The Red Cloud chief., 1889-04-05
LONE HOLLOW:
Yhrining ana Romantic Story
Nvtove and Adventure.
BILL" FISHER JOE" AxD
OTHER SroRIHA
(Ccpyright, 1sss. % he A. n. Eeuo1p Negs.
paper Compant.l
CHAPTER Xyu-Courvrrp.

CHAPTER xvIL-CoxrrsrRD.
at was cruel in him to remain away
when he must have known that you were
suffering. It's always 90, however, in low
affairs. OF course Austin did not get the
letter 1 undertook to convey that awful
night on which I came near bidding . final
adieu to this mundane world. Had he
received that letter all would have been
well between you can tell you for . Ger
tainty, however, that you have suffered
even less than Austin, who, not receiving
. reply to his forgiving note, deemed you
unyielding, and hat Q reconciliation was
now out Of the question:"
"How could he think SO when"
"Of course it was strange" interrupted
Lura, with a covert smile. "but II will all
come right in the end il you just refuse to
~countenance that villain, Clinton Starbright.
shall see Mr.. Wcntword and tell hin all
about it, and then the crooked paths will all
be made straight"
"You are very kind"
"No, I'm not. I am utterly SELFISH as
serted Lura; ~ do all this TO crafty my
own heart. I've set my mind on outwitting
a villain, and l mean 70 do it or die trying.
Icame near it, too, that night l will tell
you about it, for I kno you are anxious to
hear the wonderful story.
81 am deeply anxious" assured Grace.
"You all thought me dead!"
"Ihad come TO believe SO. Romeo camc
home riGerlcss, and a search failed to reveal
any thing. OF course we were puzzled to
kno-y what had become OF you IL Romeo had
flung you from his back. Either living or
dead you ought u have been found, that
WAS the pulling part Of the whole affair. +"
Exactly, aud Captain Starbright was as
deeply puzzled as the rest"
Certainly"
A low laugh fell from the lips Of Lura.
The red curls danced on her forehead, and "a
fierce light burned ia her eyes. 1.-The con-
-uminatc hypocritc!" She cried, in q wither-
Iug WAY that thrilled Grace to the quick.
but l won't indulge in invcctivc against
that creature now. mean TO hunt him 10
his hole and then see thai he meets with
q just punishment"
Lura then proceeded 20 relate how she had
taken the path leading along the edge OF
u~anginan's GulciI past the cabin Of the
witch, Mother CABRERA. whose name she had
since learned; how she had become cwil
dcrcd and turned about to rc,racc her steps.
and then of her meeting the two ~ruiiians in
the immediate vicinity of Mother Cabera's
cabin: OF her being jcrked from the saddle
and lifted high above the preoipicc.
'DId You ever 20 up high, way up TO the
trcc-tops in a swing, t;raccs You know, II
you have, what a scary feeling shoots all
over you; that was just how | felt when
those ~rrifians lifted me over that abyss. ]
was too frightened to utter a word-it was
the first instance In my life that j got so far
used up as that. Presently l felt myself
gong down, down, shooting like a rocket
through the AIR; then . bush switched
AGAINST my face, a terrible scratching GA
hands and limbs, thcn q crash and utter
~blac1ness."
Lura paused in her narration.
Grace Penroy was breathing deeply, her
face pale, her great, honest gray eyes
d,lating with the intensity of feeling aroused
J the words OF her cousin.
-p"Go on. Lura, 1 am listcning," aspirated
Tho hcircss after a brief moment OF silence.
"Tou wish TO hear ali about it you
are not too tircdt'
mo. no. 90 on; l am dying to hear the
whole story of your adventures, dear
cousin"
1t seems wonderful. something like a
fairy story to me now" proceeded Lura,
nut i nave Nittife OF It's utter tTuthIlS-
ness. 1 might have been dead. but WAS
not. In descending the sixty feet TO the
hard ground below, l hal passed through
the bushy top of "A tree which, II seems, had
the effect 10 break my fall and land me
s,unncd and bruised, Yet alive. on the stones
and leaves at the foot of the dcclivity.
II must have lain there several ho1rs ere
a strange creature came hy, saw me ap-
-.l lans m, 90 .v-,s.p nal IS, eh,
kindness of his heart lifted AID carried me-
nearly a nile in has strong arms. When l
opened my eyes the glow Of fame filled
them and l WAS nearly banded. l was very
weak and could not SIT mp. Soon. as | spoke
and called for water. for l was very
~,hirsty, u face bent above me-. Il kindly Old
face. framed in with white hair and beard.
the face Il seemed IA me of one OF the an
Gent patriarchs.
"'I.rst quietly, pretty dove ne said. Il
will bring YOU water and food. but you must
not stir for the present. You are one of the
victims Of the Docc, and | will save YOU"
I though; the mans language WAS strange
in the extreme. He vas KIND and attcn-
tive. however. mlnistcrinC Ia my every
want. but l had been 80 rudely shaken w.
il WAS more than u week before / WAS able
Ia he on NY feet and move aoout. Then l
made an examination of my quarters, 10
find quite an extensive cave. To me 1t
seemed 20 have been fashioned by the hand
of man. nquiring of the old man. he AS
surrd me that has name was Don Bcnito.
once a subject Of the Dlge Of Venice. but
now an exile. and that the rave had been
ex"ayatci 10y men many years before for a
hiding place from tho wrath of the Dogc.
or coursc. | knew that this was but the
wild talk OF "a mailman. in whose power l
had fallen after escaping from death a; the
hands Of trainpS. as l then supposed MY late
aSsailaEtS IA be.
"Of course l felt uneasy. and was anx-
ious 10 make my escape. but this l could
not 10. since Don Bcui;n kept q close watch
upon my movement In my opinion the
cave was xcava;ed by hcrse-thicvcs or
couutcrfeitcrs; and l am Of the opinion that
the present dwcllcr may have been ut one
time y member OF the band. l made no
such suggestion 10 him. however. he was
constantly harping about his wrongs, and
assuring me that the Doge had attempted
{ murder him with his own hand. To
prove his assertion he showed me o scar
over his right ear, where the assas>in's
blow had been delivered.
"Of course l humored his hallucinat,ou.
and SO We got on swimmingly together. OF
course he left the cave occasionally. and
went in quest Of provisions for his larder.
On these occasions he locked me in . room
opening from the main cav the door Of
which was made Of heavy oak. l presume
q had been used as the prison-room Of the
outlaws who once inhabited the place.
1T was not until very recently that I |
persuaded my keeper 70 permit me TO &c
company him on avisit 70 Sioncdeld. made
IN the nigh; and on foot II WAS then tina,
I gave him the slip and managed to keep |