JUST A GIRL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10088, 25 March 1896, Page 3

JUST A GIRL.

BY CHARLES GABVICE, Author of "The Outcast of the Family," "Queen Kate,"" In Cupid's Chains," "Better Than Life," "On Love's Altar; or, A Fatal 'I ' Fancy," "She Trusted Him."

"• CHAPTER XXXVI. As Esmeralda rode along between hoc two captorß, she felt that they were ascending one of the hills, and then they were going down on the other side. Neither of the men spoke, when at last she said : "Will you nob take this thing off my hoad?" •

• "Mob yet," growled the man on her right. She knew that prayers and protestations would be of no avail, and said no more. Ib would be 1 vain to deny that she was frightened; ' but she was nob overcome by terror, and she was able to reason. It occurred to her that they did nob mean to ■ kill her, or they would have shot her long before this. It was not tho first time she had boen in danger; for in the rough and lawless camps which first dotted the wilds of Australia, life was not held of much account, and men, and women too, were often in peril of life and limb: She had been'reared amid scenes which would havo terrified a London £irl to death, and her nerve, strengthened by her rough experiences, did . nob desert her at this juncture. Once or twice sho could even feel that sho was capable of a smilo, though the smilo did nob actually come. Very few duchesses had ridden across Australian hills with their heads muffled in a cloth and a couple of ruffians with drawn revolvers ab her aide. If Lilias could only, see her now 1 After a considerable ride, they pulled up ; the man lifted her from the horso. and taking her hand, led her into a hut, Esmeralda offering no- resistance, for she knew it would be worse than useless. Tho man removed the cloth from her hoad, and, passing her hand across her eyes—for they were confused by their long blindfolding—she saw that sho was in a digger's hut. A woman stood by a table holding a candle in her hand. Esmeralda s heart rose as sho saw her, and she looked at her with more than the usual feminine curiosity—with an anxious scrutiny. The woman was middle-aged, with a careworn face which was not altogether repellant. Sho glanced at Esmeralda, then looked at Simon, as if awaiting his orders. " Wo've brought her," said Simon, shortly. Then he turned to Esmeralda: " So long as you keep quiot and behave yourself, nobody'ill do yer any harm ; 1 d advise you not to make any attempt to got away." Esmeralda said nothing, but stood looking at tho woman. Give her some food," said Simon, " and make her comfortable. We've no grudge against her, as long as she doesn't try to escapo. We're outside remember," he added, to Esmeralda. Tho two men went out, and Esmeralda sunk into a chair. Tho woman put some food on the table and motioned Esinoralda to oat and drink. Esmeralda drank some tea and nibbled at some bread and butter, though, as may well ho understood, she was not much inclined for eating; but) sho deemed it host to put on a cheerful countenance and affect to take things coolly. '• Will you tell mo your name?" she asked the woman. _ . Tho woman bit hor lip, as if sho found it difficult to resist the fascination of tho sweet voico and the lovely pleading eyes. "My name don't matter," she said. " You'd best not talk." She glanced unconsciously toward the door. Esmeralda smiled a little wearily. " Why not ?" she said, pleasantly. " There's no harm in talking, suroly, and I shall nob say anything that I mind their hearing. Ho you know how long lam to be kept hero?" The woman shook her head.

"I don't know anything," sho said, "and I couldn't tell you if I did. Thorn's my orders, and I've got to obey them." She sighod as sho spoke, and Esmeralda quickly divined that the woman was an unwilling participant in hor capture and detention. Out of pity for her she refrained from asking any more questions, but finished her tea and sat silent, with her hoad upon her hand.

" You'd best lie down," sAid the woman ; and she pointed to a rough bed in the corner. "Thank you," said Esmeralda, gently, as sho got up and went to tho bod; but sho made no pretence of sleeping, and lay on her elbow watching the woman thoughtfully. " Will you not lot me holp you wash up she said, presently. "Fra not used to sitting by and seeing others at work that I can help in." The woman shook her head. " You look like a great lady," she said, reluctantly, and as if sho could not help spoaking, which was not strange, for few men and women in the great world of London had been ablo to resist tho subtle fascination of Esmeralda's manner.

" I am Esmoralda of Three Star Camp," sho said ; " that is all." Tho woman stopped in tho process of washing up, and looked at her with an interest marked by tho same reluctance.

" I heard somewhere that you was a groat lady," she said—" that you was a lady by birth and in your own right." " Woll, I suppose I am," said Esmeralda, with a little laugh, for it struck her as comical that she should bo tho Duchoss of Belfayro. " But it doesn't much matter, does it, seeing that I'm a prisoner here?" Then suddenly a thought flashed upon her. "Do yon think they want money she askod. " Bocause, if so—" Tho woman shook her head. " I don't know anything about it; I don't think so." Esmoralda dropped back with a sigh. Simon had really made a very groat mistake. Instead of applying bo Varley Howard for ransom, ho should have obtained a written promise for a sum of money from Esmeralda; but he had either not thought of this, or deemod ib better to obtain cash on tho nail. "If ib is money they want," said Esmeralda, "I would give them what they asked. lam not anxious or afraid about myself, but I know what trouble they will be in dfc Three Star." Her voice faltered for the first time, and sho turned her head aside. "Go and tell them what I say." The woman hesitated for a moment or two, then sho went to the door and epoko to the man on guard there, " It ain't for me to say," Esmeralda heard him answer. "Simon's gone away for a bit; sho can speak to him when he comes back."

Tho woman continued talking for a minute or two, and during that time Esmoraid looked round the hut. Sho saw a man's coat, hanging on a nail, and her quick eyes caught the glinb of a revolver stock pro'* truding from the pocket. Sho dartod from the bed noiselessly, snatched the revolver from tho pocket, and concealod it in the bosom of her dress as she lay down again in her former attitude. The woman came back to the tablo and stolidly took up a plate. "It can't he done now," she said; " you'll have to wait." " Very woll," said Esmoralda, with a sigh. Then she let her head fall upon the pillow and closed her eyes, to think, not to sleep. Sho knew she was nob in camp, by the intense'silence' around, ; and she rightly judged that she had been brought to a hub on one of the doserted claims which were so numerous in the district). When once a claim was deserted, ib was nob only neglected but shunned as a place of ill luck. No doubb Simon had taken refuge hore from the police. No one was likely to pass in this direction, and no one could approach without giving Simon timely warning. She was a prisoner on this lonely hill, utterly helpless, and in the power of two un scrupulous men. Bub was sho helpless? She pressed her hand againsb the revolver in her bosom, and her heart beat under ib with a throb of that spirit which she had breathed into her with the free air of Three Star. She had heard thab Simon had gone; there was, therefore, only one man on guard and this woman who bore her no ill will. SheJ)egan to think of escape, and her hearb boat so fast that she could almost fancy the woman- would hear it. She opened her eyes from time to time and looked at her, measuring her, as it were, and asking horself whether she was a match for her in

strength. . , lb was evident by Simon's leaving thorn and the carelessness of- the guard outside— for she could hear hid snoring at intervals —that ib had not occurred to them that she

should dare to make any attempt at escape, by which they proved they did nob know Esmeralda of Three Star. She lay still, thinking intently. All her married life passed before her as in a panorama. She wondered were Trafford was at thatmomenb. Perhaps he had obtained a divorce and was going to marry Lady Ada her eyelids quivered, and a long sigh broke from her parched lips, The woman started. " I thought you was asleep," she said. Esmeralda smiled. ; " Would you be able to sleep if you were in my place?" she asked. The woman bit her lip. " I'd try to sleep, all the same," she said, doggedly. P'rhaps you're cold; I'll gab you another blanket." She passed behind the bed and reached up to a shelf for the blanket. As she did so, Esmeralda rose, and gliding behind her touched her on the forehead with the muzzle of the revolver.

" Don't cry out, don't speak," she said in a whisper. The woman dropped her arms, and turned her head away with a startled and terrified expression on her careworn face. " Don't bo frightened," said Esmeralda, in the lowest of whispers, "I am nob going to shoot you, but you can pretend I am; though I mean to escape, and you may as well help me, while pretending not to. Don't speak 1 You're a woman like myself; think of what your friends would bo Buffering if you had been carried off as I have been—if you were in the same danger as I am. Ib is of them lam thinking more than myself, and I mean to got away." The woman trembled, though more in fear of the men than Esmeralda, as Esmeralda felt.

"You can't," she said, hoarsely. '' There's tho man outside."

Esmeralda backed behind the door, still covering the woman with the revolver. " Call him in," she said in a- whisper, " Offer him some suppor, a drink." The woman stood stolidly silent for a moment, and Esmeralda watched her with a fast-boating heart. Was she going to refuse, or going to give the alarm? Ib was a moment of suspense which seemed to spin into years, for she knew if her attempt failed her life would pay the forfeit. Her eyes were fixed upon the woman's face with an imploration in them more eloquent than any spoken prayer could have been ; ib was woman pleading to woman for help against their natural foe—

The struggle thab was going on within the woman's mind was clearly depicted on her face,. She hositated for another moment, then she said in a voice of affected carelessness:

" Bill, you'd better come and havo something to oat and drink." Esmeralda held her breath and waited.

She heard the man yawn and stretch himself -, then tho door opened and he entered, rubbing his eyes and yawning again. Esmeralda glided betwoon him and the door, and said, quietly, though overy vein in her body was thrilling with oxcilemont: " Throw up your arms!" The man swung round with an oath to find' himself covered by the rovolver. His amazement was almost ludicrous, and he looked from Esmeralda to the woman in

peechlass astonishment for a moment.

" Well," he exclaimed with an oath ; " if this don'b beat anything 1 How did she come by the iron ?" The woman shook her head. " I don't know," she said, dully. Tho man glanced at the coat hanging up on the wall of tho hut, and nodded.

"Well," ho said, philosophically, "it's Sjmon's fault, not mine. Ho can't blame me."

He had his arms above his head, of course, as he spoke, and in his bewilderment and chagrin ho looked more comical than ever; but Esmeralda knew that one false move of hers would turn the comedy into a tragedy. The man had received ordors to shoot hor if sho attempted to oscape, and he would carry thorn out promptly onough if she gave him the chance.

Still covering him, she advanced slowly, and with fingers that trembled notwithstanding her courage, she drew the revolver from his bolt.

The man offered no resistance, for he had

heard of Esmeralda; and if lie had not, there was something in her flashing eyes, and hor lips, set resolutely, which would have inspired him with a wholesome fear, "■Now get me tho horse!" she said. The man looked at her with a reluctant miration.

i "You're a game 'un!" he siid. "It 'pears to me that Simon has met his match at last." Then ho turned to the woman: " I hold you to witness that ib was no fault of mine. Ib wa'n't my revolver she got hold of." •

The woman inclined her head.

" Get the horse," said Esmeralda again. ".This woman is as blameless as you. I threatened to shoot her, and would have dono so. You forgot when you took me that I was reared in Three Star."

She could not havo denied herself the loto of triumph if her life depended upon

" Yes; you're always one too many for us," said the man, resignedly. "But there'll bo the devil to pay when Simon

comes buck." " Then pay him!" said Esmeralda. " Geb fclio horse!" As tho man left the hub, sho went to the woman and hold out her hand. "Good-bye," sho whispered. "I know that you're glad I am escaping; for you are a woman as 1 am." Tho woman's hand closed over here and her lips moved. " Yes, I am glad," sho said, casting a fearful glance toward the back of the man ; " but you have not gone off yet." " I am not afraid," said Esmeralda. Her colloqiiy with the woman had taken but a second, and sho followed close upon the man's heels. The horse was tethered close beside the hut; the man put the saddle on without a word and Esmeralda sprung into it, revolver still in her hand. The horso was a young one, full of spirit and eager to bo off, bub she reined him in for a moment. "You won't tell me tho way to Three Star, I suppose?" she said in her sweet voice. The man looked up at her for a moment in silence. " Well 1" he exclaimed, with an oath, " if you ain't the coolest hand I've ever met with may Ibe Roasted eternally 1" Then he blurted out: " Keep on the ridge till you come to tho stump of a pine, then turn to the loft, past the old Raven Claim, and go down tho track—and may Uawd help me when Simon comes back !"

"Thank you," said Esmeralda, as courteously as if she were in a London ballroom ; and the next moment the man was left staring after her, still in a state of mingled bewilderment and admiration. (To be continued on Saturday next.)