The Placer herald., 1873-03-15

ing his huge pistol he waited TIL his enemy
should appear As Tom reached the door
OF the brilliantly lighted saloon, Merlin took
a deliberate aim and fired. He waited till
he saw Belton stagger and fall, with deer
groan TO the floor and then he turned and
disappeared in the murky gloom.
AT the report of the pistol women shreiked
and men drew tn, If pistols in anticipation o
free fight, but " ilson, leapng on the bar
his own pistol in his hand, shouted:
"Silenco! Boys,a brutal murder has beer
committed here; some one come with me ant
arrest the assassin. Andrea" he added, il
Spanish, to his wife, shave Tom laid on 4
lounge and do what you can for him. Tel
Jose to get on the best horse in the stable
take Toms Comanche, and go to the fort
after the doctor" and dashng out he joined
the party in their vain pursuit of the mur-
derer
Andrea, with the help of the men who
had not pursued Merlin, soon had Tom on a
lounge, in front of bla.ilg fire, and taking
Oft such OF his clothing as was nece ssary to
examine the wound found that the bullet
had entered the body about an inch below
the lower rib and ranging up come out just
under the left shoulder-b blade. 1t was evil
dent that the wound was mortal, even with
the best of care. Evary effort was made to
stop the hemorhage, and to ease the sufferer
who, although enduring the most extreme
agony, bore it with untlinching foriiude.
The messenger had been dispatched for the
doctor, but now little hopes were entertained
that Tom could survive until he arrived
Iuisa, who had remained seated where
Tom left her, as soon as she heard the report
of the pistol and saw Tom fall, screamed:
where he lay, threw herself on her knees
beside him. raised his head in her arms and
walled: ooh, Tomas, Tomas, don't die;
speak to me, Tomas, and tell me that you
are not badly hurt. cannot, cannot par,
with you, my carissmo, my darling, my
life. Oh senores," she added, turning hen
streaming eyes to the crowd of rough mer
who stood around her, "can you do nothing
for Tomas lie is too good, too noble to
die in this way"
Her grief was so poignant so heart-rend-
ing that those rude men, who were accns-
toned to sights Of almost all kinds of suffer-
ing were forced to turn their heads away to
hide the tears that would come spite of all
their efforts to restrain them. When Beton
was placed on the lounge, she sat his head
watching the examination of the wound with
the most intense anxiety. An old hunter,
WAS ly virtue of his long experience in gun
s OF wounds, had undertaken to ascertain
the extent of the injury, soon raised his head
and said briefly but emphatcally;
"Salpetre wouldn't save him."
AS his death knell to her hopes fell upon
Lusa's ears she uttered low, pitcous moan
and sank to the floor witho~' re or motion
Restoraiives were at one, ~ Piled, but it
was long ere they could bring her back to
life and sense of her misery. When at
length she cid revive she took her seat on
the lounge, placed Toms head on her lap
and watched with an agonzed face the in
creasng pallor of his countenancc He at
length seemed TO recover somewhat from the
stupor into which he had fallen, and raising
his eyes to her beautiful countcnance, and
seeing it bathed in tears, said:
Don't cry, cara: | will pull through this
all right yet Kiss me, dear, and raise my
head little higher; there, that will do;
am rs much trouble as an old woman, ain
| p
lie lay in this position a moment, when
his limbs Strengthened, his eyes rolled back
the death rattle sounded in his throat and
the noble soul of Thomas Belton winged its
flight 10 that great judgement seat where all
from the greatest to the lowest, mrst appear
to answer for the deeds done in the body
Let us hope that he was mercituly .jud ged
Luisa sat with the head of the corpse still
in her arms, and when Andrea and Others
approached and wished her to relinquish
her charge, she refused. She did not weep:
she did not faint; her grief was too deep for
any outward demonstration. They feared
that the shock had been too great for her
sensitive Organization, and that her reason had
be dethroned, for she sat and talked to the
poor murdered boy as though lie were still
alive and could underst nj her ende, rments
Finally her father came and urged her to re-
tire, but she persistenly refused until he had
promised to have the corpse removed to his
own house. Upon arriving at that home
that she had left with such blisslul feelings
but four short hours before, and that now
appeared so painfully desolate, she resumed
her former pr silion, and, resisting all com
mands and enreates to retire and obta n
some rest, sat there all the long hight,
lever shedding tear, but with her eyes and
ma n burning as though scared by hot irons.
Sue was utterly heart bioken, and little hopes
were entertained by her parents that she
would ever recover from the shock, and as
she sat with his head on herlap, her gay ball
dress presenting ghastly contrast to her
deathIy, h ggard face, it seemed as though
their fears were likely to be realized
Tom was buried in the graveyard at the
fort, and Lnisa was brought from the flu
neral in an nsensible condition. and weeks
elapsed before she recognized even her pa
rents.
We will now return to Merlin. As soon
as he saw his victim fall he turned and was
soon lost in the darkness. Keeping away