Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-11-29
A moTne,.t

4 "A
And then around tine cabin, closely hug
ging the log walls, comes
A woman.
She steps within, her pale yellow hail
hanging about her thin neck.
They be a-comin' up the mountain, she
says breathlessly.
''Who be a-comin'9" asks the elder
| woman, in haste
9TH gov'meut spies.''
'Cuss tibet Boze! 1t a-wuz him es did ct. )
She stops and listensi ntently.
'sHaltr'
| From the rocks below comes the com.
mand, but family sounding on the night air.
The abe after Dave" says the younger
one. 'They abe after my Dave-your
Dave, our Dave
The thin old lips compress, and the yellow
| face is in an instant as hard as flint.
She moves quickly to the candle and
blows out
''How dye know9''
They cum t our cabin fer water, n I
heerd 'em talkin' zen 1 ruined up the short
way"
LISTEN,
"Dismount We foot it from here"
mag, kin We warn 'em up ct the stilll'
81 be a-feerd, Miss Jenkins"
sA-feerd l-a-feerd? en- you a-wantin' to
be Davies woman? Suke Thomas wud
ago"
II be a-goln.' waltz
And the younger woman throws shawl
On, on she goes over the rocks like a
frightened deer.
The a-moon be a-with u.s." mutters the
old woman, as she watches the other
a cloud rolls away; momentary CLEAN
Of moonlight; figure in bold relief stand
ing upon rock.
Whing-r-r-r-r-r!l A bullet speeds its
way.
4 poor tottering form
A second.
Aud the girls lifeless body rolls down the
Redeemed rocks.
Unmoved, like steel statue, stands the
old woman in the door. She is watching
the smoke curling upward, beyond. Thin
ner ii grows and thinner.
1t is gone.
''Nlag be died." she mutters; Zen Dave'll
be almighty lonesum. But they's warned. -
She listens.
Not sound. Ten minutes, half an hour,
an hour-two-and no sound.
''Cuss 'em, they's fooled agin."
Then from around the house, silently,
like ghosts, come the forms of a dozen
men; and between two of them, shackled
hand and foot is
Dave!
She utters no sound.
They've ACCT me, man," he says ~
abe the only one tuck. They a-wuddent
a-got me unly a-went t. see Mag, you
a-kno' she allowed me; en-, en-
His throat closed, and tear splashed at
his feet.
Dave" she says, you've railways bin
ust to the mountain, son, hain't ye2 En-
they abe goin, to take you to jail. Ha'n't
We, spiesl"
Yes; he's good for life sentence, for
numbering government officer" answers
the officer in charge.
Then a-good bye, Davie. Kiss Nam"
The bony arms are about his neck, the
thin lips press his own.
''March!" commands the officer.
"A-wait minnit. I've a-got sumthin'
inside for Davie t. take along"
"Haltr'
She turns and reaches inside the door.
Like fash the rifle is leveled, and in an
instant it cracks.
.MOther!''
And Dave, with a convulsive clutch at the
air, falls dead at her feet.
Like = rock she stands.
you kin a-haVe my Dayie now. A-take
him an go.''
Horrife /, unnamed, the officers stand.
Right about face-forward-marc ~
She stands and watches them disappear,
and when the last sound has died away she
sinks beside him.
Don't abe mad at man. honey. Don't
stare at anne like a-that. l abe your mann,
en- L amused ye, en- l ust to a-give you
goards en- a-sich t. play with; en- a-when
ye'd cut yer finger I'd tie it up fer We.
Oh, Davie, Davie, don't abe mad with me.
Dye a-mind, baby, when We stumped yer
toe, | tied bacon on it fer We. Ye never cud
a-lived thar, son, en- that place, never"
From the cabin skulks the dog.
Her head is upon the dead mans breast,
and she is aroused by the Flap, lap, lap"
as the hungry brute ticks up the warm
blood.
''Cuss ye! Eft wuz a-your she shrieks.
And with superhuman strength, she
grabs the dog by the hind legs and dashes
hin to death.
Morning came, and with it the govern
ment officers.
That evening, when the sun sank behind
the rugged rocks, its last rays tipped three
rock-covered graves.
For they had found her dead beside the
BODY of her Dave