The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1882-01-14

lives in purposeless quarrels, and Sy was useful
in his way. He was fearless beyond even
Rocky Mountain daring; and for hunting the
| bear or silver lion, no one for hundred miles
around could pretend to the experience and
judgment Of Sy Tate, while he was the best
gold prospector in the country. So, even though
he was hated, or at the least disliked, he was
| safe
If there were one person in the little settle
ment who held sy Tate in no apparent dread,
it was Annie, his granddaughter; indeed, by
the consent-reluctant and sullen enough, no
doubt-that he always yielded to her wishes,
she seemed to have the ascendency over him.
| Annie had no companion or friends. There were
| but two other women at the Creek, and these
were much older, and of a coarser and rOugher
mould altogether Annie had the robust strength
and fearless activity of dweller in the wilder
ness She could shoot well, ride bareback horses,
| drive a wagon, or scale steep ravine with as
cool q head as the oldest miner She had also
| been to school in Santa Fe for some years, and
could read and write and embroider in man
ner which not only excited the envy of occa-
sional lady visitors, but also the admiration OF
the stray Indians who came up the Creek, and
who were especially clever at such work. She
had a few books too and, occasionally bought
others; Andy Macgregor the regular freight
| teamster, whose oX-wagOns toiled slowly through
the canon about once in three months, being her
agent for the supply of these treasures, to pur-
chase which she sent by him feathers from her
| fowls, and skins. Sy would probably have pro-
hibited this wasteful luxury, had he dared; but
it was plain he dared not forbid it; SO Andy
brought the novels, the illustrated papers, and
the poetry books" unchecked.
The days and years rolled on with dreadful
monotony, as Judged by the standard of cities
or indeed of civilization; but the days were
neither long nor dull to those who dwelt in
the mountain wilds. The bright exhilarating
mornings of New Mexico, with the sun, that
rose in unclouded splendor for months together,
the sights and sounds of the wilderness, were
enough for them; while lonely and exposed as
their homes might have seemed, yet of all crimes
in the West, teeming though the district was
with utter lawless characters, that Of house
breaking was the least in vogue, as if detected,
it meant death to those who attempted it.
1t was in the spring-time of the year, when
Annie was returning after a long ramble over
the hills. She carried light rife; but no game
had fallen to her weapon that day; nor was
she much disappointed, as she had set out more
to satisfy restless desire for change than in the
hope Of sport. Nevertheless, as she passed a
certain hollow, where one Of the mountain
streams already mentioned formed broad and
deep pool, a resting-place before it rushed hur-
riedly down its steep channel to join the Blue
Creek she remembered that the best mountain
trout of the district were to be found there,
and determined to take some home. She car
red the necessary lines, &c, in pouch, and
a wand could easily be cut from bush to
serve for rod. So, singing her rifle across her
shoulder she swiftly descended the almost pre-
cipitous slope, which would have tried the
nerves of town-bred maiden, occasionally
swinging herself to lower ledge by the aid of
a shrub, until she was by the side of the pool.
There were many bushes and trees such as
love the neighboorhood of water growing there
and she sought to find a suitable branch. An
enormous block of stone, which at some distant
date had fallen from neighboring rock, lay
between her and bush which seemed adapted
for her purpose. She stepped quickly round
the block and seizing slender bough, drew it
towards her. She had opened her knife, when
close at her feet-proceeding from the earth
itself as she at first imagined-a voice suddenly
said THANK heaven. here is a human being
at last"
The girls nerves were too firmly strung to
be easily disturbed; yet she uttered slight
exclamation, and sprang back in alarm.
"Do not be alarmed" continued the voice
~ am so far from being able to harm you that
T Coroly need helm n1yselfr
She had recovered her coolness ere even this
short speech finished, and saw that the
speaker was a young man, dressed plainly
enough, but yet-as a woman would instantly
determine-in a style which no miner or drover
of that country ever affected; pleasant-look-
ing, handsome young fellow. He was seated,
apparently at his ease, in nook Of the rock,
while by his side was rifle.
"How did you come here?" asked the girl
"and what help do you want?"
~ really can hardly tell you how or why
came here" returned the stranger. "The i'm
mediate cause was that I slipped while coming
down the hill just in front of US, and have hurt
my foot so that cannot stand upon it. began
to think should remain here until morning or
perhaps till doomsday, until I saw you come
round the end of this rock. Do you happen to |
know where Blue Creek is?"
"Yes," said Annie. 81 live there"
THANK fate!" exclaimed the stranger, for !