Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-04-07

It was Ben Smith who answered, and his
answer indicated sarcastic Incredibly:
~. I've =. heerd tell that sperrits do come
- I'll be here I'm the flesh" -
es,0repifed Ben, you'll be mighty
likely to get back from squar meal in civil.
lied parts to aplace whar squar' meals are
at. discount am empty stomicks at pre-
MUM. I've heerd tell o. SIGH things, az
them" Il
Stoddard took one step forward. and draw
ing himself to his fullest hight, exclaimed in
voice that rang through the surrounding
rafters, . voice that cut the wailing OF the
storm like the clarion note of a bugle sound
ing the change Of battle. tH
It's lie, Ben Smith. I'm a soldier OF
Navarino. I've seen the Turk fall before the
scimiter of the Greek. I've fought for the
liberty OF glorious nation, and 1 never
sshirked my duty or forsook a friend in the
hour ofsneed. And l tell you here, in this
tomb of destruction, that the race to which
L belong Il race OF knights, az proud, as
pure, as faithful as any That ever couched a
lance in the cause of honor. am the oldest
of my line, though the sinister bar crosses
my escutcheon, and when / am untrue to the
traditions OF my house may my right arm
palsy at the socket and my tongue cleaye to
Nithsdale by divine right, if.not by human
entail. The blood OF Bruce Is in my veins,
and the highlands of liberty loving Scotland
can boast OF no prouder name.'
Nothing more was said-not even a sug-
gestion that he wait until the storm abated
somewhat. When Stoddard had finished
all his preparations, Smith mentioned the
Tuolumne River. e. .~....sf 81 "a a
"There's no ford, no ferry" he shouted.
"I'll swim it, !" replied Tom.
q The men looked at the speaker with min
gled feelings of respect and amazenlent.
They knew that old Tom Stoddart bore the
reputation OF harbOring ga bee in his bon
net" His actions in the present crisis, his
his claim to doubtful nobility, had all COM
bined to confirm their suspicious Of his in
sanity. .-
''Good-by, Tom. God speed you, old
boy" shouted the men, as the mad hero
passed out of the cabin and disappeared in
the storm.
"We'I never see him again." said Ben, as
they forced the door back in its place and
barred it.
"Who knows?" muttered Jerry Homer.
And yet when, half an hour later, the
storm having abated and the wind ceased to
howl, Sam Billings, who had burrowed his
way out, returned and announced that no
snow was falling, and that the clouds were
beginning to drift, strange wild hope
sprang up in each mans heart.
.. CHAPTER II.
Gloomy, dispirited, and on the verge of
the deniZens OF Eureka Valley
crouched in front of the burning logs when,a
week later, the day dawned cold and sleet-
ing. Two more unfortunates, Roger Martin
and Jack Linstock, had succumbed to the
terrible distemper prevalent in the camp,
and with CLASSY eyes and shiyerinS frames
sat gazing languidly at the flames. During
the past week the weather had been eX-
tremey moderate. The storm seemed to
have spent its force in that last terrible out
burst, and the sun had shone with cold yet
cheerful rays upon that vast eXpanse of
drifted snow. The blue smoke curling heav
buried in the snow, told where despair
lurked in this whited sepucher of desOla-
ton. Ben Smith, the stanchest of the little
band OF unfOrtunates, was second time re-
viewing the terrible situation. A cruel
irony, that cut like the keen lancet Of a sur
geon who steeled his heart to his duty, per-
meated his realistic speech:
~ don't s'pose you fellers feel sort o.
yehrning fur them fiesh-pots OF Egypt, ez
the sam singers call 'em. Oh, no; you'd
We couldn't hev 'em eff ye wanted 'em. Ye
wouldn't tech rib o. roast OK eff it was
hangin' 'ithin half an inch o. yer noses; ye'd
die fust.
SEQ on. Ben," groaned Sam Billings. 'tgo
on; it's like feast o. reason to hear ye.
Did We say all tibet fried coyote wasout?"
"Oh, no, Sam; there's plenty o. fried
coyote" replied Ben. ''But we don't dine
offur coyote to-day. We're goin' to fill UP
BlifdaIe, er wa'teyer he calls it-'lowed tibet
nothin' but turk ID do us fur to-day, am
he'll be Tong in bout an hour or two, or
mebbe week or so-it don't matter; so YEN
hev to tighten up an wait till the dinner
bell rings. Ye needn't look so crooked,
Martin, ez eff We thought the Markiss was a
lynn wen he promised us a chicken roast
81 lar. Markisses don't lie, not much! AM
The Markiss of Snifdale is more'n the regular
breed o. tibet style o. pups. Oh, he'll be
here; don't you never fear" 10
..He is here!" The words sounded like
an echo; they were so low and weak.
''It's OF Tomv' shouted Jerry Homer, in
an ecstacy Of joy, as he sprang to the door
and unbarred it.
laughed Sam Billings, hurrying to assist in
opening the door. As soon as this was ac-
a SHAPED IS form, covered from
head to foot with flakes OF snow, staggered
into the room. The form stood for an in
slant rigid; then it wavered, reeled, and
fell proae. A low murmur. 'I've made
the trip, thank God !" and darkness gathered
over the understanding of the 'iMarquise OF
Nithsdale."
ing 10 the side OF the PROSTATE man. ''Here,
some o. you galoots rub his hands. Sam,
take off them boots. Strip yerseves, some
o. We. am give the OF man somethin' dry to
put on" While issuing these orders, Ben
was Tapiuly luo SuaPcIcSS IOfu 10
something like humanity.
Turkeys, by the hide of grizzly!" he
exclaimed; '"three OF 'em. Derned eff he
hezn't packed them birds nigh ONO sixty
mile; an pertatoes an onions-Ihem's fur
the scurvy-an' bread, by lingo! an coffee,
or Pm a liar. An'-boys, handle ol' Tom
gently. Git right down on yer knees an
thank him. He's an angel come down from
glory, and we're lot o mean, mis'abie
mounds to ever doubt his word. I'm wash
u, ITf,tl, ,1.tSs
this? Whisky, by the holy smoke! Here,
mold on thar!-pry open them teeth. an
chuck in pint or two o. this. Thet'll fetch
him. Every drop o. tibet whisky is with
twenty dollar gold piece to ev'ry one of us,
but eff one swig't save ev'ry life in this yer
shebang, not one o. We should hev smell till
we fetch OF Tom through"
The whisky revived the old man, and be
opened his eyes. In a few moments more
he was able to sit up, and as he rose from
the floor great spontaneous shout went up
from the little crowd Of starving men,.
Then, while preparations for the feast were
in rovrasS Odd Tom told the Sfnrv IF his