The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1884-03-27
Printed IN this paper by special arrangement
ANilh hn mt hnr
4 STORY OF THE tArIr DAYS or NonMoNlss
BY JOAQUIN MILLER.
Author Of 'tSongs OF tne >ierrs, "The Dtuitc-' =
''Mrmoric and Rime.' tlc

I}tdhH. ~ II tutN Atit uilGuAN tl'N tbs ~
garden kissing heaven, we came 70
another little 0fiov-lined stream. cross
ed III. and silently drew tie wagons in 4
little circle in the shelter ot the large
leaning willows, and uuN Nohed the patient
and weary cattle.
It h1d been nearly dark Z long time
THAT darkest hour which always precedes
day had covered all things for the last
few miles. 1t was only h5 the aid OF The
friendly Indian, who led the oAcn at the
head of the advance team, that we had
been rhIe TO tud our @al to this camp.
The women ana children Of course were
asleep in thc wagons. The men plodded
along patiently, au" kept very stIli
The long, black, haunting boN, that
haa crept doNn from ont the long, strong
grass, and had drawn on and over The
White shore OF salt, following stealtGiiy,
silently, certainty rs Shadow. had not
been seen for hours. And even then it
was ldr ~ Tho l"ar 1he salt and the
sand were heavy aud deep The man at
last, even giant as he Was, must have
HAD hard work TO move bis harr"N here.
Surely he had broken down. Sickencu
may pc ;-''dled, let as hopc Whispered
one 10 another q The terrified 'ilt'e band
as they unNohed the urtd cattle ana
turned them up the banks OF the willow
stream, watched tAem- and kept turm
close TO the willows 50 that they might
not be seen by the Dantrs-
lhe members OF he Attle party, as
Light descended upon the dark waters
found themselves stlII close 10 lie banks
OF the 5llttcrlng lake lhey had travel
led in a sort Of crescent around an arm
On the north end Of the sea- The ,dlnp
was a pleasant enc. The little island
with the three tees was not 80 very far
away Il lay almost between this camp
and the one they had left the night Ne
fore. The solitary rock. with lis horrid
!
suggestiveiy near-too near Ne one
spoke of this as The light came duNn ana
revealed it. Yet all thought ot 1t. The
willows hr0adcn4d and the valley widen
ed up this ittlr rir8let. and The grass
was rank ana abundant. Quail were
heard here piping in the dew1 grass 4
flock ot prairie hens flew overhead ana
settled down within near gunshot. Bat
no man thought Of raising his cum. The
report would possibly bring the unWei-
come guest, the ghostly SHADOW, whom
all were hoping as they prepared rheir
breakfast, keeping the smoke subdued,
had gone down in the sea OF salt.
4 One Of the men who were watching tie
cattle declared that he saw wild Great
ure in the willows. Suddenly, and before
| it was yet quite dawn, Nettie Lane, now
a terrified and half-nakcd woman, crept
/ into camp. What a sight, Woods were
not abundant here. These willows were
! the Only klnu Oh pfOttctlOll i'll NHlcH any
fugitive might find shelter tie whole
region around. And here she had been
hiding. living on berries. sleeping III the
| willows i'm the tall GRASS. waiting. prayinr
fo,. soma ono tn come that way with
whom She could trust her life and that
which is more than life to woman.
30 Ueed ofouestions Or Of answer nov.
The dead body and its COMPANIONS in
chains down by the black rock which
rose from the lake Dy the little island.
how silently told the whole terrible story.
The Two mute and sullen Danres that
had gall0ped past spoke to the man by