The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-10-01

She, shook his shoulder again. His
head fell back. The face was chalky white.
a0od, Papi What IL itf'
She felt his face. IL was stone cold.
The touch froze her. She felt his heart.
The throb was gone out Of 1t.
"PapI papln and all the canon heard
her sharp, desoIate cry. my OF papi
He amt deadfn
Al big lizard went scattering down the
slope, an owl In scrub-oak near by gave
dismal boot, and the coyotes set up
their tfroaty howls.
She auiped and gasped. Her breath
seemed cut on. She would have fallen at
his side, utthat her ear caught the co.
votes howls and caught, too, their hor-
rible meaning. She stayed herself by her
two hands against the rock and tried TO
get her breath. The coyotes howled
again, In awful chorus, and she shud-
dered.
"They shan't get you, pap; they shan't
get you. I'll take you home"
Her breath came free as she spoke. She
grasped the dead mans shoulders, and,
keeping as much OF his body from the
ground as she could, she dragged him
down the rocky trail toward the spot
where the horses were tethered. She
WINGED when she heard his boot heels
eEratch the ground, but she pulled and
tagged with all her might, and, painting,
she laid his form near Old Jim, who
snorted and jumped and pricked up his
ears. Then, with glance backward from
time to time, she went to her fathers
little camp, took his axe and cut two
poles, with which she made "dust-
trailer" the poles being bound to Old
Jim's sides like shafts, with pieces of
strap and bale rope.
She lifted the body again to put 1t on
the rude conveyance. The moon struck
II full this time, and as she rolled 1t over
gently upon the trailer she saw big clot
OF blood on the back OF the dark shirt,
and by II was clean-cut bullet hole.
With shudder she let the body fall.
Then she looked Mt her hands. There
was blood upon them and upon the sleeve
OF her dress.
|Cfaim jumpersi'
| She SGT her teeth hard when she thrust
forth the words, and clenched her hand
till the nails dug into the palm.
They had killed him, then, while he
was at work. He had crawled as far a.
the rock and had died. 1t was strikes
big one-a big one-and IL had cost him
| his life. But
She looked up the canon with awful
eyes, and smote the air with the clenched
hand.
Then she bent down, and taking long
halter-s strap, fastened the body securely
to the top OF the trailer, and, mounting
her iather's horse, she led Old Jim care
fully down the canon and out upon the
nigh chilled plain. The coyotes fol-
lowed her, and almost rent her heart by
their bowls, but she kept on, and before
midnight the sad little procession reached
the cabin. The mother was still up, and
she ran to the door when she heard the
sound Of the hoofs.
:. Is that you, 'Lishf' she called out.
"Did ye bring pap homef Is II dead
sure striker 4
Lish slid from her horse and ran to the
door.
Nav, Nav, Mawl" was her cry.
Nav, they've killed himi They've
killed poor old papl"
1t was a month after they had laid the
old man in the white earth, and the wind
was whispering through the sage brush
and scattering its gray leaves on his
grave.
'Lish was up in the canon, behind the
father. The canon draught was grateful
to her after the hard ride over the heated
plain. She drank in long breaths OF it,
but all the time her eye was on the hole
where her father had made the one great
strike OF his life and had died for It.
"Strange he never comes 'roun'--that
greasy faced Jose Garcia. Twas him that
did it. P'raps he's waitin' fer as to move
away, He'll wait long time-till he's
dead"
She let her glance fall for an instant to
the something that cleaned along the
top OF the rock. That something was
the barrel of her fathers rifle. The wind
rustled a snake skin on the rock at her
side, and a "swift !" darted into the shade
and looked at her with unwinking eyes.
Then dark, squat figure stole out Of
the canon depths and up to the mine.
The girl did not start, but smile passed
her lips. The figure moved about as
silently as n shadow. 1t turned a swarth
face toward the spot where she lay hid,
but there was more of interest for it in
the hole in the canon side than for aught
else, and on this the eyes were bent.
By moving the muzzle OF the rifle two
inches along the top of the rock, it COW
cred the tiapof the pocket in the left
breast of the blue flannel shirt.
Farther than / thought for" the girl
said to herself" nearly $50 yards. The
middle sights the best"
She squinted through the pin-point
hole, and lowering the muzzle the small
est fraction OF an inch, she smiled as the
small round dot rested on the very CEN
tire OF the pocket flap. At that instant
dark shadow made an inky patch on the.
scarp near her, and looking up she saw
big buzzard wheeling in theaiF.
She smiled again, and Rugged the rifle
butt, which fitted closely against her
shoulder. Her right hand went forward
little. Her slender forefinger, held
straight, smoothed the black trigger
lightly, almost lovingly. The man
Strengthened up little. The finger
crooked, there was a sharp crack, and the
man fell upon his face.
Then she pressed home another cart
ridge and clambered up the rock, rife in
hand. She leaned over the body. 1t was
motiohless.
9 Ynu ono hfer ia1 hon shot in tho hack