The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1873-10-31

brown eyes constantly fixed upon her.
Strange she should not beafraid, for she
was alone with the most desperate man
Of the Wes,; bur, so far from fearing
him, she thoroughly believed he was
her best friend and protector.
After breakfast she told the hunter
her tale, again claimed his protection.
He listened respectfully and attentively,
and, when she had done, said:
SO you thought you could trust me?''
i did" replied Mary, while the hot
blood rushed to her temples.
For a moment The muscles in the face
Of the hunter worked conclusively, and
rising, he went to a small cupboard and
took from it two duguerrotypes-the one
of Young girl, and the ether OF mid
dle-aged woman. Opening them and
placing them in Marv's lap, while a tear
dimmed his eye, he said:
"Theze are the pictures of my dear
mother and darling sister, and l swear
to You by them I viii always be to you
as a brother"
Mary held out her hand, and, as he
grasped it, two hearts met in that clasp,
never to be divided again on earth.
The hunter told Mar that she must
go back at once TO her mother, and, now
she had placed herself under his pro-
lection, she need not fear Long Ned or
any one else. Placing her on his pony,
he walked by her side and led the little
brute, who, not being used to such a
burden, ives disposed to be s little vic
ious. Carefully and tenderly, as if she
were an infant, he guarded her until
they came to her fathers house, where
they had scarcely arrived when that most
startling of all cries on the border, "In-
diansp' was heard, and a man dashed up
TO say that the settlement below had
been attacked and all of Long Ned's
stock stolen. Waiting to hear no more,
Long Ned, who was still at the
farm, ieaped upon pony and dashed
away across the prairie.
er, the Wild Hunter left her to tell her
own tale, and rapidly followed Ned.
The Indians were driven off and all the
stock recovered. but Long Ned did not
return. Some said he was killed by the
savages; others, that the Wild Hunter
shot him; but, be that as it may, he was
dead, and no one seemed to care by whose
hand he had fallen Nearly all the re-
captured stock had once belonged to
Mr.. Thompson, and, Ned being dead,
the Wild Hunter took it upon himself
to return it to the farmer, saying he was
Ned's heir; decision no one objected
to. What was most surprising, how
ever, was the fact that the Wild Hunter
did not drink any more or quarrel with
any. one. When pressed for an explana-
tion, he simply replied Il have quit
that sort of thing"
Little more remains to be told of this
true tale Of border, life, and it may be
summed lin those words Soon after the
Indian raid there was wedding at Mr.
/ Thomrson's and the farmer. influenced
t.v his new son-in-law, stopped drinking
and became prosperous and useful cit
izen. If ever you visit the Big Blue,
Just above NIr. Thompson's place, you
will find neat farmhouse, and in it q
brown-haired, happy-faced woman, with
four little curly headed children play
ing about her knee. The owner of this
farm is quiet, orderly, well-to-do man;
and, if you will wait until he come;
home from the fields, yon will recog
nize in him none other than "The Wild
Hunter of the ue."-Jamcs Z. Brisbia.