Wilmington daily commercial. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1866-1877, 1872-03-23

Lieutenant Fallon," he said coldly.
Permit me to ask IL Miss Heber is your own
sister, born OF the same parents as Yourself
demanded the pretended officer abruptly.
81 do not tolerate any intrusion into my pri-
vate family affairs, Lieutenant Fallon," said
Mark haughtily. MY sister has already been
annoyed by your. questions in regard TO her his
tory. and must request you TO leave us alone"
Il beg your pardon, Mr.. Heber," said the vii
lain, adding maciously, II see this is sore
subject with you You have not said that Miss
Hober is your own sister. presume you cannot
| say so truthfuly."
1--WE will not discuss the matter, sir. Gay
Hober is my sister, and while live she shall not
| lack for protector"
"Ah, yes, said the pretended officer, using his
| favorlte phrase OF assent. "Brothera are not
usually 80 devoted to sisters as you seem to be,
| Mr.. Heber"
That evening Gay, whose curiosity had been
stimulated by what had taken place, TO find out
something more about her parentage,
aiming some jewels which had been left by her
| mother and some trinkets which she had pos
sessed when child. She had taken them from
a little box in the bottom of her trunk, and
thought herself perfectly secure under the cover
| OF the wagon. when she suddenly detected the
false Lieut.. Fallon psering at her through hole
which he had cut in the canvass. All this she
reported to Mark.
On the following day Mark had violent alter
cation with the pretended Lieutenant.
No one had eyes or ears for anything but this
exciting scene, and it thus happened that a small
body OF horsemen in the uniform Of the United
| States had come up, and had dashed into the
very camp before their approach was noticed.
loud bugle call from the head Of the troops
was the first token the emigrants received Of the
/ new arrival.
| In a moment the combatants were oosed and
all eyes turned to the new combrs.
| The disguised Lieut.. Fallon looked and turned
| faint. He knew what this visit meant, il no one
| else did
| Conductor" shouted tho leader Of the troop,
we are here in search OF Blue Jack, the noted
| desperate, accused of the attempted murder OF
| Lieutenant Falon of the United States army
| whom he brutally attacked aud huug into the
| Deep Canyon as dead The Lieutenant is now
/ at Fort kearney, in critical condition, and we
| demand his would-be murderer I"
The emigrants had listened with breathless
amazement to the announcement OF the officer
i in charge of the small detachment of troops.
/ They were actually spellbound. Not 30 the per
| son most interested in the announcement-Bu
/ Jack himself.
| The desperate had comprehended the errand
| OF the troops in the first moment Of their APP
| pearance. After his first sensation Of faintness
and terror, he had recovered his GOODNESS and
courage. and was himself again.
| At the very commencement Of the officers an
| nouncement. Blue Jack exchanged glances with
the terrified and covering Burk. The latter
/ pointed one trembling finger over his shoulder
TO spot at little distance, where Blue Jacks
| horse stood grazing, saddled for use.
/
| the wagons toward the waiting horse. He
| reached him and leaped upon his back.
And in the next moment that desprado rose
gracefully in his strrups at the distance Of a
| lew rods, and with the fierce defiant veil Of q
| wild Indian, dashed his spurs into his horses
side, and was away like the wind
The troops gave an answering yell Of surprise
and anger, and the officer in command led the
| swift pursuit.
Blue Jack had tho advantage of good start,
and was splendidly mounted, his horse being a
seasoned animal. born and bred on the plalns
and endowed with great life and spirit.
Blue Jack laughed aloud as the strong animal
bore him onward as il he had been a feathers
weight. He rose again in his stirrups and
shouted back defiantly:
s. Come on. Take Blue Jack if you can ~
The pursuing officer shouted to the outlaw to
| sGrren ler but tho on y reply was a knocking
tive, but the bullet missed its mark and Blue
Jack, bending low to his horses neck, and dig
ging the spurs into the animals sides, swept on
and away with the rush of tornado.
| Aud after him swept the pursuers.
| The emigrants watched the pursuit with
breathless interest until the formost figure upon
tho powerful Indian steed had passed beyond
| their line of vision.
During the confusion Burk escaped also.
At nightfall they halted upon the south bank
of the Platte, and were at supper around their
fires when the troops were seen to approach,
weary and dspirited-without their prisoner.
|
" You held on to the chase well, Lieutenant,
said the conductor.
~ can't bear to go back to the fort without
him was the quick reply. There's excite
| ment all through the fort. Poor Fallon was
nearly murdered and was left for dead. He was
| flung over into Deep Canyon, and happened to
lodge in cump Of bushes. There he came to
himself. an hour or more afterward, and, more
| dead than alive, he climbed up to the ground
above, and fell down in dead faint. A party
was Immediately organized, and sent in pursuit
| of the outlaw"
The next day they encountered the party OF
soldiers that had been sent in pursuit of Blue
| Jack. They had found no trace of the despera-
do or his companion
=" No use looking for Blue Jack" said the Of
hcerin charge OF the party addressing Landlord.
" There has been party OF Sioux about this
quarter for few days past, and no doubt Blue
Jack has fallen in with them. The party il
hardly large enough to attack your train, and
understand they have gone up toward DAkotah
Blue Jack has an Indian wife somewhere up
there"
Upon the second day after leaving Fort Nc
Pherson, the emgrsnts made their midday halt
in grove Of cotton-woods, upon the bank Of
the south fork of the Platte at its junction witt
a wide, tree-fringed river which descended from
the northward and here they concluded to set
tie.
The site of the village was selected exactly a
the junction of two rivers, upon low bluff
overlooking the two streams.
Then public square was carefully laid oul
with mathematical exactness.
Then each mans lot was assigned him.
/ Mark Hsber's was next to Whitman's, on tn
eastern side of the square, facing west, and hi
future garden ran back to the edge of the los
bluff
Mark Heber did mans work, and from th
first day Of this hard toll Whitman ceased b
class the youth among the boys.
In the course of week, eight strong log
Z houses, each story IN height, and pierced with
4 loop. holes, and each provided with a single ca
pac.ous chimney, were finished, and fronted the
| little naked square.
n Mark Hebers house was simply arranged bull
upon the plan generally adopted by the settlers
- There were but two rooms, one being entere
Il through the other. The inner room was to b
Gays. The outer-room was to be parlor, dinin
a room, kitchen, library, and Marks bedroom.
n The house is yonr province, Gay" said tn
youth, on the morning after the house was fiji
Il shed. Il shall leave you to furnish it An
4 transform it into home, while l work upon tn
d stockade. If you need my help when the stock
ade and block. house are finished, will tur
= myself into house. carpenter"
~ shaTtt need you sir" said Gay, saucil.
r " You attend to the farm, and leave the hous
! to me-"
The shelter provided, the eight houses wei
If left entirely to the management Of the womel
f. the men working upon the stockade, which wa
a constructed upon strict military principles, an
N was a model Of worth and excellence
| ttvn alra a fhnl ah ~ aixta