The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-03-31

cap of tea. Then she went and sat /,
lown by the window and watched him |
urtively as he ate.
In spite of his caution he had taken |
,ff his hat while he was eating. She |
,ould better see what he was like. II |
was an almost boyish face, worn, but not |
wicked. with the curing hair living in
damn clusters upon his pale brow. In
the hands. small and well-shaped, and
in all his motions and manners she felt
that she could read something of his
story. She had heard before this how
ynung lads in the East, filed with ro-
nantic notions about Western life and
adventure, sometimes felt their way out
Ia the ranches of the Pacific slope. Per-
hans he was one of these.
AS she looked at him, fancying all
this. and realizing the terrible strait he
iErs in, and the probable dark fate that
Fue womanfy sympathy; sfnfdfnef ana ner kei-
ng found expression before she was able
o restrain herself.
"Oh, how could you do it? How
ould you do it ?" she suddenly ex-
Iaimed, her voice quite full of what she
hlt.
He looked up at her in wonder but
90 AACN AACIo l1t UNDERSTOOD 0er-
" did not do 1t. Upon my honor 1
lid not y he said. at was that man
Dennis"
Sacramento breathed a great sigh of
ellef Horse stealing was held in that
ectlon to be crime worse than murder;
nd she was by no means free from the
ppular estimate of its grave nature.
Oh, am glad of that r. said she.
But" She hesitated, and then went
q, doubtfully. "But then how was it?
Why did they say it was YOU? And
Ehy did you run away ?"
1T was Dennis doings, their LAYING
to me. He did that TO clear himself.
Ind after that, you know as well as do.
acre would have been no use in irving
? prove myself innocent They always
hng horse thief first, and then con
sder his guilt afterward. l had to run
q save my life."
"Do you know that there is a reward
Cfered for your capture :"
Il know the Regulators are after me, "
aswered the young fellow, suddenly.
"They came pretty near catching me,
TOO, this noon. Just escaped them and
came down the canon by the mountain
tnl. I have had hard run for it, and
what with no sleep or food for twenty
four hours 1 am about used up. 1 felt
as though l could not go another step
when saw your house. You-yoa
have been very good TO me. L shall
never forget"
g But what are you ugoing to do now?"
Interrupted Sacramento. You are not
safe here"
"Iknow it. But I threw them of
the track at noon, and do not think
they are within five miles of me. Now
/ have had something to eat 1 viii take
to the woods again. / hope l may get
away. If 1 don't"--his voice trembled
and tears came into his eyes. elf I
don't, 1 shall get hanging, L suppose.
/ Or, what fool L was not TO prefer home
. trIIs sort of thing And yet. would
Si care so much either. if 1t wasn't for
~ father and mother" And then the
5oor fellow fairly broke down.
"Hark - Sacramento exclaimed. She
had been crying, too she could not help
it.
They both listened. In a moment
they heard plainly the sound of horses
down the trail. The girl turned
with instant self-possession.
Go in there Quick Quick There
is not moment to be lost ! Here, take
your hat y
And handing his hat to him she half
pushed him across the room and into her
own little room that led off from 1t.
Then she hurriedly cleared the table
again, barely finishing the task as the
horsemen halted at the door.
There were three of them. One was
her father. Sacramento knew the other
,1hk T1a,- ,-1rrcrl,
but of the better sort of those who made
up the dwellers in Kelly Gulch. The
faces of all three were stern and forbid
ding, and they evidently had been riding
hard. They dismounted together.
"Sac," began her father as he entered
the door, "hev ye seen anything of a
young chap, afoot or a-horseback, COM
ing this way ?"
Sacramento had expected the ques-
ton and was ready for it. And she
meant, if it were possible, to answer 1t
without lie.
ga young chap about 1S years of age
and five feet and half high, rather
good-looking, and with red-top boots
onr" replied she.
"Yesl yesl That's him p cried one of
the other men, eagerly. "Have you seen
MIN! has ne Deen nereE
"I was only quoting from this hand
bill, said Sacramento, taking the paper
from the shelf where she had laid it.
"Then you hain't seen him at all ?"
lsked the father.
"I have been right here all day, and
nobody has gone by except Pete LARA
bee. 1t was he who gave me the bill.
Are you sure be came this way, the-the
-horse-thiet
"No; but we didn't know but he
mighter. The chances is that he sloped
OF to the mountains, meanin' ter go
Through Stovepipe Pass. They'll git
him, though, afore sundown."
"It's sundown now" observed Saora-
mento.
"Then they've got him now," was the
Isententious response. "And we should
be too late for the hangin' eff we sh'd go
back. Leastways"-this was added to
his companions you'd better come in
md have bite afore ye CO."
So presently the three men sat down
o the supper that the young girl quick
N prepared for them. And while they
shere eating she herself, at her fathers
| 6dding, went out to take the saddle off
lueno, his horse, and give him his feed.
ls she approached the door once more a
sw minutes later she heard words which
aused her to stop and listen.
"I don't like ter say anything against
set kid o. yourn, neighbor," one of the
men was saying, "but it hes kinder
seemed ter me all ther while's though
sie sorter he'd some at on her mind like.
Y don't s'pose she knows anything
bout thet young feller, arter all p
Sacramento's father laughed at this
as though it was too absurd to be con-
sidered.
The other, however. was not to be
laughed out of his suspicious.
SFur all we know" persisted he, "she
may hev him hid here somewhere on the
premmysis."
"It's easy enough to see," returned
the proprietor of the said "premmysls,
testify. Where dye think she's hid
him? In her bedroom ?"
ls ba cold This Sacramento. who was