Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-03-21


his lantern before him. The walking was
comparatively easy, and soon the lantern
bearer came to q halt
ssWell2" demanded Starbright.
"We're here. Cap'n-"
The Captain felta rising in his throat. but
he swallowed it with a gulp and peered for
ward over rock as his companion flashed
the rays of his lantern forward.
He thought to look upon the mangied
remains of the fair girl he had once sought
in marriage, and it is little wonder that the
Captain was q trifie nervous under the cir
cumstances.
II see no onei'' uttered Starbright, after
a hasty survey.
Hank CABRERA uttered an imprecation and
eagerly scanned the rocky ground
1.-THE gal hain't here, for fact, - he NUT
tered at length. ST s'pect the wild animals
has carried her or"
"That is absolute nonsense"
"Ehs Why is its'
eff such were the case some traces
would be left behind. see none here.
Your lie won't go down. Henry CABRERA"
"Its traces you seek, Ell? What do you
call this?" and the man with the lantern
held up bit of gray cloth that had evident
ly been torn loose by jagged point of
rock.
The Captain at once felt the delicate text
ure. and decided that it was a piece from
| woman's dress, and closely resembled one
that he had seen worn by Lura Joyce.
"Jest look down here, pardner."
Hank CABRERA was bending closely over
the stones at the foot of the steep declivity,
| one huge, grimy finger pointing at the
ground. The Captain saw and shuddered.
Here, under the mans finger, had been
pool of blood which was now coagulated. 1t
| was a horrid reminder OF the awful tragedy
| the solemn rocks and trees had witnessed
but twentyfour hours earlier.
The Captain shuddered and drew back.
"What dye think now, pardner?"
CABRERA regarded Captain Starbright with
| a curdling grin.
| at looks as though somebody had fallen
| here, surely" admitted the Captain, shut
must see the body before I will be convinced
that q sure thing was made of the work"
''Do ye imagine gal could fall sixty foot
onter them rocks an not be killed, mister?"
sit doesn't seem possible" admitted Star
bright, ssbut how am to know that you are
not deceiving me? Some one seems to have
fallen on these rocks, but it may be another
than Lura Joyce. I demand to see the body
before any thing further is done.''
oval, I'll do my best.''
Then the man began search which re-
suited in failure.
'Somethin's carried the dead gal away,
that's sartin,'' muttered Hank. II can't
see through it no more than you kim"
"Let me take your lantern moment,
Hank"
The forester turned the desired article
over to Captain Starbright, and he pro
ceeded to make an examination on his own
account He was not long in making dis
coveries that satisfied him. A strand of
| curling red brown HAIR was pressed under a
bush near the base of the rock, and half
concealed in blood-sprinkled leaves lay a
pearl-handled penknife that he knew to be
the property OF the ventureS0me- Miss
Joyce from the fact that it had been pres
ent from him in the days gone by. Here
/ was proof then that Lura Joyce had been
| hurled to the bottom of the gulch, and this
being true, the Captain was satisfied that
the girl was dead. He was puzzled at the
disappearance Of the body, however.
Securing the twin evidences of the awful
| crime Captain Starbright returned to his
ness to return to the ground above.
oval, what did ye find, Cap'n?"
"Nothing of Importance"
"Do ye think I'm lynn about the gala''
Hank CABRERA refused to move until this
question was answered. He confronted
Captain Starbright with an ominous scowl
on his shaggy face.
only the truth, Hank"
A grunt answered the Captains words,
and then Hank CABRERA began moving for
| ward on the return. Just as they were on
the point of beginning the ascent at the
point where they had entered the gulch,
both came to q stand, petritied into living
statues for the time.
A scream so wild, weird and awful rent
the air as to curGle the blood in the veins OF
the gulch trespassers.
my soull what was that?'
Captain Starbright drew q concealed
pistol and glared about him without reply.
A pair of cleaning eyeballs peered at the
! twain from the darkness. They seemed
like demon eyes, and for the moment the
Captain was too stupefiea to fire.
Again the awful cry woke the echoes,
and then the Captain raised his revolver
and sent bullet hurting through the air.
A yell followed, then q crash and two
men stood in darkness.
The lantern had been swept in fragments
from the hand of CABRERA. Black darkness
everywhere. The cleaning eyes had dis
appeared and solemn stiffness reigned.
| This was even more impressive than the
pandemonlum OF sound had been. Hank
CABRERA chung to the arm of Captain Star
| bright and cried in a husky whisper:
''The guich is ha'nteH I've heerd it be
fore. Let's git"
No good could come of their remaining, SO
the Captain, who was himself deeply
startled, seconded his companions sugges-
ton by Immediately moving from the spot.
The twain were not as long going up as
coming down, and both were extremely
glad when the welcome light from the
window of Mother Cabera's cabin cleaned
in their eyes. The brave Captain actually
staggered with weakness as he crossed the
threshold.
| CHAPTER XII
| .a THANKLESS CHILD.
can so you chaps has been in the gulch
looking for the body Of that spitfire gal"
Mother CABRERA gave vent to peculiar
grating laugh that sounded harshly in the
ears of Captain Starbright.
ssThat is the truth, Mrs Cahera.n as