The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-12-02

feel the chill that comes over one when
the bed clothing is not warm enough in
the night. He thought that was what
allied him, and started to reach down his
hand and put it up over him. The move
ment brought consciousness. How was
this? Where was he? His mind recalled
the events of the day and the evening
storm. How could this be? Here he
was sitting upright on the wet ground,
his hands tied behind him, aching in
every limb. Assuredly still in the land
of the living. He looked up over his
head.
1t was not delusion; it was reality.
The rope was still about his neck, and
there by his side on the ground, with
the other end tied to it, was the limb Of
tree. The blaze Of light that had
seemed so near him few minutes be-
fore was in reality fash of lightning
occurring hours ago, for it was now
broad daylight. 1t had struck that
identical tree and freed him. There it
stood splintered and broken.
He heard familiar sound near at
hand. Could he believe his eyes? There
was his mare contentedly grazing near
by. He whistled to her and she came
trotting to him, dragging at the end of
lariat the iron picket to which her cap
tors had tied her the night before. 1t
was too much for his feelings, and he
broke down and cried like child when
he felt her soft nose on his face expect
ing the caress he usually gave her.
Heaven had not only indicated his in
nocence, but had returned his useful pet
to him in his great need Of her.
Benumbed and sore, it took him near
ly an hour to free himself from the cruel
ropes, but at last succeeding, he found
his oil skin bag over near the adobe house
and ate heartily. The spring quenched
his thirst, and he felt like a man born
anew.
It was with a heart full of happiness
and gratitude to Almighty God for his
miraculous escape that he mounted the
horse and continued the journey which
had proved so full of incident to him.
''Ill be better husband to Mollie than
before, bless her heart, for coming ont
here to be with me, expecting to give up
the comforts of city life," said he, as
he rode along the way that was rapidly
bringing him to her. "Those drafts that
/ sent to the bank in Denver last week
will come in handy now. We will go
over the range to Frisco, and start life
over again. Some day I'll come back
hara on1 Ep1 jsl LII Ha-Ix
Green. Els wife has that dust. She is
welcome to the use of it. Maybe it's
just as we'll to get away from that life
after all" and he rode on content.
A wagon train sent over to the railroad
town from Bluffville the next week
brought back the news of Elliott's es-
cape, of his meeting with his wife and
their departure TO place unknown. The
rough mining camp had too much else
to attend to to think long over the
strange events of the week gone by.
Some years afterward it was recalled to
them in an unexpected manner. Victor
Elliott had come back. His means and
position acquired in his new home pro-
tected hin. from rough treatment, es-
pecially so when the townspeople learned
that he was going over incident after in-
cident, questioning man after man
about the shooting Of Hank Green, and
that he had made the widow a present
of the money taken from him by force.
His search was IN vain. Nothing could
be found out about who fired the shot.
At his own request he was tried by
jury, all the evidence weighed, and he
was acquitted Of the charge of murder.
In beautiful home IN San Francisco
there is a curious naemento hanging IN
the owners library. It is a part Of a
branch of a tree. holding saddle, bride
aud lariat. It's history Is seldom told
you know it and 50 DO Warren Chase
IN St. Paul Pioneer Press