Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1885-04-16

90 Win the DaDy TO 1athcr'6, and In TILT
house shall never set my foot again.
THAT'S all talk" Rube answered in 9
rough, joking, half serious fashion
"Why, it's fifteen miles to Pineville."
mo matter" was the firm rejoinder
&c! will make the start if the child and ]
freeze to death by the way"
"Look out for the wolves" Rube laugh.
ed again. "There has been half dozen
seen lately. 1t has been hard Winter
for them, and they're most starved"
evolves or no wolves" muttered Kate
"I'll CO."
RUDE hung about the house uneasily
for an hour or so, then rugged himself
out, leggings, buffalo coat, gun and all
Kate worked away and said never word
He opened the door and without looking
back remarked:
Cpl be here by sunset"
"See that you are" was the reply. 'Ii
you come here later the house will be
empty"
The wife watched his form across the
clearing and saw it disappear in the heavy
timber which circled the cabin. She
turned to her household duties, but had
no heart for them. Well she knew that
RUDE Wexford would break his last prom
Use as he had broken others before it. II
so he must abide by the result. She was
determined.
The day went by at a snail's pace, and
the afternoon seemed never ending.
Kate fondled the baby, listened to her
crow and cry. and fed her dozen times.
Then she prepared supper, and sunset
came when it was completed. But it
brought no RUDE. So the moments
passed until the clock struck ten. The
baby was fast asleep. Kate rose from a
chair at the cradles side, look of firm
determination on her face, and opening
the cabin door she peered across the
clearing. Not a soul was visible. She
closed the door, went to the chest and
took from it pair of old-fashioned
skates, whose steel runners cleaned in
the freight. She laid them ready for
use, and proceeded to wrap herself as
warmly as possible. Then she bundled
the baby in the same manner, lifting her
tenderly in her arms, and with the
skates slung over her shoulder started
across the clearing. After reaching the
timber she left the beaten path and
made for the river. It was coated
heavily with ice, and the wind had blown
it almost free from snow leaving near
ly naked surface. Kate laid the baby
down fOy a few moments while she fast
ened or her skates. Then she lifted her
baby once more and started for Pine
vile, fifteen miles away.
Rube Wexford sat by the warm fire
which was surrounded by dozen men
besides himself He had been there for
hours listening to anecdotes of hunters
lives, even adding to the general fund
with some of his experiences, but though
his companions coaxed and persuaded
him they could not prevail upon him to
taste liquor. This was something 80 en-
tirely new that many laugh and joke
was had at his expense. He answered
all persuasions to imbibe in the same
way, saying only, "Not to-day, boys; not
to-day"
When sunset came he was still in bis
seat. He wanted to be home. he wanted
to keep his promise, but he thought he
would wait while and start later, so as
it would not look to Kate too much as if
he we're giving in. So thinking, he
went to quiet corner by himself, and
had not been there long before he fell
asleep. 1t was eleven o'clock when he
awoke with start, and said hurriedly:
"What is it, Kate?"
A loud roar of laughter brought him
to his senses, and q rough voice cried:
"Rube, guess you have been dream
ing"
"Yes," he replied foolishly; 81 thought
my wife was calling me-"
He glanced at the clock and said:
"Boys, must CO."
"Have something before you leave"
was the general cry.
mo, no: not tonight"
smote him as he trudged through the
snow. 1t would be after 2 O'Clock when
he reached home. One thing consoled
him somewhat; he was sober. But would
Kate be in the cabin when he returned?
Of course she must be. Nothing short
of madness could tempt her to keep the
rash VOW she made ia the morning. So
thought Rube. This was because he was
incapable of estimating the great suffer-
ing which he had caused his wife.
On he went until through the stiffness
of the night was borne to his ears the
sound of falling waters. 1t proceeded
from q spot which marked the half way
between Pineville and his own home,
and was caused by the river tumbling
down steep decent Of fifteen or twenty
feet of rugged rock. His road at this
point lay close to the river bank, and
soon he was in full view of the cascade.
As he passed it he noticed with sort of
Al
looked as it tumbled down. For thirty
feet above the falls there was no ice. It
broke off abruptly, and the. current
rushed from beneath with terrible We
locity. Beyond in the moonlight glis-
tened an unbroken surface of clear ice
for fully half mile before there was q |
bend in the rivers bank. The sight was
an old one to Rube, and he paid little
heed to it, but stalked on silently, still
thinking of Kate and wondering If the
cabin would be tenantless. Suddenly he |
stood stock still and listened. Many an
ear would have heard nothing but the |
sound of rushing waters. Rube's acute |
and practiced hearing detected some
thing more and he felt instinctively for |
bis ammunition and looked to the prim-
ing of his rife. Then from q distance |
the sound came again-a peculiar cry,
followed by another and another, until
they ended in q chorus of unearthly
yells. Rube muttered to himself one
word-wolves-and strained his eyes in |