The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1891-01-21

| -hNeeA VI ~ CliOhlllK SOD.
An hour later saw them at su
per, aid l do not think the othe
! found anything amiss, but to n
mere was visible feeting but fr
quent shadow on the boys face, al
pathetic solicitude and concern
big friends manner.
The next day, which was Christina
the men went bear hunting up a vel
Wild and rocky canoL, while such
us women folks as liked to ride an
were fond of sport set off to find
certain wildcat that held forth in
BLUM some six or eight miles aero,
the plaiQs. Mr.. Melton was .ou
guide and protector. while Mark wa
dragged away by the bear hunters.
AS we rode home in the late after
noon, full of scratches and glory
with a big cat skin and a tiny, snarl
ing puff of kitten as trophies, Mr.
Melton and | got far ahead of tn,
Others and this is the story OF Mark
troubles, as he told it to me.
ibis folks moved out to Esperanto
a couple OF miles above my sheer
camp about tour years ago. Every,
body hated the old man ON sight. H,
was mean, close-fsted, cold,bloodeC
shaky,sort of a fellow. His wife vas
"a warm hearted woman, but she
hadn't much sense. She ran he house
and him, too, though, when it came
to the pinch.
Zone day the old man was abus-
Ing MARK, was so outrageous and in
sulting, and called him such vile
names, that the boy went and got
down gun to shoot him. His moth.
r screamed, threw her arms around
INN and held him. lreckou she was
Wild with terror, and she took Mark
pft and told how SIZE was not his moth
er' His own mother was a poor pref
ty servant girl she had had in the first
ears oi her marriage, and whose H.
ORANGE aud youtn her husband had
HroDged. The girl had died and she
'ad la sed aud loved ARK as her own.
Now, there was nice thing for
'lxteen-y ear Old boy to have to bear.
lie came down to my camp the next
norpin2 and It'd me about it, He
sat about like some poor dumb Great
ure that's been one halt killed by a
lad shot. 1t must be so, he said, for
mis- fellow, Jake Shackel!ord, that
nan,e ont with them, and was after,
told di so @@IISsc aGiI BY his father, had
| was awtully rushed with shearing
and before | knew it the boy was
gone. He never was homo again, but
went up to Ezperauza and got a
place in lumber yard. He made
some awful bad plays, and no wonder.
He got drunk and got to running
with a gang OF pretty tough men.
But the old lady loved him, she wrQ tie
to him and finally wrote to him, and
finally went mp to Esperanza, bought
him an outfit and sent him over to
east Texas to school. He was away
two years. He hadn't been back
month, keeping books In Esperanza,
when he saw Louie Flint whom Jake
Shackleford was crazy III love with.
Anybody would love the boy, OF
course Louie preferred him, so Shack.
elford, like the low dog he is, went
about telling his tale, and the next
| heard OF Mark he was all broke up
and drinking again,
! went up and got him to go down
to my ranch with me. He's been
with me ever since. I've got bunch
of cattle and he has charge Of them.
He never drinks, nor CANDLES, nor
swears, he's got lots of grit and cour,
age, and les all life and 20, but
there Is something like q woman
about him that makes him more t.
me than any brother could ever be.
Cant he ride the prettiest you
ever saw? That saddle and sombrer0
OF his are both premiums he won at
roping contests and tournament.
he"
We we're within hulfa mi of the
house, with one or two rises and dip,
between it and ourselves. Suddenly
shot reug out on the still air, then
another. My companion started
beckoned me, stuck spurs into hi,
horse and Launched forward like an
avalanche. | followed as asst as
could, but | was fully five minute.
behind him as | rode over the las
rise.
There, in the hollow was a grouI
OF men. standing in the tuil glory oil
a prairie sunset, the golden splendoi
all about and upon them. In til,
midst knelt young Melton besid
Marks motiouless form. Mark
head was upon his arm as | rode vi
and dismounted. The Dlg tears wer
running down his face as he tried t
stauuch the bleeoing Of a g eat woun,
in the boys breast.
80, Mark o, Mark he said.
In moment later the fathomle,
eyes unclosed and gazed long an
calmly into the wesi; then turne
suddenly toward Melton with a loo