LITMIR.BIZ

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hat off, his shirt torn open at the throat, great drops of perspiration standing on his face, a wild, hunted look in his eyes, and dashed to the end of the plank that led over the water into the old mill.

      Frank clutched Barney, and the boys fell back a step, watching the man, who was looking back over his shoulder and listening, the perfect picture of a hunted thing.

      "They're close arter me—ther dogs!" came in a hoarse pant from the man's lips. "But I turned on 'em—I doubled—an' I hope I fooled 'em. It's my last chance, fer I'm dead played, and I'm so nigh starved that it's all I kin do ter drag one foot arter t'other."

      He listened again, and then, as if overcome by a sudden fear of being seen there, he suddenly rushed across the plank and plunged into the mill.

      He ran fairly upon Frank Merriwell.

      In the twinkling of an eye man and boy were clasped in a close embrace, struggling desperately.

      "Caught!" cried the fugitive, desperately. "Trapped!"

      He tried to hurl Frank to the floor, and he would have succeeded had he been in his normal condition, for he was a man of great natural strength; but he was exhausted by flight and hunger, and, in his weakened condition, the man found his supple antagonist too much for him.

      A gasp came from the stranger's lips as he felt the boy give him a wrestler's trip and fling him heavily to the floor.

      The man was stunned for a moment. When he opened his eyes, Frank and Barney were bending over him.

      "Wal, I done my best," he said, huskily; "but you-uns trapped me at last. I dunno how yer knew I war comin' har, but ye war on hand ter meet me."

      "You have made a mistake," said Frank, in a reassuring tone. "We are not your enemies at all."

      "What's that?"

      "We are not your enemies; you are not trapped."

      The man seemed unable to believe what he heard.

      "Why, who be you-uns?" he asked, in a bewildered way.

      "Fugitives, like yourself," assured Frank, with a smile.

      He looked them over, and shook his head.

      "Not like me," he said. "Look at me! I'm wore ter ther bone—I'm a wreck! Oh, it's a cursed life I've led sence they dragged me away from har! Night an' day hev I watched for a chance ter break away, and' I war quick ter grasp it when it came. They shot at me, an' one o' their bullets cut my shoulder har. It war a close call, but I got away. Then they follered, an' they put houn's arter me. Twenty times hev they been right on me, an' twenty times hev I got erway. But it kep' wearin' me weaker an' thinner. My last hope war ter find friends ter hide me an' fight fer me, an' I came har—back home! I tried ter git inter 'Bije Wileys' this mornin', but his dorg didn't know me, I war so changed, an' ther hunters war close arter me, so I hed ter run fer it."

      "Begorra!" exclaimed Barney; "we hearrud th' dog barruckin'."

      "So we did," agreed Frank, remembering how the creature had been clamoring on the mountainside at daybreak.

      "I kem har," continued the man, weakly. "I turned on ther devils, but when I run in har an' you-uns tackled me, I judged I had struck a trap."

      "It was no trap, Rufe Kenyon," said Frank, quietly.

      The hunted man started up and slunk away.

      "You know me!" he gasped.

      "We do."

      "An' still ye say you-uns are not my enemies."

      "We are not."

      "Then how do you know me? I never saw yer afore."

      "No; but we have heard of you."

      "How?"

      "From your sister Kate."

      "She tol' yer?"

      "She did."

      "Then she must trust you-uns."

      "She saved us from certain death last night, and she brought us here to hide till she can help us get out of this part of the country."

      Rufe Kenyon looked puzzled.

      "I judge you-uns is givin' it ter me straight," he said, slowly; "but I don't jes' understan'. What did she save yer from?"

      "Moonshiners."

      The man seemed filled with sudden suspicion.

      "What had moonshiners agin' you-uns? Be you revernues?"

      "No. Do we look like revenue spies?"

      "Yer look too young."

      "Well, we are not spies; but we were unfortunate enough to incur the enmity of Wade Miller, and he has sworn to end our lives."

      "Wade Miller!" cried Rufe, showing his teeth in an ugly manner. "An' I s'pose he's hangin' 'roun' Kate, same as he uster?"

      "He is giving her more or less trouble."

      "Wal, he won't give her much trouble arter I git at him. He is a snake! Look har! I'm goin' ter tell you-uns somethin'. Miller allus pretended ter be my friend, but it war that critter as put ther revernues onter me an' got me arrested! He done it because I tol' him Kate war too good fer him. I know it, an' one thing why I wanted ter git free war ter come har an' fix ther critter so he won't ever bother Kate no more. I hev swore ter fix him, an' I'll do it ef I live ter meet him face ter face!"

      He had grown wildly excited, and he sat up, with his back against a post, his eyes gleaming redly, and a white foam flecking his lips. At that moment he reminded the boys of a mad dog.

      Woe to Wade Miller when they met!

      When Kenyon was calmer, Frank told the story of the adventures which had befallen the boys since entering Lost Creek Valley. The fugitive listened quietly, watching them closely with his sunken eyes, and, having heard all, said:

      "I judge you-uns tells ther truth. Ef I kin keep hid till Kate gits har—till I see her—I'll fix things so you won't be bothered much. Wade Miller's day in Lost Creek Valley is over."

      The boys took him up to the living room of the old mill, where they furnished him with the coarse food that remained from their breakfast. He ate like a famished thing, washing the dry bread down with great swallows of water. When he had finished and his hunger was satisfied, he was quite like another man.

      "Thar!" he cried; "now I am reddy fer anything! But I do need sleep."

      "Take it," advised Frank. "We will watch."

      "And you'll tell me ef thar's danger?"

      "You may depend on it."

      "You-uns will watch close?"

      "Never fear about that."

      So the hunted wretch was induced to lie down and sleep. He slept soundly for some hours, and, when he opened his eyes, his sister had her arms about his neck.

      CHAPTER XLV.

       THE GREATEST PERIL

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      "Rufe!"

      "Kate!"

      He sat up and clasped her in his arms, a look of joy on his face.

      It is quite unnecessary to describe the joys of that meeting. The boys had left brother and sister alone together, and the two remained thus for nearly an hour, at the end of which time Rufe knew all that had happened since he was taken from Lost Creek Valley, and Kate had also been made aware of the perfidy of Wade Miller.

      "I judge it is true that bread throwed on ther waters allus comes back," said Kate, when the four were together. "Now looker how I helped you-uns, an' then see how it turned out ter be a right good thing fer Rufe. He found ye har, an' you-uns hev fed him

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