The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1888-07-27

up, took out his knife and asked her
to cut his sleeve off. 81 am losing
blood terribly from my arm," he ex
claimed. She bravely but tremblingly
did as she was told. When she had
cut away the soaked cloth and barred
the massive arm he helped her to i'm
provise tourniquet with his handker-
chief and piece of stick, and the
bleeding was stopped. After second
dose of whisky and water he commenc.
ed to improve rapidly. She bound
another cloth around his head. "The
fellow with the rifle did that" he said.
''That is what knocked me off the box
1t is only a Craze, but it was mighty
close call" Then he struggled to his
feet, and, looking around, saw the
stage. "They didn't get the box, did
theyf" he cried eagerly. |
81 don't know, she said, taking up
her baby and hushing its cries. 81
don't think 80. The horses ran away"
"The horses ran awsyr he said,
staring wonderingly for the first time
at the pretty white face that was rails
ed to his. "Well, but-why-how |
did the stage get back here?"
81 brought it back" she replied, |
lowering her head under his persistent
gaze.
"You brought it back!" he exclaim-
ed; "you!' I'D
For few minutes the wonn ded
lieutenant looked down at the slight
form of the woman who stood before
him in the moonlight, yelled 10 her
long black hair. Then, as he realized
what she had done, he took off his hat
and dropped itin the road, having but one
available arm, and offered her his hand.
She placed hers frankly within it, and
he raised the little gauntlet respectfully
to his lips "You are very brave" he
said with considerable feeling; 81 am
glad to think that perhaps l owe you
my life.'
The Johnstown stage was later than
ever that night when it drew up in
: front of Abe Goldstein's store in Pack
City. simultaneously with its arrival
the drinking and gambling saloons and
other places of public resort suddenly
became deserted. 1t was said that
woman had driven the stage iu, and
that a man with his head bandaged
and his arm in sling was sitting
, along side of her holding baby.
While Wells -Fargo's box and the mail.
, sacks we're being taken out for Gold
STEMS store was also the express and
, post-office) the story was briefly given
/ to the crowd. Then cheering, pistol
! firing procession accompanied the stage
down the street to the hotel. Here
dozen strong arms lifted the woman
from the box, while the baby was only
/ rescued from a mob of volunteer
Q bearded nurses by the Intervention of
o the muscular landlady. The lieuten-
= ant himself, after being enthusiastical-
7 ly asked to drink i'll the aggregate
/ liquor enough to have stocked whole
e sale whisky store, was put to bed, aud
a messenger despatched for the surgeon
f at the fort.
4 Meanwhile a party of horsemen
d swiftly and silently rode out of the
town in the direction whence the stage
!. had come. The newt day the lieute-
O nant was informed that Whistling
j. Dick had been found dead in the road
1t at the head of Stony Creek grade. A
l. false gray beard had been picked up
!, near the hody and was thoughtfully
n offered to the lieutenant as a memento.
o "We struck the other fellows trail,
e said the informant, Sin clump OF
e scrub oak. He was wounded, and
IS there wasn't any trouble in following
t. it. We finally corraled him down il
le Stony Creek. But he was game, and
TT played that gun of his for all it wa'
r worth before we took him in. Yol
ID never would have guessed, now, tina
le it was Jim Gatesby himself, the com
es pany's new driver. But that's who il
2. was, for fact. I've heard since tina
If the express folks kind of suspicione'
him of standing in on that last rob
berry,
CHAPTER IVA ROMANTIC ENDING.
er One year has passed. Again the 81
it lent City of Rocks has lost its shar]
10 outline in the shimmering heat of Jul
es afternoon. On the bench outside tn
h. the stagehouse door Nate, the station
ok keeper, is sitting, reading month-ol
ay newspaper. On the edge of tn
It. water trough opposite him, Frank, tn
ok helper, is mending horse collar
mt Presently Nate threw down the pape
re, and said: "Well, I'll be burned!
or Frank looked up iuquiringly, Nat
he rolling cigarette from a piece {
he brown wrapping paper, continued
en- "Ye rec'lect the old gen'l'man frol
be the States wot went up the line abol
he two months after Lieutenant Calvert
nd laid out Whistling Dick and tn,
ty. marty of Gin Gatesbyi'
on Frank nodded his head. He was
of man of few words.
er, "Ye rec'lect how many questions
'us asked about that little rumpus? Sp
on cially bout the lady with the kid, WI
lily showed such heap o sand? Th
Ior old gen'rman was her father"
ed 81 knowed that" said Frank in
ler tone that resented having his intere
,ht excited to no purpose"
ceH "Of course ye knowed it, repli,
Ige Nate, calmly.
the Didn't he perk up his head like
Ily, grass-fed cayuse and tell ye so VIII
ses he brought her down the line az
about two weeks afterward? I
of course ye knowed it. Didn't he t
age every mothers son all along the Ii
All that it was his daughter' Why, VIII
the he went out to the Sahatlin Agen
of and got her to give up teachin' the
wo- juns' kids and go home with him tn
and tell me that he set up the drinks
hen the whole derned town. But ye did
ept year how it was that the lady ev
at come out into this country to tea
ros- siwashes, did YET Nol Well, thu
ace the way of it was this: she buck
lite agin the old man IN gittin marie
God She lowed her Judgment laid over /
aud but it didn't pan out worth du
his Her husband was no good, and VIII
dly he found her father wasn't going
ask chip in and help 'em along he W.
back ON her. But she didn't go n
ow. ing round the old man to be TUX ba
the That warn't her style. She just
his an appointment as school teacher