Neal, the Miller | Page 8

would be sent to warn the newly-appointed
distributor of stamped paper of something - Walter could not divine
what - which might be attempted against him.
Ten minutes passed in silence, and then the voice of the half-breed
could be heard far away in the distance, calling to his comrade.
With an exclamation of impatience, Haines rose to his feet, gave a
careless glance at the rope which bound Walter, and then replied to the
Indian as he went quickly in the direction from which the hail had
come.
Left alone, Walter looked around, as if expecting to see some one who
might aid him, and then tugged and strained at his bonds, trying to
wrench free either hand or foot.
The rope had been tied too securely to admit of his slipping a knot, but
it was nearly new, and the prisoner's heart beat fast as he realized that
by exerting all his strength it would be possible to stretch it a trifle.
If he could succeed in making his escape immediately, all might yet be
well; but if he was forced to remain there until his captors returned,
there was little chance he would have another opportunity.
Regardless of the pain, he writhed and twisted until bead-like drops of
perspiration stood out on his forehead, and at the instant when he was
convinced all efforts were useless, that portion of the rope which
confined his wrists suddenly loosened sufficiently to enable him to
withdraw one hand at the expense of no slight amount of skin from the
knuckles.
Once he was thus far on the road to escape, the remainder was
comparatively simple.

With the hand which was free he untied the knots, and in less than five
minutes from the time Haines disappeared among the foliage, he was at
liberty.
The only thought in his mind now was to take such a course as would
best enable him to elude his pursuers, and he knew full well that the
half- breed could track him where the white man would be wholly at a
loss to find a trace of his movements.
"Its hard to turn back, but it must be done," he said, half to himself, as
he hesitated the merest fraction of time, and then ran down the path in
the same direction from which he had come.
He had hardly started when the sound of horse's hoofbeats caused his
cheek to grow pale. He had regained his liberty only to lose it!
Involuntarily he glanced backward, and then a low cry of satisfaction
burst from his lips.
The horse coming down the path was riderless. It was the animal
Haines had ridden, and apparently much the better steed of the two.
Turning quickly, Walter ran toward the horse, seized him by the bridle
before he had time to wheel around, and in another second was in the
saddle.
A short riding-whip hung from the pommel, and with this the fugitive
struck the animal sharply as he forced him directly into the underbrush
toward the south.
Fortunately, Walter was well acquainted with this section of the
country, having been over it many times with his father, and knew
exactly which direction to take in order to gain that portion of the forest
where it would be possible to ride at a reasonably rapid gait before
venturing on the path again.
His escape, however, was not to be as simple as at first seemed. Before
he was twenty yards from the starting point a loud cry in the rear told
that his departure had been discovered, and this was followed almost
immediately by the report of a pistol.
"If you don't do anything worse than shoot, I shan't come to much
grief," he said, with a laugh. " Master Haines is not as wise a man as I
have supposed him to be if he thinks it is possible to bring his game
down by firing at random, for he surely can't see me."
Walter failed to realize that his movements could be plainly heard, even
though he was hidden from view by the foliage, and soon the sounds of

pursuit reached his ear.
"There is no need of the Indian while my horse is floundering among
the bushes," he muttered to himself. "Haines has mounted the other
animal, - was probably on his back before I started, and counts on
riding me down. He can do it, too!" Walter exclaimed, in a louder tone.
"Once he is where I can serve as a target, the chase will be brought to a
speedy end."
Now he understood that if he hoped to escape he must return to the path,
where the horse would have an Opportunity to show his speed, and he
wheeled him suddenly around, regardless of the