hurried THE ARGOSY. through the bushes to my side. I no- ticed that he was aquiver with excite- ment. “I tell you, Shorty,” he repeated, “it’s now or never; we’ll not get an- other chance.” “Why do we want another, when this is to be decisive? What’s the next step?” “I'm blessed if I know, except to get as far from this infernal place as fast as we can; I’ve got enough of the mountainous section of Kentucky, and, if I once see home again, I’ll leave these feuds to some one else—to you, if you want them.” “ Let that motion lie on the table for the present; just now I am as anxious as you to leave Rattlesnake Ridge out of sight.” We pushed further in among the un- dergrowth and trees, and then stopped to agree upon some definite course. ‘“ There’s one big advantage on our side,” said Dick; ‘“‘ these people haven’t got any dogs with which to trail us.” I recalled that canines were almost unknown in fhat section, so far as my observation went, and I scored one to the credit of the Kentucky mountain- eers. “They may have the Indian’s skill that enables them to trace one’s foot- steps through the forest, and so do not need the help of hounds. ’ “ Bah! that will do for story books, but we haven’t anything to fear from such impossible woodcraft. There’s another advantage,” added Dick, with childish eagerness; “the afternoon is half gone, and they’re not likely to try to follow us until dark; they won’t be able to do anything before daylight, by which time we ought to be out of the woods.” The weather was chilly and the sky overcast, with the promise of a cold storm still impending. Carefully com- paring views, we found that we agreed upon the points of the compass, which was good reason to believe we were right. COM ElOOO eco