Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-12-30

n suppressed but bitter denunciation OF
the other boys of his acquaintance. What
was Cal. Harrison doing, while he
Johnny was alone in the woods, wounded
in grown-up duel-for nothing would
convince this doughty infant that he had
not Been an active participant. Where
was Jenny Snyder that he didn It come
| to his assistance with the other fellers
towards all; they were afraid. Ho, hoi
And he Johnny, WASH t afraid ho-he
didn't mind it. Nevertheless
he had to repeat the phrase
! two or three times until
after repeated struggles to move forward
| through the brush, he at last sank down
exhausted. By this time the distant
group had slowly moved away, carrying
something between them, and leaving
Johnny alone in the fast coming dark
ness. Yet even this desertion did not
affect him as strongly as his implicit be-
lief in the cowardly treachery of his old
associates.
1t grew darker and darker, until the
open theater of the late conflict
appeared enclosed in funeral walls;
cool searching breath of air that
seemed to have crept through the
bracken and underground like a
hot forehead He grasped his Ratchet
firmly as against possible wild beasts, and
as a medicinal and remedial precaution,
took another turn with his suspender
around his bandage. 1t occurred to him
that he would probably die. They would
all feel exceedingly sorry and alarmed,
and regret having made him wash him.
self on Saturday night. They would at
tend his funeral in large numbers in the
little graveyard, where white tomb
stone inscribed to ''JOhn Filgee, fell
i'll a duel at the age of seven, - would
be awaiting him. He would forgive his
brother, his father and Mr.. Ford. Yet
even then he vaguely resented few
leaves and twigs dropped by wood
pecker in the tree above him, with
shake of his weak fist and an incOherent
declaration that they couldn t ''play no
babes in the wood on him - And then
having composed himself he once more
turned ON his side to die, as became the
scion of a heroic race! The free woods,
touched by an upspringing wind,
waved their dark arms above him, and
higher yet a few patient stars silently
ranged themselves around his pillow.
But with the rising wind and stars
came the swift tramping of horses hoofs
and the flashing of lanterns, and DR..
DuchesLe and the master swept down
into the opening.
at was here said the master
quickly, ''but they must have taken
him on to his own home. Let lis fol-
low. -
''Hold on moment, - said the doctor,
who had halted before the tree. "'What s
all this? Why, its baby Filgee-by thun-
der.''
In another moment they had both dis
mounted and were leaning over the half
conscious child. Johnny turned his
feverishly bright eyes from the lantern to
the master and back again.
''What is it Johnny boy?'' asked the
master tenderly. "Were you lost?''
With CLEAN of feyerish eXultation,
Johnny rose, albeit wanderingly, to the
Occasionl
"Hit?' he lisped feebly. "Hit IN
dOell, at the age of Uneven -
"What!'' asked the bewildered mas
ter.
But DR.. Duchesne, after single swift
scrutiny of the boy S face, had unearthed
him from his nest of leaves, laid him in
his lap, and deftly ripped away the pre-
posterouS bandage. 'Hold the light
hSlC' ny JONc. LiC ICiiS tIiO II w uO
did it, Johnny!'
But Johnny was silent. In an interval
of feverish consciousness and pain, his
perception and memory had been quick
ened; a suspicion Of the real cause of his
disaster had daYSseSapon him-but his
childish lips We're hef6icaFly sealed. The
master glanced appealingly at the doctor.
''Take him before you in the saddle to
McKinstry 's,'' said the latter promptly.
"I can attend to bath.'' 49,
The master lifted the. boy tenderly in
his arms. Johnny stimulated by the
prospects of free ride, became feebly
interested in his fellow sufferer:
''Did Theth hit him bad?'' he asked
80 Seth?' echoed the master, wildly.
10y eth. l theed him when he took
aim -
The master did not reply. but the next
moment Johnny felt himself clasped i'll
his arms in the saddle before him, borne
like a whirlwind in the direction of the
McKinstry ranch.
CHAPTER XIV.
They found the wounded man lying in
the front room upon a rudely eXtempo-
Psed couch of bear-skins, he having
sterniy declined the effeminacy of his
"llt ; DcutOUll III IHC possibility VI ii
ia al termination to his wound, and in
obedience to grim frontier tradition he
had also refused to have his
boots removed in order that he
might "de with them on as be-
come his ancestral custom. Johnny
was therefore speedily made comfortable
in the McKmstry bed while DR.. Duchesne
gave his whole attention to his more Sc
rious patient. The master glanced hur-
riedly around for Mrs. McKinstry. She
was not only absent from the room, but
there seemed to be no suggestion of her
presence in the house. To his greater
surprise the hurried inquiry that rose to
his lips was checked by a. significant
warning from the attendant. He sat
down beside the now sleeping boy, and
awaited the doctor s return with his mind
between the condition of the
little sufferer and the singular
revelation that had momentarily
escaped his childish lips. If Johnny
had actually seen Seth fire at McKinstry,
the latter's mysterious wound was ac-
counted for-but not Setn's motive. The
act was so utterly incomprehensible and
with 'Seth's ayOwed hatred
of the master that the boy must have
been delirious.
He was reused by the entrance of the
% not ca ha %