Omaha daily bee., 1889-08-11

while on the othef1here was much
rider had but recqljt fallen. lifted
the girl onto a bed, and, lighting n Ian
tern, went out. 4 brushed the snow
off the saddle of the Leading horse, and
started, as l found marks of blood upon
it. HsoS
1 followed the trailback. and not two
hundred yards irouR the house l Stun
bled onto a man in the snow. He
groaned with pain rs l lifted him on my
shoulder, but afters hard pull | got him
to the cabin, struggling most of the way
in the darkness, for the lantern went
out soon after [ started. When | laid
herself again, and we spread some
blankets and bear skips before the fire
and stretched the Wounded man upon
them.
He was soon able to speak, and said
he had become benumbed with the cold
and while in this condition had fallen
off his horse upon a jagged rock, which
had caused him sever injuries. His
daughter listened in silence to the
story, and l, remembering the blood
stains on the saddle, was silent also.
His arm was terribly swollen, and
when we cut away the bloody sleeve of
his coat, there was discovered the track
OF a pistol bali. There was no mistake
ing it, and warming w under the influ-
ence of meat and hot brandy, he made
a cleaner breast of his adventure. He
said that he had been belated by the
storm, and u few miles from his cabin n
highwayman had stopped him in the
road. After receiving the ball in his
arm he had returned the fire and his
man dropped dead in the snow.
He took the horse and kept on his
way home, when at last, faint from the
loss of blood, he had fallen from his
horse and remained in the snow until
rescued.
We managed to make him quite COM
Portable, and the next morning he
asked me to take the horses back of the
cabin and feed them. Under his direc-
tions l went down a path about a hum
dred yards behind the house, making
1T only after considerable difficulty. for
l had to clear away the snow, and there
behind some great rocks was a good
sized barn, we'll filed with hay, and
what struck me as stranger still, five
very ~tine-lookIng horses in the stalls.
A few yards from the door was a bub-
bling spring,
After feeding and watering the ami
mails, ] returned to the cabin and no.
ticed that the barn was entirely hidden
form sight.
This circumstance and the presence
of the fine horses in such a locality
struck me as rather odd, but / did not
give the subject much thought at the
time.
He invited me to spend a few weeks
with him, and asked mt to edit his pa
per for him while his wound was heal
ing. l was unable to resist the fascina-
tion OF such a novelty, and under his
direction l wrote enough for the next
weeks issue.
The copy accumulated on the hook,
when it suddenly dawned Upon me
that there was no one setting it up,
so it was that being al printer myself, l
fell heir to the typographical depart-
ment also. -
Between editing the paper and set
ting the type l had my hands full. We
had q good stock Of provisions, and
although the snow SO deep that we could
not get our papers to the mails, we
went right ahead, with the edition of
100 each week, for the wounded pub
Usher said if they reached London by
spring, all would be we'll.
"Give the mining managers particu-
lar fits about not running the bullion
/ LoStS ep w hAOo IA bS WIN
his directions one dayIIv"Charge them
with covering up bonanza; also speak Of
the charming weather. and throw in a
few quartz-milla accidents. All these
things help to paint the scene red.
| Have a four-in-hand run over a child,
| and print some obituary poetry and
| then pack them into the Catholic church
to %suffocation at the funeral. Have the
organist play one of Mozart's requiems
that looks civilized-and also give the
report of a vestry meeting of st. Peters
Episcopal church with the superintend-
emit of railroad company as the senior
warden"
l wrote up these items as the editor
lay there nursing his wound and max
ing suggestions, and so the winter was
soon whiled away. The spring came in
February, and by that time he vas up
and dong his own typesetting.
"We m ust write up a big Washing
! toms birthday celebration, with civic
parade, grand ball, and all that, and ]
guess I'd put you down a delivering
the oration." We worked or the arti-
Gle until evening, filing up the line OF
march and exercises with all the promi-
nent people in California and Nevada
that we could think of.
Each night before Alice went to bed
SIG kuelL uOWH dJ IL Cudlr, Will ueFldCe
to the fire, and said her prayers.
She had just knelt and bowed her
head when the door opened and two
men came in silently, and in an instant
they had my editorial friend covered
with two s~lX-shootels.
They made no sound, and the child
unconscious of what had happened, still
remained on her knees, her head bowed
n prayer.
"Gentlemen," said the editor in a
whisper, 1T am your prisoner, but
don't take me until after she G oes tt
bed"
He advanced to the two men and
looked into their pistol barrels without
q tremor. Pitching his voice still lower
he continued.
"Don't let her witness this scene. Pu'
up your weapons until she leaves the
room.
The two men, lowering their re
~volvers, put them out of sight sheep
ishly, and then the editor motioned u
them to take off their hats. Both dit
SO, and there was nothing heard for
few moments but the child's whisper
ings to heaven.
When she rose she turned and started
with surprise as she faced the two men
who uara still sta al d with half howad