The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1890-08-09

The friend you speak Of was = rels-
tive, jedge old Dock said, softly.
mo, not exactly that" was the reply.
and the blush that crept to the mans
face betrayed who the friend was.
ssNever mind" Dock said; 81 under
stand"
As he spoke, Dock drew near to the
table where the open letter lay. he
cast his eye down the page, and after
considerable study made out the sig
nature at the bottom.
"Thats from her. spose?" he asked.
Eyes, her last letter." was the reply.
ssHumph, that's quare-blamed funny,
shore. Dog-goned fort'nit we come"
"what do you mean?" the stranger
demanded. in an eager, excited tone. as
he turned his big, bright eyes on Dock.
s.Nothin' % the latter replied; ''nothin'
much"
"Do you know any thing of her?'
s.Wal, / s'pcct we may help you to
find 'er. Leastwise, we'll try. Dave,
you an Jerry stay yere while we go
down to camp an look around q bit.
Well hev to give this fellow lift
toward fin lin that friend O. his'n."
Old Dock went out and the others fol-
lowed, and no one spoke until they had
passed a safe distance from the cabin,
and then stopping, Dock said:
.sFellers, we're pack o. derned ijots,
ever dog-goned one of US. The idea O.
comm up yere to shoot that thar poor
consumpted chap. Blamed If was
ever so 'shamed in all my days. Tell
yer whut, / felt like 1 wanted four
year-old mule to kick me fer hour as
hard as he could lay it on. Blast my
buttons, but felt mean"
"Bet / did," said Jake. "Jest
nachully felt like I'd been KILN sheep
an got ketched at it. l never felt SC
derned sneakin' in my life"
"Wal, he needn't never know wha'
we came fer, and after all I'm glad We
did come" Dock said, 'for we kin git hi'
gal to i'm. You know that gal over t.
Rickson's. at the post? Wal, that's the
one. She's his sweetheart, an we mus
fetch Ter up yere tonight
s.Bet we'll fetch FER, or bust . hahn
string" Jim Buster cried. Jake. men
you'll go after 'er."
"Pm ergreed." said Jake. SIN will
in to do any thing to make up fer want
in to shoot that chap. Dock, I'm GLAD
you didn't let me drop i'm. Blamed i
I wouldn't as soon shoot a ghost OF
corpse"
Reckon the claims his'n, anyhow,
Jim said, s'and we're purity nice lot {
rascals from fust to last"
ssWal. thar amt no time for monkeyir
now, fellers," old Dock remarked, ian
il yer goin' to git that gal up yere afor
the chap gees over Their range, you''
better be gittin' on, fer swun If thin
he's got more'n six hours o. life in i'm
Better hustle"
Jake and Jim departed at once for tn
post, while old Dock walked to and fr
in the darkness, listening to the clai
tering of their horses feet on the ston
road that led off down the gulch.
Four hours passed, and Dock hear
them coming back.
s'She's with EN-" he muttered.
hear three horses anyhow, If not foul
It's all right"
}, Then he went in and sat down, an
, after waiting moment, said:
81 ruthcr guess mebby we'll be abb
) to help We out bout findin' of yer frient
mister"
i. s'Have you found her?" was the cage
question that followed.
-Wal, dunno as / kin say ace he
azactly. but think we rM purity sool
She may be yere afore mornin'. In fac
she may be yere directly"
"Then you have found her?'
mo, haint; but s'pect some o. the
others hev. She'll be yere in minute
They were already at the door, and
long-lost sweetheart were in each otl
} er's arms. The miners very conside
ately withdrew and left the your
couple alone.
| ''Say. Dock" Jake called, when the
were outside, 81 figgered it out TIL
: them two would want to get Marie
mebby, an so fetched gospel-fell
Q along from the post SOS to be ready
: case of err emergency. You'd best go.
3 an see if they want to be jined, an te
' 'em the preacher is ready fer 'em, a
1 will splice 'em up quickern wink"
a Dock went in, and after awhile can
1 back out.
9 ..Bring that preacher in yere, boy
n It's all right"
: 1t was solemn, weird wedding, avn
off in the Rocky Mountains at the de-
a hour of midnight, with none but fe
. rough, rugged miners, and they stra
gers, to witness the ceremony; but mai
n times there is bright future grown
Z I out of the dark present, and such W
A destined to be the case in this instanc
3 and with this couple.
, Robert Erwin grew we'll and stron
and for five years he and his wife we
r neighbors and friends to the mine
$ down at Pickett's camp.
Dock and his party were considerah
disappointed that they did not retu
home as they expected. but they ga
n up all claim to the new mine cheerful