Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-03-26
A11FE a1oR1ousLY srAKEpl


LIFE GLORIOUsLY sTAREDi
Towards the close Of a beautiful day in
June, 1867, q man and woman, mounted
feet horses, came gallOping over one of
the great plains Of the West, and drew
rein in the shade Of a clUmp Of cotton
woods upon the bank of a beautiful river.
They bad ridden far and rapidly. Their
steeds were painting, and covered with
sweat and foam.
1--WE must give the horses q breathing
spell, !" said the former, slipping 10 the
ground; and his companion nodded a
graceful assent, as she followed his ex-
SIMPLE.
TIE couple were evidently father and
daughter.
The man was in the prime of life, hale
and hearty, with q large frame, which
was sinewy and athletic, without ceasing
to be refined snd prepossessing. He had
the keen, shrewd look peculiar TO the
advAnce-guar Of civilization, and there
was an honest, frank expression on bis
sun-bToWned face thst proclaimed his
integrity snd courage.
La her way, his daughter wss equally
pictures que sBd attractive.
In the early fiRsh Of wOmsnhoOd, with
/ 8 pure, sweet, and tender face, with eyes
| dRTkiy glowing, with corsl-tinted lips,
and cheeks softiy flushed with the hue OF
| the rose, With amber cUrls floating be-
hind her, she was a. graceful as gszslle,
az light hearted SIS bird, as lovely as
flower, and as spirited ss an untamed an
telOpe.
The stream by which the couple had
| halted was Wood river, 8 branch Of the
Platte, in Nebraska, at point fifty miles
northwest OF Fort Kesrny.
gE "a vou firad Miriam ~ aEkad the
hunter, George Dane, with fatherly soli-
! citude.
Tired, father ?' rejoined the maiden,
| with g happy laugh. "OA, no. How
/ could / be tired after q day like this
/ Every minute has been filed with pleas
Ure and excitement. 1 feel as fresh as
| yonder bird"
The father smiled understsndingly
! with q lock full OF the fonGest affection.
81 can guess the cause Of your light
| ness Of heart, +" said he, smiliDgy. The
4 return, now daily expected OF a certain
| Hubert f iTle, from the mines Of Idsho,
may account susp pect, for your present
glsdness."
A heightened color appeared on Miri-
ANS face, for the name mentioned was
that Of her lover. She answered the
| gisnces Of her father, however, with
| frankDess that sttested bis entire sympa-
/ thy with her and said
True, father, my heart has been unu-
suslly light for several days past. How
could it be otherwise, since 1 know that
Hubert is comiBg?n
Mr.. Dane did not reply. He was look
ing, with kindling eyes, over the fair
! flOwer-dOtted plain; and his next remark
! showed how widely his thoughts had
strsyed.
81 wonder what mother has been do
| ing without Us al day, Miriam She
must be lonely, with no one to speak to
OF share her meals. l shouldn't wonder
| if we could see our home from this
| point" and his face lighted up with a
| soulful glow. "O1r cottage is nc more
than seven miles distant; let me see Z"
He drew from his coat pocket-glass,
adjusted il to bis sight, pointing it in 3
nOrtherly direction, snd gszed through
| il long snd earnestly, towards his rancho
upon Carrey's Fork.
f" Yes, I see II, :" he said at last, with
| long deep aud joyful inspiration, SIS il
the sight refreshed him in every nerve.
" There is our cottage, as plain IS day.
csn even see the vines you planted be-
fore the windows, Miriam. And there,
on the grapevine bench, under the big
elm, site your mother, busy at her sew
Z
we are looking st her. Look, Miriam"
He yielded the instrument to his
daughter, who Obeyed his injunction, her
lovely face glowing with smiles as she
regarded the distant hOme-scene.
"Dear mother ~ she murmuTed. " Il
is g treat to her 20 be able to sit under
the trees with ut fear Of molestation.
There are no hostile Indians hereabOuts
now, are there father?"
"NO. Red Knife, as you have already
heard, wss killed yesterday by 8 settler,
and his band has retFsats6 towards the
mountains. 1 will confess, Miriam, that
during sll the time we have been IL the
West, / have not felt so light-hesrtsd
and care-'ree AZ since we received news
Of Red Knifs's death. You have Just
seen how this joy bubbles over in me.
Red Knife was q demon, rather than a
savage"
Miriam shuddered, and her features
even psied at the memory Of the Indian
mentioned.
"He never spared a pale fsoe,n she
said, striving to speak calmly. "DssO-
latiOn and cruelty marked his path. For
more than three years he has ragged to
and fro upon the plains like raveniDg
wolf. He was the terror OF the border"
You hsve named him appropriately, |
Miriam" said the hunter. " He had
fiendish hatred OF the white race, and !
his victims have been msny."
Mr.. Dsne held out his hsnd for the |
glass, snd Miriam Was in the sc Of re- |
storing il, when 3 strange, gssping, pant |
ing sound startled them both, and sent |
them quickly to their saddles.
TIE hunter wheeled his horse and |
looked down upon the river bank, from |
which direction the sound had come, his |
manner seif-pOssessed, but his cOunten- |
ance indicative OF alarm. The maiden 1
followed his example.
Her eyes were the first to discover the /
cause Of the sound that hsd startled 4
them, detecting q mans figure creeping |
along through the underground of bushes |
lining the saore.
At the same moment their presence in !
turn was detected, for the man dropped |
suddenly among the protecting bushes, |
ss if be bad been shot.
An Iudisn?' whispered Miriam, |
drawing frOm hsr bosom a revolver,
TIE hunter shook his head, continuing 1
10 watch the spot at which the nstI had |
fallen, his hand on bis rife, his manner /
that Of one ready for action.
Suddenly, ss the man showed q bag |
gard face peering cautiously from his |
cOncealment, Mr.. Danes anxious coun-
tensnce broke into a smile, and he cried
out:
"Hsllo Is that you, Thompson Do |
you take Us lor Indians, that you skUlk |
there in the bushes ?"
The individual addressed was silent q
full minute, as it seemed, from sheer |
sm5 cement; then he sprsDg out from
his hiding place with cry Of relief, and 4
advanced swiftly towards the father and
daughter.
He was a man Of middle sge, Of the
,..-Sinsry type of back woOdsmen, strong
and brown and stalWsrt, Of the rude,
rough type that seems to belong to the
border. His face was haggsrd aud white,
although covered with peIspiration. His
breath came through his parted lips IN
-n,1ick nnevan Oasns He had run far