Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1891-01-08

/ ~
A BUFFALO Skin WAS FLUNG OVER HIS
ItEAD.
odd times. See now It shines? It's
real cherry, solid all through. He says
he likes to look at it OF nights whom he
wakes up and can't get to sleep again.
cont mind it, but it always used to
make poor mother nervous"
Ayres shivered.
II don't wonder" said he. Your
father was always peculiar man. But,
Selenda you're sure you're not afraid?'
Afraid? Why, what is there to be
afraid OFF"
81 most wish your father had been
at home" added Ayres. thoughtfully.
1T is not necessary" said calm Sc
lenda. - can take care of your precious
tin box. Abram."
You're the pluckiest girl out,
Selenda, and the best And if ever I'm
able to keep wife, If ever the company
puts my salary up
Nonsense. Abe! Goodbye
And Selenda Griffin shut the door in
bis face.
| Abr ~ 49, ~ his
way, thinking of Selenda's dark hazel
eyes and of the probability of his one day
calling her his own-went whistling on
his way through the waist-deep drifts
of snow to the opening of the mountain
gorge where he had tied his patient
mule. The sun, bursting out from be-
low low-hanging fringe of purple
black cloud, dazzled his eyes, the keen
wind seemed to push him back, as with
icy hands.
AS he passed into the shadow of a
falo skin was flung suddenly over his
head, he was tripped up, falling heavily
on one shoulder.
He tried to struggle, to call out, but
the robe was tightening around him
like a straight-jacket, his mouth was
full of NANCY fur.
you'll hardly get your salary raised
this year, old chap" chuckled deep
voice; mot if the company can't depend
on you no better than this. Lay still
now-lay still. There amt no good
Topping about, not unless you want to
get hurt. Take him into the woods,
boys. Lay him down alongside the fire.
l amt no special friend o. his'n, but
don't want no fellow to be froze to
death"
| In vain were the poor ticket agents
frantic struggles. Helpless as an in
FAINT, he was laid down on the trodden,
half-thawed snow beside huge camp
fire, whose cracking came with muffled
| sound to his ear In an instant his mind
had grasped the situation. These half
civilized miners had in some way be-
come aware of the bank gold, and were
determined to possess themselves of it
by fair means or foul 1t was not the
cat alone who was responsible for the
creaking of the door at George Grifin's
cabin that self-same evening. There
had been an unseen auditor TO their
conversation-and chill went through
his veins, as he thought of the possible
consequences to Selenda! Bound -
gagged -helpless-what was to be the
end of all this?
In the meanwhile Selenda herself had
shyly run out of the back door to watch
her lovers departure down the glen
path. There was an old fr-tree on the
heights from which she could look some
distance down the gorge. Beneath its
dropping boughs she herself was hidden
and, as she stood there waiting, her
black shawl blown backward by me
strong gusts, the sound of deep, SUI
pressed voices come up from the mario
pathway under the cliff.
There's a corpse in the housed Old
Mother Griffin is lying there deadl
tell you, wouldn't go there for twice
the money"
shut up, you foolp' returned shril-
Ter accent "She was buried this morn
ing"
''She warn't"'
"She was. Sim Dollard says sol"
"Sim's lisrl He can't tell the truth
If he was to try"
Hes told it this time, you'll see.
Fifteen hundred dollars in goldl Think
Of that, Pierre! Such find don't come
our way every day in the week. And
nobody in the house but girl!''
More muttering-more sullen growl-
ing-and then the tones died away.
Selenda stood there very pale, with
clasped hands
al must hide myself and the money
somewhere in the woods" said she to
herself But haven't time. They're