The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1892-01-02
THE BLACK CROSS.

A black cross had been set against
Judge Hawkins name. Why it is not
for me to say. We were not accustomed
to explain our motives or to give rea-
J SONS for our deeds. The deeds were
enough, and this black cross meant
death, and when it had been shown us
all that we needed to know further was
at what hour we should meet for the
contemplated raid.
A word from the captain settled that,
and when the next Friday came dozen
men met at the place of rendezvous
ready for the ride which should bring
them to the judges solitary mansion
across the mountains.
was among them and in as salts
factory mood as l had ever been in my
life, for the night was favorable and toe
men hearty and in first rate condition.
But after we had started and were
threading a certain wood | began to
have doubts. Feelings l had never be-
fore experienced assailed me with force
that first perplexed and then astounded
me. was afraid, and what rather
heightened than diminished the I'M
wonted sensation was the fact that / was
not afraid of anything tangible, either
In the present or future, but of some
hing unexplainable and peculiar, which
If it lay in the skies certainly made
them look dark indeed, and if it hid in
the forest, caused its faintest murmur to
seem like the utterance of great dread,
as awful as it was inexplicable
| nevertheless proceeded, and should
have done so if the great streaks of light
ming which now and then shot zigzag
through the sky had taken the shape of
words and babe us all beware. l was
not one to be daunted, and knew no
other course than that of advance when
once a stroke of justice had been planned
and the direction for its fulfllment
marked out. went on, but began to
think, and that to me was an experience,
for had never been taught to reflect
only to fight and obey.
The hOuse toward which we were rid
ing was built on hillside, and the first
thing we saw on emerging from the for
est was light burning in one of it's dis
tant windows. This was a surprise, for
the hour was late, and in that part of the
OOulblJ UCOlIlC WCAO dCCuSbOllCu W Ib~
tire early, even such busy men as the
judge. He must have visitor and
Eisitor meant possible complication of
$fairs; so a halt was called, and l was
singled out to reconnoiter the premises
and bring back word of what we had
right to expect
l started off in a strange state of
mind. The fear had spoken of had left
me, but a vague shadow remained,
through which, as through mist, l saw
the light in that far away window beck
oning me on to what l felt was in some
way to make an end of my present life.
AS drew nearer to it the feeling in
creased; then it, too, left me, and l
found myself once more the daring
avenger. This was when l came to the
foot of the hill and discovered l had but
a few steps more to take.
The house, which had now become
plainly visible, was a solid one of stone,
built, as l have said, on the hillside. 1t
faced the road, as was shown by the
large portico dimly to be discerned in
that direction, but its rooms were main
ly on tile side, and it was from one Of
these that the light shone. AS came
yet nearerI perceived that these rooms
were guarded by piazza, which, COM
municating with the portico in front,
afforded an open road to that window
and a clear sisht of what lay behind it.
/ was Instantly off my horse and upon
n piazza, andbefore had time to real
ize that my fears had returned to me
with double foro\ had crept stealthily
toward that unolrtained window and
looked in.
What did see? at first nothing but
a calm, studious figee bending above a
hatch of closely written papers, upon
which the light shonN too brightly for
me TO perceive much olwhat lay behind
them. But gradually Nn influence, of
whose workings was sorce conscious,
drew my eyes away, andN began to dis
cover on every side strangA and beauti-
frl objects which greatly iterested me,
,,n+il suddenly my eyes fell tDon a vision
of Ioveliness so enchanting tat forgot
to look elsewhere AMI became for the
moment nothing but sight andfeeling.
T. was picture, or sol thouAt in the
est instant of awe AMI deligk But
--osentlv | saw that it was toman
1;-ing and full of the THOUGHTS tht had
100 been mine, and at thu discoerv 3
laden trembling seized nA, for Ahad
aTer seen anything in heavp or ertI
al her beauty, while she say nothne
- fine man who was bending over Ii
papers. - soretbin aor