Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1874-10-07

mountains, to recount his exploit
to groups of men who would no
doubt applaud it.
The shutters with which Alfred
Wood had thoughtfully provided
his domicile were closed when he
entered his Office, and his first
thought was of the letter.
"Life here is wearing the garb
of true romance" he said, seating
himself at the table, and smooth
ing the crease of the dead mans
letter. .... ..--
"On bloody breast they found
letter, and"
He paused abruptly, for the chi-
Biography owned familiar shape;
and hastily taking in the signature
at a single glance, he sprang to
his feet with a violence that over
turned the chair.
Heavens it cannot be 1" he
cried. "Ethel Grey Is not in this
country! have not seen her ac-
knowledged lover die the victim Of
a desperate! No, l will not be-
lieve all this"
For a moment he stood speech
less in the middle of the floor, star
ing at the letter, then he slowly
walked to his trunk from whose
recesses he drew package tied
with a faded blue ribbon.
Then he compared the chirog-
raphy of several letters in the pack
with that of the one which had
startled him.
'Ethel Gray, l believe it now"
he said reluctantly forced to q con-
clusion. "The boy at the hotel
was your lover. You must be near
and oh, girl, have you forgotten
Alfred Woodw
Then the scenes Of the past rush
ed before his eyes, until he tried to
shut them out with his hands.
"Ethel, l have been told that
you were Dead" he said. But no,
you live. Life now"
A rap at the door startled him,
and broke his sentence.
Quickly snatching the letters
from the table, he threw them into
his trunk, and then stepped to the
portal.
Opening it, he peered out.
The night was dark, but he saw
several horses in the thoroughfare,
and tall man stood on the stoop.
"Doc.," said he Familiarity, 1--WE
want you to go with u.s."
"Who needs me Z" .-3
"'Somebody who's pretty badly
hurt. Quick; get your instru-
ments; we've got horse out here
for you,"
Not liking the appearance of tie
man, nor those burly fellows who
sat bolt upright on their horses,
and perhaps spurred to action by
the ominious clicking of a revolver,
young Wood turned and secured
his case of instruments.
"Ready!" asked the man at the
door, when our hero appeared.
EYES," ,,at
"Got everything-splint, band-
ages"
Il know my business, sir"
"And you must do it tonight, or
get a bullet in your head. There,
take that horse, I'll hold your box
till you mount" .aa
A moment latter the doctor was
in the saddle, and discovered that
a masked man was on either side.
We've got to blindfold you,
Doc.," said the fellow who had first
accosted him. hef
"Don't refuse to submit. We
want to treat you gcntlemanly, and
for your own good at the Same
time I; but if you become trouble
some, self-wlled in our hands, why,
Dead-man's Gulch may have q dead
doctor; dye see?" ai
The voice possessed familiar
sound, and while rough hands
blindfolded him, the young doctor
tried to recall it. But at last he
gave mp in despair, and then his
thoughts REQUIRED to Black Robs
victim and then the letter.
He could think Of nothing else
as the band bore him over the
rough road which he knew led to
the Ozark mountains. That he
was in the hands of the mountain
brigands, who for q year or 50 Asd
been terror to the settler, he also
felt assured, and thought Il was
their chief who needed medicAf