The Bad Lands cow boy. [volume] (Little Missouri, Dakota [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-1886, 1886-07-01

you think I ought to wake him up,
mother?n IL.
Yes answered my mother.
My sister went into the next room.
Father she said, .'wake up; it is
growing late = 4 M :. i 1.
There was no. answer. The next
moment q piercing Shrek rang through
the house. q
."My Godl He is dead!'.
Horror stricken, we rushed into the
room. The safe had been robbed and
my father shot through the heart while
he sat not thirty feet away from us, and
we had not heard a sound. At the
| post-mortem examination they found
in his body curious missile more than
an inch long and shaped partly like
bullet and partly like "a dart. The
point was sharp and three sharp faces
ran back toward the face of the missile.
| Experts said the missile had been pro-
| jected by some force other than powder,
else my mother and sister would have
heard the report, and they talked very
learnedly about the application of COM
| pressed air and even limited at cleo
tricity. But what manner of weapon
the murderer used none could say.
! had mechanically taken the dart
and put 1T into my pocket, I. always
carried it there insthe vague hope that
someday it might help me to unravel
the mystery Of my fathers death.
which had slain my mother and had
rested upon my soul; like great pail
had that dart in my pocket even then.
And there was following mysteri-
GUS black cat out of the suburbs of the
city in the gloomy night and down a
country road, moved by some impulse
which 1 could not explain, and which,
strangely enough, I did not want .ex-
planned. The cat turned into a mar
row lane leading to piece of dense
woods. could hear the bell in the CO.
thedral tower striking the hour of mid
night. I was cold almost numb-al-
though the night was hardly chilly, I
wanted to go back, yet I went on: My
eyes ;vainly strove ito penetrate the
black arches ofathe forest. The whisp-
ering Of the night wind i'll the trees
was full Of hidden meanings. Cold per-
SEPARATION trickled down my forehead
My teeth chartered. My knees knock
ed together. Yet went on. :.
At the edge Of the wood the cat
paused. I could not see her body, but
her eyes glowed in the darkness with a
wierd light She .begansSto new and
the sound echoed dismaily among the
trees, dying away in smothered sobsi in
the darkness. I could tell by the agita-
ton Of the. dead leaves at my feet that
the cat was scratching, as if hunting
for something. Presently she utter
ed a long, piercing cry that seemed to
make the very trees tremble and then
she was silent and motionless. Tremb-
ling violently, I struck match and
stopped over her. She had her foot on
something half covered by leaves. 1t
looked like dead branch. Ipicked it
up.,5I 1t was gun-not like-an had
ever seen before, but still like gun.
looked at it blankly. Mechanically
drewf from my pocket the curious missile
which always carried and dropped it
into the barrel. \ It fit perfectly. The
horror that rushed over me when I
knew that 1 held in my hands the
weapon which had slain my father was
too great to be borne. The skies reeled
above me. I saw a hundred pairs of
glowing eyes. I tottered, groaned, and
fell senseless upon the earth.
Two years passed away. I had not
yet solved the mystery. My sister was
!, about to be married, and was prepar-
4 ar to go to. the wedding. She had
.35Fs II living with relatives in Cincinnati,
i where she was completing her musical
studies. There she had met young
man whom had never seen, but who,
all my relatives assured me, was worthy
to become my sisters husband. He
had been in Cincinnati only two years,
but had in that time made himself a
/ favorite in the best society of the city.
He had plenty of money, which be said
he had made in the West, where had a
large cattle ranch. I saw no reason
why 4 should object to my sister S
choice. FL. 7..s..';:,
Il. I had invited Mortimer Melville to 90
Il with me. Mortimer was my most init
mate friend, although I had known him
/ less than two years. Z had the, good
fortune to find his pocketbook, which
he lost, and took it to the business ad-
dress written on card inside. From
that trivial incident our friendship grew
up. We never visited each others
rooms, because we used to prefer to sit
together in the smoking room of the
modest club to which we belonged
Having invited him to go: to the we'd
ding with me, I was waiting for him in
my room, where he was to call for me
on his way to the station.
q "Come in.' said, hearing knock
at the door. .55s e. -. "a,
"Good morning, old fellow he said.
entering, sg.sstit,s a little early yet, but I
confess I was a little curious to have a
peep at your ooms before starting
Pretty conf rtasle place you have here,
Bob. . 81 "a q Il ~
"Ye s,. it IS. Make yourself at home,
Mort, while 1 coax the total depravity
out$of this necktie.'F "a
| Mortimer strolled around the room
! looking at the pictures. Suddenly he
. - Hred an exclamation of surprise. I
i tar!,ed and saw him pointing at the
black cat. which was lying asleep on the
hearth rug: ~: g.aa7 s,.-
Where did you get that catp'' he
asked. "A. .-.>i
''She followed me home one night"
| "She' $ mine" he exclaimed. Il lost
her two years ago, before | knew your
Then he walked to the other side of
the room and called, Here Witch,
Witch. The cat ran to4 him and
purred around his feet.
'5s.tY on see, he said, ..she answers to
her name. But how on earth did you
get herp'' s;sSsss
Hooked at my watch. We had an
hour, to spare. I sat down and told
him the whole story As j went on /
noticed that a look Of deep trouble set
tied upon his features. When i had
concluded he said: s$ - I 81 al
Have you the gun yeti
Yes I answered. taking it from a
closet. 5f I. ss-i;:s5 5s#t; ;.s II: