Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-27

in Jimson's Brake, along with Pelee White, an
Springs tonight. -
And then he went on his way, to carry the sad
news to more remote habitations, and great
Slury and her mother looked speechlessly at
one another, then Mrs. Cole passed trembling
hand ID, eonfusedly over her face.
what all old he say, Silury? 1t pears to
me, my understanding amt quite clear to-
nights
F'He said''-she caught her breath in a sob.
''Oh, ma! the raiders have took pa; what shall
we do, what shall we do? Poor pa! it Will kill
him to be put in prison. in a burst of despair
ing anguish.
Mrs. Cole crouched lower in her chair.
II knew it would come. I've been a feelin' it
here for long time-a long time, - one thin
hand grasping her heart. ''Yes, he'll pine for
his freedom an the mOuntings when he's shut
up in jail, Oh, I've begged him not to be a
moonshlner-not to make whisky the sly.
her wandering, fearful eyes fell on the waiting
supper. How hungry he must be-
There were no noisy demonstrations, but
grief, pathetic as it was deep. They were
mOuntaineers, patient by nature, and schooled
by all the circumstances of life to endure and be
strong. The law does not punish the moon
sinner alone but it falls heavily on his wife and
children, Silury dried her eyes and touched
her mother on the shoulder, speaking in
= must down to Buckhorn Springs tonight,
ma"
''Eb?'' said the dazed woman.
II must see pa; 1 must help him get away
from the raiders.
You, Silury How'll you do it?''
81 don't know her lips trembling again,
'but must do it, I must
Mrs. Cole stared at her. She had faith in
Silury' courage and ability, but now she caught
the girls hand, fresh terror Selling her.
Don't You get into trouble, honey. Me an
the children would perish if your pa an you
were both took off. -
Don't you fret. ma, III come back to you
How'll you get the Buckhorn Springs?''
ride Kit.
she Iyae 1raa61, 6ovy,, nv, bar trnaas bafora +a
fire, kindling torch to take out to the lot with
her. She looked up at her mother with brave,
tender eyes.
Now don't poster yourself any more than
you can help, ma
Mrs. Cole shook her head with deep sigh and
instinCtively reached for her pipe, but she could
only sit and hold it in her hand, untitled,
lighted while Silury went away to the lot with
the faring torch and an old saddle thrown on
Kit was shabby beast thin, why, and with
only one good eye, but he had served the Coles
faithfully. He greeted the young girl with a
gentle whinny, and she leaned her head against
him with another burst of tears. But she quietly
wiped them away and led Kit out to the road. 1t
did not take her long to put bride and saddle on
him, then she ran in, took down her father
rifle from the rack over the front door, and in
few minutes had started on her solitary ride
down the mountain. The hound would have
followed her, but she ordered him back. ''Go
back, Bolivar, an take care O. them that's left
behind, - and he skunk unwlllingly to the door
It was a night to live in the child 8 memory all
her life, for with all her fearlessness and hard
training she had never before been called upon
to traverse the mountain passes alone after
darkness had fallen upon them. Solitude and
gloom surrounded her. The valley seemed but
a formless gulf OF darkness, the multitudinous
mountains black sentnels, towering to the stars.
Far away in some remote fastness of the noun
tains dog barked, and she could hear the pro-
Ionged blast of hunting horn. A star shot
downward from the zenith, bearing trail OF
fire across the sky, and was lost behind the far
reaching western ranges. sense of isolation
hsr She seemed the ONLY
living creature in all the vast, silent
world. On the saddle in front of her
she held the trusty rife, and that gave her
sense of security from beasts of prey. Her
father had taught her how to use the gun and
practice had given her an almost unerring aim
But my young readers will acknowledge that 1t