The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-07-16

he laughed uneasily; the next cursed; the
next cried. 1t was strange experience, was
it not? To PISS away the time | asked him
to relate the history Of his life. He said he
would; but would, first of all, just shake
hands for the respect he bore me. Touching
my rife significantly, pointed to the stick
lying across the hearth place between us.
That's your boundary line, my man, said
l; don't 60 to stretching your hand over
that And it sent him into "a fit of sullen-
ness"
"What came ofit?'
"We must have remained in this position
till midnight. Several times 1 heard slight
sounds outside the fort, to which he listened
but he dared not respond to them, he could
do nothing. After while they ceased; his
associates, rightly Judging that something or
other had gone wrong, land spoiled the scheme
no doubt made of, tired of waiting. The
fellows head was bent, his chin rested on his
breast, his shaggy beard spreading over it
like mantle. He suffered martyrdom. He
was like hyena Gagged, though he showed It
only by involuntary. nervous startings and
furtive glances. Finally he could bear 1t no
longer, and entreated me piteously, abjectly,
to give him his freedom or blow out his
brains. He could not have his freedom lust
yet, l quietly told him but he knew how to
get his brains blown out if be desired it.
Which brought forth some more of his choice
language. And the lad, Edwards, slept
through it alH
''What a situation What nightp'
"Ay, it was. By and by we got to talking,
| not relaxing in my vigilance for an instant.
Once started on his own history, the subject
seemed to have fascination for him. He
had been honestly raised, he said, by good
and loving parents, in the State of Missouri;
had passionately loved young girl in the
town where he lived-and his description of
her was so pretty and vivid that 1 declare it
brought into my mind the other girl waiting
for me down in the Wallamet Valley. To
enable him to marry her he resolved to 90 to
California and make in some honest way the
requisite money. He went, and did make it,
and full of joyful anticpations, returned to
find that she had married another. The
man-the husband-had played them false,
told the girl that her lover was dead and mar
lied her himself. When he came out of the
brain fever which this news gave him, he was
invited to an evening party in the town, one
given in honor of him. To this party came
his love and her husband; when he put out
his hand to welcome her, their eyes met, ard
each knew then and for the first time how
they had been betrayed. From that hour
the man took to evil courses, and his first
victim was the false husband. His hand was
against every man, and every mans against
him; and he became a desperate outlaw.
Once again he saw his love. meeting her in
the streets of Sacramento; she was married
again, and she turned from him with a cry
of aversion. Yes, he might be desperate now
he added, but he had had his trials. l asked
him what his true name was. Hiram Cred
din, he answered; but the one he was known
by was Boone Helm. That made me start"
Why did it?'
because 1 had heard of Boone Helm be-
fore-and knew he was the great terror of
the time. suppose should have done So
ciety benefit had shot him as he SAT there;
but / did not. Perhaps you won't believe
that felt a sort of pity for the fellow-but 1
did. Well, morning came at last. I sent
Edwards to get the gate open, and escorted
room for him and tor me in that part of the
country, and that he had better quit it for
another"
"And did hep
81 suppose so. He never attempted to mo-
lest me again. Not long after, I heard of his
death. He met his fate up east of the noun
tains.
"And what of that pretty Amazon, Elan
Pm sure she was almost as good to you as
guardian angel! Coming on horseback to
give you warningw
w 40 ouC AOGg auu ! udu lcluIuGu III NY
behaving so unhandsomely to her! But
now, just ask you-Would it have been
proper to have let her come in on that weeks
visit land young man with a reputa-
tion!'
Again we burst out laughing. Eam's ap-
peal to US was put with the most unsophis-
ticated air possible.
"At any rate you did not"
"No," said he, 81 did not. And, taking all
Things into consideration, think did
right"
"Have you ever seen her since"'
"Once. 1t was at San Francisco. She
was married and staying at the same hotel
that was. Her husband was fine, tall,
dashing man and very wealthy. She had
been lucky, you see. knew her as soon as
she came into the draWing-room, and in
few minutes saw that she recognized me
but she did not take any notice, neither did
l. She told me with her eyes that she re-
membered me; but there was an appealing
glance in them which interpreted rightly.
After dinner she went to the piano and sang
Kate Kearney.' We had got into converse
tlon before that, the three of US, just as
strangers will do in hotel, and found the
husband very intelligent, educated, we'll
informed man. In parting got just word
aside with her. 4 am glad to meet you
again, and thus 'Hushp she answered.
1 thank you for your reticence. In the past
of life that has been composed of ups and
downs there is generally something or other
lying on the memory that we don't care to
recall or proclaim to the world.'"
''And what about that young girl in the
Wallamet Valley?'
81 never found her," replied Elan, shak-
ing his head thoughtfully. "Truth to say, I
rever started fairly to look for her. Life is
composed of ups and downs, you know, as
that other lady observed, of blighted hopes,
and all that. Perhaps it's as WE'LL"