The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-04-06

| tramp passed on, and the voices died AWAY.
By this 1 knew the troopers were close an
seeking me- 4 foolish thought came that
was buried, and they must be rummagin
over my grave; but indeed had no wish {
inquire into it; TO wish to move even. bu
! just to lie and enjoy the lightness of nv limbs
The blood was still running. felt the warrat
Of it against my back, and thought it yer
| pleasant. So ! shut ny eyes ard dropped OF
! again.
Then heard the noise Of shouting far away
| and a long while after that was reused by til
touch of a hand, thrust in against nv make,
| breast over my heart.
"Who is itF' I whispered
/ "Joan." answered q voice, and the ham
was withdrawn.
The darkness had lifted somewhat. anC
though something stood between me and tn
| light, marked number of small specks, Ii1,
| points of gold dotted around me.
''Joan-what besides!'
'Joan's enough, l reckon; lucky for the
! It's none else. Joan O. the Tor folks call me-
but may yet be Joan i Good Time. So hoIC
thy peace, lad an cry out so little IS NAV be
felt ripping of my jacket sleeve and
/ shirt, now clotted and stuck to the flesh. L
| panied cruelty, but I shut nv teeth; and
after that came the smart and delicious ache
Of water, as she rinsed the wound.
"Clean through the flesh, lad-in an out
like country dancin'. No bullet to probe MOI
bone to set. Heart up, soce! Thy mother
shall kiss thee yet. What's thy naIneF'
"Marvel, Joan-Jack Marvel
"An' marvel It's thou'rt Marvel vet. Good
blood there's in thee, but little enow."
h. ho,AooroI 10,
my shirt, and tied it round with sack cloth
from her own dress. Twas all most gently
done; and then found her arms under NE.
and myself lifted as easy as a baby.
Left arm round my neck, Jack; am sing
out if It's hurtin' thee"
1t seemed but six steps and we were out on
the bright hillside, not fifty PAGES from where
the pillow yet stood in the furrow. | caught
glimpse of brown neck and pair OF firm
red lips, of the gray tor stretching above US,
and, farther aloft, a flock of field fare hang
ing in the pale sky and then shut nv ewes for
the dazzle, but could still feel the beat Of
Joan's heart as she held me close and the
touch of her breath on my forehead.
Down the hill she carried me, picking the
softest turf, and moving with an easeful swing
that rather lulled my hurt than jolted it. l
was doing, even, when a strange noise awoke
me.
Twas high protracted note, that seemed
at first to swell up towards US, and then
broke off in half a dozen or more sharp wells.
Joan took no heed of them, but, seeing nv
eyes uncIose, and hearing me moan, stopped
short.
Hurts thee, lad!'
"No." Twas not my pain, but the sight of
the sinking sun that wrung the exclamation
from met was thinking" muttered
Don't; It's bad for health. But bide thee
still awhile, and shalt lie pom a soft bed"
BY this time we had come down to the
road, and the yells were still going on, louder
than ever. We crossed the road, descended
another slope, and came all at once on a low
pile of buildings that a moment before had
been hid. Twas but three novels 81 mud,
stuck together in the shape of a headless
cross, the main arm pointing out towards the
moor Around the whole ran battered wall
patched with furze and from this dwelling
the screams were issuing:
Joan" the voice began, "Joan--Jan Ter
eagles a-clawin' my legs-Gar-rout, thou
hell cat-Blast thee, let me zog! Pulln of,
Joan-Jo-an.n
broke out in a racket of curses. Joan stepped
to door and flung it wide. $sAs my eyes
grew used to the gloom inside, they saw this
A rude kitchen-the furniture but TWO
ricllety chairs, now tossed on their faces, an
oak table, with legs sunk into the earth, a
key of strong waters, tilted over and drain
ing upon the mud floor, ladder leading up
to a loft, and in two of the corners a few
the left, as one entered, was an open hearth;
but the glowing peat turves were now pitched
to right and left over the hearthstone and
about the floor, where they rested, filling the
den with smoke. Under one of the chairs
black cat spat and bristled; while in the
middle of the room, barefooted in the en-
bers, crouched a man. He was half naked,
old, and bent, with matted gray hair and
beard hanging almost to his waist His chest
and legs were bleeding from a score of
scratches; and he pointed at the cat, opening
and shutting his mouth like dog, and bark
ing out curse upon curse.
No way upset, Joan stepped across the
kitchen, laid me on one of the bracken beds
and explained:
That's feyther; he's drunk"
With which she turned, dealt the old man
a cuff that stretched him senseless, and, gath
ering up the turves, piled them afresh on the
hearth. This done, she took the keg and
gave me a drink Of it. The stuff scalded me,
but I thanked her. And then, when she had
shifted my bed bit to ease the poin of lying,
she righted a chair, drew it up and sat beside
me- The old man lay like log where he had
fallen and was now snoring. Presently the
fumes of the liquor or mere faintness mas
tered me and my eyes closed. But the pict-
ure they closed upon was that of Joan, as she
leaned forward chin on hand. with the glow
of the fire on her brown skin and IN the depths
of her dark eyes.