Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-16
CHAPTER III.

peace and happiness stealing unrecognized
by the girl at least, into those two live:
thrown so into close companionship, and
indeed, dependency on each other for safety
and sympathy; the interchange of thoughts
feeling, mutual histories and troubles-al
that in two strong, impassioned natures
with no half-lights in either, must needs
appeal powerfully to each heart-and did
inevitably.
At present the girl was still blinded by
the very freedom of intercourse, and more.
over by the constant anxiety for hel
brothers return and the dread of danger to
her fugitive guest.
But the man of fve-and-thirty could not
of course be blinded, and he knew perfectly
well that he had surrendered at discretion,
though chivalrous honor must needs forbid
word or look to betray his love, so long as
he had to remain alone with her under that
roof; that necessity ended soon enough, so
far as his strength was concerned. Thanks
to a rich vigor of physique and fine organ
ization which his rackety and checkered
life had not impaired, he recovered vital
ity hour by hour almost it seemed, and by
the fifth dav was absolutely himself again,
and was quite able to make his way down
to Frisco. but-then came the tug-of-war-
the real difficulty, even if he had not
loved Juanita Calvaros; how could he pos
sibly leave her unprotected, alone in this
wild place, knowing that any hour the
ranch might be visited by one or more ruff
fans in search of him. Heaven! the very
thought shook him. Besides, how could he
leave and never speak, never see her again,
after these few madly happy days? Fate,
however, solved the question on the fifth
day. about G. the primitive supper hour in a
California ranch. Dallas Vernon was out at
the back drawing water from the well, and
the noise of the winch prevented him at first
from hearing sounds at the front veranda
Of trampling horses hoofs and mems voices,
but Juanita, setting the meal, heard and
went, white with terror for the man outside,
but the next moment she went out to the
entry and her very heart stood still as she
caught sight of four mounted men, ruffianly
looking fellows enough.
'JehOsaphat-what a darned beauty"
cried the leader, evidently, and there was
hoarse chuclle all round. 'Look hyar, my
gal, we're wanting the galoot as murdered
an robbed Judge Kemble's son, and he's
around these parts, we bheve; so own up
with a kiss for"
The girl stepped back, speaking across
the insolent words with an exclamation that
sprang from the very impulse of despera-
Uion itself, with the one maddening fear for
Vernon, the one blind instinct Of love to
save him. -
'You dare to touch mei'' she cried, as
the ruffian dropped from the saddle;
there's only my husband and me here, and
he"
esKnows how to protect his wife, by the
Lord" and a tall man, blazing with pas
sion, suddenly strobe from behind, throw
ing his left arm about the girl, and con-
fronted the intruder with a leveled revol-
yer. ''What the devil do you want except
a bullet for each of you, if you stir a step
nearerl You can have that or liquor up
peaceable-which you choose-sabe?''
The other fell back bit, staggered. This
man looked dangerous, somehow, even if
they were four to One-or rather two, for his
wife chow sharply Dallas had caught the
cue) was armed evidently.
One of the fellows still mounted said, with
a hoarse laugh:
Didn't mean your wife no harm, pard, 1
guess, but we're after Hiram Kemble's muir
derer, and by tn Etarnal we mean to hev
him and lynch him.
''Well, 90 to the devil for him, if that's
all" retorted the other, roughly, with a
thoroughly Western tongue instead of his
own soft, refined accents. SIS that reason
to come down on a quiet rancher and insult
his Vile. lHeTe III IL an InuTueT6r AROUND
these diggingS as ] ken see. What's the
galoot like?-an' if I've seen him I'll tell
you straight without the gal being fright
ened.''
She was quivering in his clasp, poor heart,
but not from physical terror, as he knew,
and one swift glance down showed him that
somehow, she had managed to transfer a
broad, richly chased, gold ring from the
right hand TO the wedding finger, even
while she held her breath for the answer to
the question just put. Madre de Dros! if
they had any description!
"DunnO, stranger, 'cept that he's young
and amt an Amurac'n the boys don't
think"
Not" exclaimed the other with sud-
den laugh. "Then, by the jumping Jehosh-
aphat, reckon I've seen the fslla' three
days back in Rorke's City; darned if that
amt him as / telled you of, wife, and if
you'll Jest liquor up, pards, first, and then
ride into the city, reckon you'll tree him
like a coon at the whisky saloon. Squares
the word, boysl"
There was shout of approval, and the
completely hoodwinked rascals thinking
they were safe on the track of the rich prize,
bundled from their saddles to the broad
veranda. where of course there was the
usual rustic table and benches. There they
were soon served with a liberal supply of
brandy smash and gin sling, by their host
and hostess to the latter of whom the first
glasses were drained.
What an awful half hour that was: one of
those episodes in existence in which we live
years of suspense and agony and fierce pas
sion, that must be kept under the mask of
reckless good-fellowship. But it ended at
last, and the rutfians, now certainly what
seamen call ''two sheets in the wind"
tumbled to their saddles, and with hilarious
adieux rode off nOrthward toward the di-
rection Of Rorke City.
ON theml' said Dallas fercely, through
his teeth, as he swung round into the house
and keeping room, where Juanita was hur-
riedly setting ON buckwheat cakes. Loyal
and brave, it was not in womanhood to face
this man coolly, or without a burning,
transitory flush, after what had passed, for
her ewes were suddenly opened, and what
oh! what might he not think?
"Come to supper at once," she said, speak
ing rapidly, in hard, desperate kind of
manner; 'you must escape now, there's not
minutes safety; if they reach Rorke City
they'll find the trick out. / was forced to it
if they should meet anyone, old Mostyn or
my brothers, they'll all be back like mad
devils, and the river is so high that reckon
there's something wrong up higher, at Red
Gully, maybe, and if the floods are out
there, the boys'n fly from Rorke's-" she
stopped, breathlesS and sitting down,
pushed a plate well filled before Vernon.
a" You are the bravest, noblest of womenr'
was all he could-dared attempt to say; or
he must have said all-all that, TO his honor,
seemed like taking advantage of the noble |
moral courage that second time had saved |
him. She went on in the same way as each |
ate their meal
"I'll pack the saddle-bag with food, and |