The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-01-24
The Rids Of Paul Venarez.


Paul yenarez heard them say. in the frontier
That band of Red Plume's warriors was
upon the trail of death;
Heard them tell or murder done: Three men
killed at Rocky Run.
"They'r re In danger UP at Crawford's," said
Nenarez, under breath
Crawford s''--thirty miles away-was a settle
In green and pleasant valley of the mighty
wilderness;
Half score of homes was there, and in one a
Held the heart of Paul venarez,-"Paul Ven
arez's little Bess.'
So no wonder he grew pale when ne heard the
settlers tale
OF the men he had seen murdered yesterday,
at Rocky Run.
Not soul will dream" he said, ''of the dam
By my love for little Bessie must see that
something's DONE"
Not moment he delayed. when his bravo re-
solve was made.
why. my man. his comrades told him,
,,x when they knew his daring plan,
You are going straight to DEATH" But he an
swered ssave your breath,
may fail to get to Crawford 8, but I'll do the
best can
Ger the forest trail he Sped and his thoughts
few on ahead
To the little band at Crawford's, thinking not
'oh, God helpme save" cried he, ''little Bessl'
And fast and free
AE0Sla 4tcAt UOIc Oa THIS nero u IL0 1dI-dWdy
frontier.
Low and lower sank the sun. He drew rein at
Rocky Run.
"Here these men zaet DEATH my Nellie" and
he stroked his horses name;
80 Will we go TO warn, ere the breaking OF the
eff we fail, God help us, NellieP' Then he
gave his horse the rein.
Sharp and keen rifle-shot woke the echoes of
''oh, my Nellie, am woundedP' cried Ven
arez, with moan,
And the warm blood from his side Spurted out
And he trembIed in the saddle, and his face
had ashy grown.
'.I will save them yet he cried s'Bessie Lee
For her sake And then he halted in the
shelter of hill;
From his buckskin shirt he took, with weak
hands, a little book;
And he tore a blank leaf from it. ''This,"
said he, ''shan be my will"
From branch a twig he broke, and he dipped
In the red blood that was dripping from the
wound below his heart.
Rouse, he wrote, 'before too late. Red
Plume's warriors lie in wait
Goodbye, Bessl God bless you always" Then
he felt the warm tears start.
Then he made his message fast, loves first let
ter, and its last:
To his saddle-bow he tied it, while his lips
were white with pain.
Bear my message, if not me, safe to little
Then he leaned down in the saddle, and
ciutched hard the sweaty name.
Just at dusk, horse of brown, f1ecked with
foam, came painting down
To the settlement at Crawford, and she stop
ped at BeSSie's door.
But her rider seemed asleep. All, his slumber
was so deep
Bessie's voice could never wake him, If she
called fOrevermore.
You viii hear the story told by the young and
by the Old
In the Sc element at CHawfords, of the night
when Red Plume came;
OF the sharp and bloody fight; how the chief
fell, and the flight
Of the panic-strielzen warriors. Then they
speak Nenarez's name
In an awed and reverent way, as men utter,
Let us pray
As we speak the name of heroes, thinking
how theF lived ana died;
So his memory Is kept green, while his face and
heaven between
Grow the flowers Bessie planted, ere they
laid her by his side.
-[EBEN E. RExFoRD, in Youths Companion.