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"Samson," she whispered, "ef they're atter ye, come ter my house I

kin hide ye out Why didn't ye tell me Jesse Purvy'd done been shot?"

"Hit tain't nothin' ter fret about, Sally," he assured her He spoke

aardly, for he had been trained to regard eazed searchingly into his eyes, and then, with a short sob, threw

her arms around hi happens ter ye, Samson," she said, brokenly, "hit'll jest

kill me I couldn't live withouten ye, Samson I jest couldn't do hit!"

The boy took her in his ar off over her bent head, and his lips twitched He drew his

features into a scowl, because that was the only expression hich

he could safeguard his feelings His voice was husky

"I reckon, Sally," he said, "I couldn't live withouten you, neither"

The party offrom Jesse Purvy's store

had spent a hard day The roads followed creek-beds, crossing and

recrossing ays in a fashion that gave the bloodhounds a hundred

baffling difficulties Often, their noses lost the trail, which had at

first been so surely taken Often, they circled and whined, and halted