The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-02-21
anderspn yutelligtatsr,

nakrs1a gn1RM19eaERT.
a BRAVE WOMAN.
Twenty years sgo, and while the pres
ant populous city of Denver was known
as Cherry Greek, when Pixies Peak was
to the adventurous soul what Leadville
and the camps of the Gunnison are to-
z day, there lived on the "gold trail, !" run,
ming from the settlements to the foot OF
the mountains, q rancher by the name
of Ralph, Lathrop. He was young
man who, with his young wife, had come
to this far away Western country from
Illinois, willing to work and determined
to win q home among the blue peaks OF
dorado. He had built a small log cabin
little off from the main trail, and was
engaged in raising cattle and sheep for
home consumption at the time of which
We write. His family consisted OF him
self and wife and 4 single hired man.
Indians we're neither plenty or dan
eerous, the wild beasts of the country
had retired to escape being shot, and the
travellers TO and fro upon the trail,
though often rough, were seldom ugly,
90 that when business demanded Ar.
Lsthrop did not hesitate to leave his
wife alone It tie ranch for day and
night at q time.
One evening at supper, aspiring night,
with the odor Of the fresh grasses and
the budding leaves perfuming the air,
the hired man, johnson, delivered q
most startling piece of news.
.Didsyou hear o. the robbery at the
Pesk f-kiliin' too, understand. jim
Bartlett, from the Greek, passed to-day,
and he Msa a-tellin' me. Seems gang
Q, these plain fellows, rough riders, l
reckon, dropped into acamp last night
and took ali the, boys gold and shot two
So, the miners. They We made for the
z mountains; it's opposed, but the hull
speak Is after them. They'll swing the
crowd if they catch sem
aWhos Earss the despsradoesf" asked
Lathrop.
ssTheres we're only three O. 'em, and
Black Dan, him as was hung IN new
Mexico VASE guess they oon't
know lie other, . replied johnson.
stBlsck Dan r! said the master, u
thought. he Was, on the Pacific coast.
Ha'saon of the worst men ever in this
EState. / hope they will catch the party
and serve, them with border justice,
nn;kt and sure. Z shall feel better to
fnnu ;thst the rascal is under the sod"
ssWhy, Ralph g said his wife Nellie,
: tssyou are surely not afraid OF the man.
SWhy ahoula Won wish him eyiIW
af3e's d terror to any community and
asdanger to any; State, :, returned hsr hus-
/: bsnd. murderer, and worse hung
in New Mexico for revolving crimes, bnt
rescued BY his comrades 3; man whose
heart s.. as black ~ his, flowing beard,
and whose hands are red; with human
blood. / wish him no eyil-only justice
and 8 short ropeI And he'll Eetlt it the
Peak boys catch him..
Quiet Mrs. Lathrnp;l looked wondering.
" at her husband. Surely this noted
desperate must be- Of the WORT, that
Ralph should speak SCOT f'him. And the
memory Of her husband's words came to
her afterwards.
NIGHT fell the shadow OF departing
winter rende dering chill all theiwosld De.
hind him, as the doors were closed and
abarred-for this.ranch was miles from
the nearest neighbor- fresh logs were
throWn upon the FIRE, while the little
household still talked of the tragedy at
the Peak and the fleeing robbers pursued
by the vengeful miners.
ssWell,r y said johnson, ct last, - ne
rose to 70 tothe loft and his bed, :" tonly
hone with y0n, Mr.. Lathrop, that they
NAV catch lem. The country'li be bet
ter without 'enn.o 2 g =.
AN hour later sleep ruled, and not un-
iii the early dawn, fresh and rosy, crept
over the eastern bill tops did the little
I household pnbar its doors again. With
the return of;day thoughts Of the evening
before were forgotten. What had they
to do with the wolyesH They must care
for the sheep.
Break fast Was over and the hired man
had departed with the herd for the hills.
distant some three miles, where no would
be absent until night, when suddenly
Mr.. Lathrop called to his wife from the
log barn. The young woman ran to the
door. -,
.tNellis, dear,n said her husband,
i.I,ye Just found, greatly to my surprise,
that we're out of salt. The sheep need
it, and must have 8 barrel to-day. I've
got to 20 to the Creek for it, and will
not be; back before night Johnaon will
be up whit the sheep early. Goodbye.
"a wave of the hand, a rattle OF the
heaYyWagon, the quick beat of the horses
hoofs. and Frank Lathrop was gone,
leaving his young wife alone in the road
side ranch. But the frontier woman
turned back into her cabin after she had
watched her husband out of sight, with
not a thought Of dagenr and hardly one
Of loneliness amid all the work which her
busy hands could find to do.
sIt4was high noon.- For /. little the
Young mistress had rested, while Che soft
warmth of the springtime had almost
lulled her to sleep. Then she he'd pre-
pared and eaten plain dinner, all alone,
and now she was engaged in washing the
few dishes used, humming a low love
song as. she worked, and counting the
4 Si1i.-.R that ipfcruopod