The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-01-23

~ N.3T
sell was suspicious, as Wa his extreme
anxiety to keep our negotiations secret
in town yonder. Well, I suppose he
feels dfsgraced by his dissipation there,
and the figure he gets is big enough to
satisfy any man.
Something crooked" commented
my father, who is of an analytical turn,
and not oyer-full of faith in his kind.
Mr.. Walter laughed. straight
enough, 80 far rs our ownership is con-
cerned. Well see what color the birdin
the bush proves to be-"
what provision have you against
Towards CLAMP" my father asked
, obviously.
aOh, that's all right. Lewis holds o
: power of attorney, and Howard's sigma
ture to o deed with blanks for parties OF
the second part. They were executed,
he admits, at q time when Howard was
about going home in disgust, before
they struck this rich lead of wire sill
YER It was never cancelled, and is
perfectly valid now"
We retired for the night. A bed was
made Tor ME within the carriage, with
its movable cushions, and my father
spread his blankets between the wheels.
I heard him speaking to our compan-
ions after and settled to repose.
whats the matter? Don't you like
the tent 2"
1--WE cannot both sleep on the mar
row cot" the young surveyor answered,
"and they've tried to level the floor, and
left it like o new-plowed field" He
moved on to spread their joint pallet on
the ground.
MI. Walter came and stood near the
carriage.
"There is something oppressive in
that tent, he said; II could not sleep
there, possibly. A chill struck me the
moment | entered. 1t was just SO when
we looked iii at the stores this after
noon. What o be the cause?"
"a band OF Apaches may have looked
in and left their blood curdling faint on
the atmosphere" my father ieersd.
They were seen through here q few
weeks ago. Walter, you grow more
fantastic and metaphysical every year.
Wen have you tipping tables and me-
terializing soon."
aBut l am not to blame" said Alfred
Walter, simply and without temper,
that am oyer-susceptible to certain
psychic influences, any more than aman
is cnlpable who gets bronchitis in q
Texas norther; and, now I think of it,
this is the first night I have been on
this ground. On each of our three
visits here, Lewis found something to
take us across tho divide to Salvador,
and we slept there"
aOh, nc doubt Lewis has even more
than the average Eastern mans esteem
for his own scalp, and n mile above
here there used to be o favorite Indian
trail. It is used yet at times-you may
have remarked that We kept no camp
fire. Keep your guns handy and
you're NIL rlght-unless you awaken
Ysador and her wrath at the same time.
The child is fond of her name. Good
night"
My last waking consciousness was Of
amusement at my fathers cavalier deal
ing with Mr.. Walter, and a mild won
der at the patience with which that
gentleman sustained patent reflections
against his courage. Then an indef-
mite period Of deep, dreamless sleep,
before l awakened starting, s%huddering
with the horror of-what was it? The
1ngubrions, long-drawn howl Of q pack
OF wolves. drawn hither by the scent Of
our food? But in this section, even
the skulking coyote was rare in the ex-
IRENE. VAST, then, the despair1ng cry
OF q wnyfnrer, belated, who had fallen
upon some unknown peril, or had a
band Of marauding Apaches slipped
down upon us to make m unaccustom-
ed night attack?
"Ysadorl" my father softly called, as
| cooked my ready revolvcr-for on the
frontier q m learns the duty of
s~elf-defense.
In another moment we were grouped
beneath the carriage, preparing as we
could for what might come. The long
rifles rested across the wheel spokes,
and the reserve pistols lay close at
hand. No sight. no further sound. The
night was opaquely dark. s'The horses!"
l whispered, with a sudden recollection,
and in another moment young Hande
was noiselessly gliding with q snakes
sinuous movement to the tree where his
two bays were tethered. He slipped
among us again, calm and wary.
Cub and Baby are there" he said,
Abnt trembling to their hoofs. They
scent mischief"
Look at the mine!" cried Alfred
Walter. thrilling.
From the mouth of the shaft stream
ed upward-what? Aluminous mist, n
palely phosphorescent cloud, electric,
glowing, vague and dim, but unmis.
taxable. 1t increased in volume and it
deepened in density, hanging an amor.
phous body of cold incandescence in
relief against the gloom. Then began
II distinct movement among its particles,
neither pulsating 0 rotary, but rather
akin to IN irregular system Of
endosmose and exosmose. It is i'm
possible to describe the peculiar APP
p%earance of atomic scintillation in q
mass of purely nebulous matter that,
in bulk, gave no suggestion of molecu-
lar constitution. Gradually the mys-
FERROUS substance densiied about its
centre. With many o wavering express
sion and contraction, mn outline shaped
itself within the clond-shaped itself,
apparently materlalized, and stood
forth, the head and shoulders Of o sing
ularly handsome man, whose mournfnl
eyes looked toward us, over us. through
us, to the tent of the Fraternity" part
ners, on the edge Of the draw.
1Good H~eavensl" cried Harvey
Handle, sit is Lon Howard"
"But look!!" said Alfred Walter; "see
how the cloud is moving"
The central apparition resolved itself
again into luminous mist, and the nebu-
la swung forward, floating TREMENDOUSLY
down tho hillside toward us and the
tent. It kept its shapeless shape no
briefest minute. Now it streamed up
through the night like mounting fame