The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1884-03-27
cnArrEn In--A LOST WOMAN.

M1ITHTIy a
he shelter Of the large leaning willows,
Ind unyoked the patient aud weary cattle.
l. 1t had been nearly dark long time.
That darkest hour which always precedes
hay lad covered all things for the last lew
miles. IL was only by the MD OF the friend.
~ lrdian, Who led tse oxen ., .ne nea ,a ., .,
Bhe advance team, that We had been able 10
vdnd our way to this camp. Inc women
Ind children, OF course, we're asleep 10 TIE
Wagons. The men plcdded along patiently,
and kept very IT II.
The long. black, haunting box, that had
xcrept down IRON out tue long, erohg gtass,
Gnd hal drawn on and over the white shore
rof salt, following stealthily, silently, GER
Mainly az a shadow, had not been seen Tor
HOURS Aud even then IL was lar In the
hear. The salt and sand were heavy and
Udeep. The man 1t last, even giant 40 he
Vvas must have had hard work 10 move MS
marrow here. Surely he hau broken down,
ckened may bet Died, let US hope,"
whispered one 10 another OF the terrified
}Band rs they unyoked the tired cattlo ana
xturned them uptho banks oil the willow
Atresm, watched them, and kept them close
Ito the ullows 40 that they might not DO
seen by the Dsnites.
The mem bsrs OF the little party, Oh light
deecen ded upon ths dark wstsrs, found
hhemeelvea still close to the BANKS OF the
kglitteripg lake. They had travelled in
Bort of Gre scent around an arm on the north
end OF the ses. The camp was a pleasant
yone. The little leland with the thrso traes
WAS not so very lar away. II lay almost be-
utween this camp aud tie one they had letG
1.-The night before. The solitary lock, with
Hits horrid association OF dead body IL
tchains, was suggestivsly nesr-too near.
HNo one spoke OF this as the light came
xdown a. d revealed 1t. Yet al! thought oil
Il. The willows broadeped and the valley
Widened up this littlo Iivulet, and the grass
Nwas rank and abundant. Quail were heard
There piping jnthe dewy grass A Hook OF
Nprsirie.hens few overhead and settled dove
Uwithin near gunshot. Bnt no man thought
1of raising his gun. The report wouid pos
sibly bring the upwelc0me guest, the ghost
ly shadow whom all were hoping, as they
prepared their breakfast, Keeping the smoke
subdued had gone down in the sea OF salt.
Ono of the men WHO were Watching the
cattle DECLARED that he saw wild creature
in the willows Suddenly. and before 1t
was yet quite dawn, Nettie Lane, now
terrified aud helf-naked woman, crept into
|camp. What sight! Woods were not
ABUNDANT here. these willows were the
only kind OF protection ia which any fugi-
Tive might find shelter the whole region
around And here she had been hiding,
living on.berries, sleeping in the Willows, in
1.-THE tall grass, waiting, praying Tor some one
i to come that way with whom she could
thrust her life and that which is more than
HE to woman.
n No need of quas ions or of answers now.
The dead body aud its companions in
chnns down by the black rock which rose
from tho Iabe by tho little island, how
aileptly told the whole terrible story. The
two mute and sUllso Danites that had gal
loped past spoke 10 he man By the collin
and di5appeared; the silent ulea thai ioi-
logeti aud searched and searched the rank
n grass and willows and looked in every
Il direction for some one need not opsn their
VI A nod fhn. yyhltp tprYi-
Il BILE tale.
"They had been judged, and were not"
4 The tragedy had taken place, or rather
n the murders had been committed, on this
very stream, and not far from this very
spot; as some blood Stains little way up
the stream still bore testimony.
Everything, Of course, OF value had been
kaken; 1'they had heen judged, and were
hot" Their property was confiscated to
lhe church. How the girl had escaped she
Kartly knew herself And indeed no one
asked directly. You do not understand
could trust bis nsighbor, you will compre-
bend why no one spoke above a whisper
nov! and you will not be surorised that
The was not pressed to tell her tale. Words
are the most eloquent things to tall story
with anyway. Even the children huddled
together in groups a. they ofeP. out OF tns
| Indians. :,
The girl sat down by the water, well con-
| oealsd. and ate some bread. Then after
while, with the help OF some plying wo'
men, she combed out her long. splendid,
block hair and tied it up with ribbon. She
was even then strangely besutiful.
The men kept looking no and down the
stream Sc If ha expecting the Dsnites to
dash in upon them from almos. any qnsy-
ter at slmoss any moment. a Steep high
hill rose abruptly before US. To movs on
with.the girl and 80 escape by sudden night
before discovered-tbis was d doubtful ex-
nerjmsnt, and yet some wanted to try it ut
ali hazards. 1t seemed that IL We could
climb thst ridge that rose steeply before us,
and drive straight and steadily ahead I'LL
We came to Green river, We might escape.
Anyway we were too terrified to remain
here. Things we're packed mp the weary
oxen again yOked and all was ready Tor an
advance.
lone thing to our advantage, the old spy
in off the track anyhow" said q woman to
her husband as she handed him his OK
whip.
thumb inst little down the stream toward
the lake, and said nothing. There sat the
singular man composedly, BY, the side Of
his coffin, quietly reading book as usual,
and munching morsel Of dry bread.
Just when he had come no one knew.
Perhaps he had passed the little party In
himself and his Danites.
However, it was all-important that no
one should seem alarmed at his presence;
and then what else could be done? All
was now ready for moving on. We could
not stop now vii hout showing fear. At
the last moment the girl, between two wo-
\ men. and quite concealed by their shawls,
crept into wagon with a party of chill
dren. The little train stretched itself out
and began to start bravely up the hill to-
ward the west. The leader stoppeH threw
up naud! And there on this bill, right
across the dim road, party of horsemen
suddenly drew rein.
"Danitesp'
1t was whispered-this one word, and
that only by the women. The train, which
had not tsirly started, was stopped, the
children came out OF the wagons. The girl
even came out and there was no concevl-
ment Of any kind. This was best and hon
est. The people were not prepared or dis
posed to fight. The first impulse OF an
American is to fight when wronged or in
peril, no matter what the odds. But when
hunted down, swed into submission by
this semi.religious lot Of madmen-these
Guiteaus--it was quite another matter:
HEven 4 larger party, + am sure, had stood
Sbill and waited the approaching Dauites as
There was but one question. Had the
irl's beauty saved her, or had she escaped
u chance OF skilli Would her beauty save
er now! Not likely. She knew too much
pw to live.
tThe party Of armed and long.hsired
hprsemen rode down the hill toward the
gimp, against the rising sun, very leisurely
now. Their long desperate search was over.
They knew at . glance from the hill that
. &.