Omaha daily bee., 1886-09-14
TRAGEDY OF THE PLAINS.
Two Lonely Graves Lost on the Banks
OF Red River.

OF Red River.
Cheyenne Letter in New York Mail:
The writer met on the streets of Chey-
enne few days ago an old friend last
seen on the southern cattle trial. Old
times were talked over. Our friend still
followed the Texas long horns, and many
scenes of past days were recalled and
many trail adventures recountcd. In the
course of the talk Red River crossing
was mentioned, and our friend said he
must tell of u romantic tragedy mark
ing the crossing of the stream by the
herd lie was with this season. In the
outfit, starting to gather the cattle for the
trail i'll the early spring, was II young fol
low about whom hung Il mystery. He
had been with the outfit since the fall be-
fore, and such was his reserve that six
months had not succeeded in making
hm any better known to his
companions than when he joined
them. He was slight and delicate in APP
pcarancc to girlishness, yet his duty was
always performed as well as that of the
most stalwart rider In the spring, when
the activity of the cattle gathering began,
this young fellow, to whom the boys had
given the sobriquet of Lady" became
restless. An eager anxiety to see every
stranger encountered on the range
seemed to have taken complete possession
of him. He seemed to know by intuition
"litll IL SlItupCI WIS uDOuI, anu WIS cGE-
tain sooner or later to get sight of him.
Lady carried good Winchester habit
ually. and knew exactly how TO use it. 1t
soon became recognized fact in the out
tit that the young fellow was looking for
some one, and the wild cowboys watched
eagerly for the dcnouement It did
not come until the herd had been gath
cred and reached the Red River crossing
The night the outfit camped on the
hanks nt the rod strpn m thnrp rnHn N n
the camp stranger looking for
work. He was Il stalwart, sun-burnt
fellow, apparently about thirty years of
age. As the foreman arose from his
supper to meet the newcomer there
came the rapid beat of hoofs. A
horse dashed up to the group around the
supper fire, grllsh form lcaped to the
ground, the freight shone on the barrel
of leveled Winchester as it covered the
stranger. and voice, clear and stern,
was heard. Make your peace with your
God at once, James Saunders. 1T is l,
Ella Morrow, who speaks to you" A
spellbound silence endured for seconds
space and then the report rang out and
james Saunders pitched head long from
his horse, shot through the heart by
Lady" the woman he had deserted.
Scarcely had the smoke wreaths tloatcd
upward when another report came and
Lady" had taken her own life. On the
person of the girl, who had so long
braved the hard life of the cattle frontier
Tor the purpose of taking vengeance on
her false lover was found letter. This
told in pathetic terms the story of
her wrongs. Up to her nth birthday,
three years from the date of the tragedy,
she had lived happy and beloved
daughter, amid the grand hills of New
Hampshire. On the seventeenth birth.
day there came a young stranger to her
home. He was handsome, accomplished
ana winning. Teaching the winter term
of the district school, Ella was one OF
his uupils, and the close companlonship
in which they were thrown deycloped
love on her part. 1t was the old story.
Then came desertion and the secret de-
parture from ber home to avenge her
wrongs. She had traced her betrayer to
the Texas frontier, and knew that If she
only had the patience to wait long
enough she must meet nm. Her task
completed, she no longer had any desire
to live.
Revercntly the rough riders, who had
so long known her as a comrade, dug
for Lady" deep grave on the spot
Witnessing her vengeance and laid her
therein. The body of the seducer was
carelessly flung in n shallow hole, and
the next morning two lonely graves were
left on the banks of the Red river.