Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-06-09

He slept late the pext morning
and when he awoke bis wife was
goue. What was more remarkable
the team which bad been feeding in
the stables since the emigrAuts' arri-
val, was gone too, and Lieut.. Jayne
bad left on horseback before day
light.
Every msu 10 the gar son pitied
Cumler that morning as he went
about making inquiries in . dazed
kind Of way that told palmer than
could frantic implicst,ons how severe
was tue blow.
Mrs. Cumler had ordered the team,
so said the hostler, just o. daybreak
and had driven of alone, though the
horses were very restive from their
long halt and good feeding. She
had gone toward the station where
Jayne had been the day befoie. As
for the lieutenant no one noticed
which objection he took.
For an horr Cumler walked up
and down the parade ground. His
face had .he pallor OF death and his
steps were nervous and quick as of
one whose brain is throbbing. The
summer sun bea: down on his wide
brimmed felt had, but be did not
notice II.
Suddenly he was gone. The few
soldiers who were lounging in sight
of the parade ground did not see him
depart and the guard had challenged
no one.
1t was judged that he had gone to.
ward Fa',vew, the railroad station,
but no one was sure of it until noou,
when the captain sweeping the plain
with his telescope made out q lone
figure four miles away.
Poor fellowl" he murmursd.
"He will never finish the chase"
And then he volunteered the infor.
nation that Jayne had the Night
before asked for and received his
months vacation furlough.
That settled it in the soldiers
minds. There was but one explanation
of the mornings happenings-an er-
ring wife, broken-hearted husband, Q
soldier-lover. Some Of the officers
who had known Jayne professed to
believe him incapable of such deed
and declared him the soul of honor,
but they were the minority.
The prairie over which Cumler half
staggered, was dry and brown.
Though only midsummer the drought
and hot winds had eaten up the soal
of the grasses and they swished against
his feet with q hard, crisp sound. The
sky was clear and the unsofted Kan
sas sun had blaised the air into pulslng
wave of heat that met his face in
burning currents borne by the racing
south wind that came steadily, swift
ly, like the blowing of simeon. Not
a house was in sight, for the govern
ment claimed all the land thereaoouts
as military reservation, and the fort
itself was destroyed figure on the
horizon.
Cumler struggled on with bowed
head and shambling, week-kneed
steps. He did not see even the
meadowlarks that struggled 6tfully
against the wind.
That wind--for three days it had
been blowing, rolling up from the
south, bearing on its back the debris
of hundreds OF Intended fields and
ill.kept door yards. In the towns
dusty clouds swept through the streets
and in the homes of toiier and capital
ist alike, little ridges of dark, finely
sand marked every crevice
in wall or window casing.
The third day OF the windstorm a
darker cloud than that of dust came
rooling out of the southern horizon.
1t was smoke!
The flames swept with peculiar
strength and apparent pleasure over
the government reservation, and the
soldiers of the Seventh remember yet
the fight they had that afternoon to
protect the buildings of the post.
Cumler aroused to his danger only
when the long dancing line of fame
could be distinguished as it devoured
5he dry grasses. The line was SO long
hat he knew he could not escape it
IN foot, and he stood s.arins at it
1umbly. Then he turned and swept
;he remainder of the horizon, hoping
sor way to escape.
Coming toward him from the east
was a white-topped wagon. 1t must
nave followed a revine that he did
lot see it before. Now it was out on
The high prairie and the horses were
approaching on a canter. AS it came
nearer through the film of smoke al
'eady filing the atmosphere he saw
hat the driver was woman--and
res it was Mary! Cumler was becom-
ng more and more bewildered and
;ould not speak until his wise's voice
allied to him:
"Oh, John; quick! Help me unhar-
less the horses they can never pull
he wagon fast enough. We must
ide.
Serious as was the situation he
ould not resist the temptation to
nswer with a sneer: "Where is Alb |
er2''
HHe is coming. John, and we've
een SO fortunate-l'll tell you about
don't you see the Gre there