Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-09-22

700 much Startled. A woman In those
Gays was looked upon with admiration
and some. .fhing approaching awe, especially
oy thos e living in the gulches and canyons
with scarcely one within twenty miles, but
10 nave one spring into their midst with
out any warning at all, and at such a
time, made them dumb. Soon, however.
grizzly-haired man, taller than the 9TH
ers, said, young woman, who might you
be 2"
There were some among the crowd who
knew Hitty well enough, but under the
circumstance they felt desire to be
dumb.
Hitty answered, fastening her ewes on
her questioner, 81 am the sister of one OF
the men who seems to be charged some
where with some dreadful crime. For
Gods sake tell me all you know about it."
All now looked to the man with the
grizzly hair.
"Wall, miss" said he, 'sPm powerful
sorry to tell you, but your brother and an
other feller is charged with killin' and
robbin' man up to Tarantula Bar"
He hesitated moment, but Hitty only
looked at him with wild stare. He felt
the necessity for saying something more,
so added, They'd ben hung yesterday,
only thar seemed to be some doubt in the
minds of enough on 'em to kinder hold
the crowd back till tonight, when it'll 90
mighty hard with the young fellers if
they don't clear themselves somehow"
For moment Hitty stood looking from
one to another as though she did not COM
prehend the dreadful story, then suddenly
turning toward the road, the crowd OPEN
ing quickly, she sped with all her fieetness
tor home. On the way she became calmer
and more selfpossessed. She asked herself
what ought to be done, and the answer
came, Save him." Just how she was to
save him she did not know, but before she
reached the cabin she was fully determined
to go herself and save him. She could,
because she kneU he was innocent. That
was all. But must she tell her parents ?
Would it not kill her father to hear the
dreadful news? And the motherl 1t
would never do to tell her. The troubles
OF the last two or three months were all
that she could bear. 1t must be concealed
from them, however hard for her to dis.
semble.
Her mother met her at the door. "Well
did you get letter% she asked.
mo" said Hitty, "but 1 heard" Her
voice began to tremble. Her mother
noticed it and Hitty's look, and seizipg her
by the hand she cried out, For Heavens
sake, Hitty, what is it?"
Hltty drew her away from the door al
most roughly, ,and whispered, mot SO loud
mother. l have just heard Luke is very
low at Iarantula Bar, and / must 60 to hin
at once"
"Hltty, Hitty," moaned her mother, "he
will die; l know it. 0, this is dreadful p
Now, mother, you must bear ND fol
fathers sake. l can care for Luke. III.
needs woman's care. l can save him
| mother"
She led her mother to rude bench BY
the side OF the house and then said
Mother, you must be calmer and hide
this from father for a day or two, till
come back. You must do it, mother. ]
am sure it will be all right yet"
We'll, Hitty, no doubt you are right.
shall try
The stronger mind of Hitty had pre-
vailed. Hitty made immediate prepara
tions for her journey. She never once
thought of asking anyone to go with her
indeed, 1t could do no good only SO far as
| showing her the way over the rough trail
and she knew if she followed it, it would
surely lead to the Bar.
1t was impossible to obtain horse, there
were none owned at the Flat.
10 hurry, then, with all her might tc
her brother,was the absorbing thought. Her
mother was in dreadful frame of mind
over Hitty's going alone over that noun.
tain trail.
"You never can do it, childp' she said
"Just think of it. Take Nat along. any.
how, he'll be company"
Mother, said Hitty, "Nat would be Of
no use at all. He is too young, only eight
and could not bear the journey. No one
Will hurt me. l feel sure Of that and |
would rather go alone"
But is Luke in such great danger r'
said her mother, following Hitty about as
she hastily made arrangements for her
strange journey.
20 he must be! What will become OF
US I! dear, dear! poor Luker and she
sobbed SO loudly that Hitty feared eyery
moment that her father would hear and
demand an explanation.
So she said, as though speaking to a
child, Mother you must stop this-trust
me-" Her preparations were completed,
and the brave girl, self-reliant, determined
to the last, set out on her mission of life or
death.
CHAPTER II.
She had often walked over the trail for
a mile or two, and so pushed boldly on,
but soon found she was walking too fast.
as she knew she would exhaust herself
before half the journey was completed :
so she tried to adjust her speed to the time
at her disposal. 1t was then 9 o'clock /:
she must arrive at the Bar at the very
earliest moment possible, so the only thing
to avoid was not to utterly exhaust herself
and fall by the way.
The thought constantly in her mind was,
"How can / save Luke? | must, must,
but how? Would those terrible miners
heed frail girl like her? The grizzly
haired man who spoke SO unfeelingly at
the Postoffice had said, IF they don't prove
their innocence by tonight they'll be
hung" How could she prove their inno-
cence if they could not? 1t was said that
from the decision of Judge Lynch there
was no appeal. She knew Luke was inno-
cent. What fearful train of circumstances
could have implicated them?
They said the proof of their guilt seemed
positive. o, Lukel Lukel
These and a hundred other thoughts ran
rapidly through her mind as the weary
miles strung out behind-how slowly it
seemed to her.
A new fear now assailed her. She found
there were occasionally diverging trails
She kept to that which seemed the most
worn. She felt the physical as well as the
mental strain was telling upon her, but
she dare not lessen her speed. How she
envied the birds which few past her
How she would have enjoyed the beautiful
landscape spread out before her, under
other circumstances Hour after hour
went by and the same zigzag trail was be.
fore her, now dipping down into the deep
ravine and again winding along some
heavily wooded hillside, in and out among
the great trees, until she felt like
despairing. Her feet, she knew, were
blistered, but she dare not stop; it would
be worse when she started again.
She finally came to a ravine, down
which little clear stream was running.
On one side the alders grew thickly and
tall ferns mingled with their leaves.
She stepped across the stream to pursue
her way, when suddenly she heard the
sound of voices, which seemed to come
from the hillside above. She listened in
tentiyely then heard a rouob Ia,o,L -