The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1879-01-18
The Fatal Shot.
DR.. E. II. BLISS in Wayerley."

teams, paused just as the sun, round
and glowing with molten red, sank
down on the horizon of the level prairie
Around them on either side for many
miles the grass grew tall and rank, in
terspersed here and there with great
variety of flowers. There was not a
tree to be seen, or, indeed, bush or
twig. With a great show of activity
the people unhitehed their teams and
built a fire in their portable stoves.
Y a.a-s, that's my opinion exactly.
This var spot about the center of the
great prairie is just the loveliest piece
of natur in the world. You can't find
its equal this side of the Rockies" "
wasn't thnbin' about the blue
grass of lllynoi, jedge, when went for
to assert that this ere was a fine pictur,
with the sun over there turning every
thing to crimson and yellow.-perhaps
there might be finer scenes than this, !
repeat"
"Wal, Colonel Quenten, we will
leave that to Lie Here, you, gal,
come here. What do think of that
grass over there, lookin' as If it was q
burnin' ?"
Think ? 1 don't think nothin',
Jedge Long; its far away, and I had
rather tend the bacon than listen to
your yarns"
That's the way 'tis with that gal /;
she amt got so much sentiment as an
outcast Indian"
Never you mind, Judge, when it
comes meal time you won't forget to
get your share Of corn pone or fried ba.
con and coffee either. Let alone your
fine talk about the prairie that don't
amount to ruch long side of square
meal. Now, does it ?''
"Quite right, Lize," said the Judge.
Decidedly" gruffly responded the
colonel.
The girl went about her duties, pre-
pairing the evening meal for the two
men and her father, who, by the way,
was as blunt spoken and homely as his
daughter.
Colonel Quenten and Judge Long
were quite original characters in their
way. This was their first trip across
the plains, which they undertook in the
general excitement then reigning about
the finding of gold. Falling in with
Jonas Clark and his daughter, who
were about to cross the plains, they
made an agreement with them which,
before the first 1ozen of miles out from
St. Louis he had nigh broken by pro
posing to squat. To fix matters more
satisfactorily TO themselves, the two
adventures settled the case by buying
the entire team, mules and all, and tax
ing the old man and his daughter along
"for boot" as old Clark expressed it,
They were now one of dozen of
similar teams, whose shadows looked
like Yigwams in the semi darkness that
had now formed around them.
After their repast the three men sat
around the camp-stove and smoked,
and Lie did the dshwashlng.
Wal, colonel, the wear and tear of
travel is tellin' on ye mighty hard,
How ye would like be in Frisco, now
wouldn't ye, along with the nuggets ye
are supposed to pick up on the wav.
There's no tellin' how long we'll be in
gettin' thar, though, he added sorrow
fully.
The colonel had lived in the west
from boyhoOd, and well knew what it
was to share a comfortable farmers
life, and sighed audibly at the formers 5
remarks.
" Ye kin jest bet your bottom dollar
l wish | was thar, back in Illinois,
where come from. These here wastes
around, without shrub or tree, do not
please me or Lie nary time, aud I'm
sure"
What his next words would have been
the two men were never to know in
this world, for at the last word old
CLARK doubled himself up at their feet
corpse, while thin puff of smoke
curled up and disappeared just around
the corner of the wagon.
Who fred that shot!" exclaimed
the colonel, as both started to their feet
and seized the rifles.
There was not so much as a shadow
to be seen-nothing but the huge can
vas of the wagon tapping now and then
against the wheels. The moon shOne
brightly across the uudulating PLAIN,
but gaze as they would, not a sign
could they discover of the origin of the
shot. Stranger still, the neighbOrng
camps around them did not appear to
W S'BhA1"Ab VI NhO ldSL Iuub man
had been killed. The men looked in
TO the team where Lie was sleeping.
Wake up, gal, wake up ? We want
ye to hurry aud get yer duds on, for
something strange has happened"
Old Clark lay where he had fallen,
with bullet through his forehead /;
there was no misiaking that he was
dead beyond venture.
When Lie beheld what had happen.
ed, she uttered a piercing scream and
then fell down beside him.
" No use takIn' the matter to heart,
Lie ! what's did is past mending.
Your father has been assassinaied by
unknown hands, and who has done 1t
Is what me aud the jedge don't know +;
but II there be vengeance, gal, it shall
surely oyertake the scoundrel."
Yes-you beti"
A new voice uttered these words "a