Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1872-05-24

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looks which means everything that TIVE
sich fellers can do fur to win. / dom
like 'tother feller neither does the ole
woman He'd do almost anything, il
my ? opinion, an if you don't make
choice atween 'em soon, them fellers Il
fight, and that's sartin'." ~
The face which had been rosy grew 6
little pale as he talked. The old man
had told his daughter nothing that she
did not already know; but. she, was
startled to think that the hatred of the
two men had been noticed by another
The question in Chuck's heart was not
which of the two men she would take
but how to get rid of the disappointed
one. Therefore, woman, like, she had
encouraged neither of them. 70 Ael
acute mind the difficulty had been q
trouble for weeks, and the words of her
father had been fresh cause for disquiet
Old Sims, having thus broken the ice,
would have continued, but his daugh-
ter stopped him with an exclamation,
and pointed to the sand at their feet.
Sims approached and peered cautiously
at the spot his daughter indicated.
There they were, not an hour old, the
ugly, in-turned moccasin- tracks of four,
eight, dozen Indians. In woman,
timidity and wit are often companions
to each other, and Chuck drew in her
horse with determined air. "I don't
like that said she; I'm going back.
Itcan do us no ham if the herd is
driven home, and want to see it done;''
and she turned her horse.
"W'y, now," said Sims, "what's the
use? Sich things amt uncommon.- =
come on" .7# .~' s. }3tooa
.ar You can go alone if You think best" "
she answered. s.t i. tsru aoya
Before he could reply she was gone,
and irritated by what he considered a
useless panic, he doggedly continued
his journey toward the post. The sight
of an Indian trail eighty miles from
home seemed poor cause for fright,
even in woman, Sims thought as he
continued his journey; and it was not
that which caused her to retreat; it was
to avoid being questioned further upon
the topic he had broached. g Gurus
critters is wimmin," he said to himself
as he logged on. Sims spent the night
unconscious Of its horrors, happy drunk
in the post guard house. - r7..
An apprehension which she could
hardly understand, filed the mind of
the girl as she urged her pony toward
home. Her fathers talk added to her
excitement, and she thought of what
Tom Harris, strong, daring and hand
some, would do at such a time. His
tall figure, CHEEKY face and handsome
dress, as he sat on his horse at her
fathers door, blithe and fresh after his
ride of forty miles for her sake, came
vividly before her. Even in the midst
of her anxiety and nervousness she felt
that she and Tom, united in purpose
and effort, could do anything in this
world. Such were the strong woman's
thoughts of manWhom she loved be-
cause he was stronger than sh =. Two
miles from home, and the riders heart
sank at the sight of a column of smoke
on the verge of the familiar horizon.
Frightened indeed, now, she urged her
pony to its utmost, and at the crest of
the hill that overlooked the nook in
which stood her home the truth burst
upon her that while her father had
talked to her of her lovers, and while
she was yet specializing upon the foot,
prints in the sand, the Indian torch was
being applied, and now herds, house,
mother and sisters were all gone.
Amid all the conflicting griefs and ter
rors of the momentarose an overwhelm-
ing sense of utter loneliness and help
lessness. The beautiful and subtle
strength of a woman may guide, but II
can neither guard nor revenge. ID There
seemed no help, and the girl wished IN
her heart that she had gone with the
rest. But she was not SO entirely alone
for as she came nearer she saw the tall
figure of Tom Harris, newly alighted
from an all-night ride, standing by his
painting horse, so entirely occupied
with despairing contemplation OF the
smoldering ruins that he had as yet not
noticed her approach. But when he
turned and recognized her, his grim
face took. color like a fash. In truth,
Toms paleness was not the pallor OF
fear. Words were inadequate to ex.
press the tone in which he had cursed
the Apaches, by all that was holy and
all that was evil, as he stood contem-
plating the burning house, and think
ing with a pang that penetrated his
very soul that she was among the VIC
Tins. But when he heard and then
turned and saw her, all was thenceforth
fair and serene to Tom Harris. With a
frontiersman's quick perception of cir
cumstances and situations of this kind,
he understood and asked no questions.
The PEACHES are clear gone with
everything miss" he said. They
must a. done it in ten minits. Come
git down now, won't ye? That pony's
about done for, andy, now, miss,
faint no use grievin'. Ye can't bring
'enl back, and ye can't catch the lnJuns
mot to-day. I'll be even with 'em u
live, but I've known many slch
things in my time, and A..
Tom stopped for he had sense o.
how tame and meaningless his rude
efforts at comfort were to the silent ano
horror stricken woman before him
whose whole soul seemed engrossed in
a struggle with the calamity which hao
befallen her. The well-meaning fellow
went some distance apart and waited
And while he waited the white, despair
ing face grew sill whittier, and she slip
ped helplessly from the pony and Lay {
limp and ifeless heap upon the ground
This was the time of the frontiersman :.
utter despair. In all his life's ylclssl
| tudes there had been none like TINS
,Butsall his endeavors were the sensible
ones of practical man. He knew
nothing of what he ought to. do for the
| restoration of lost consciousness, ane
was afraid to try. But WITH the celerit.
of habit he stripped the heavy blanket
from his horse and. the pony, and hur
riedly spread them in the shade by tb'
bank side. Then he made pillow o
his saddle, and with a blush that ros