San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-02-16

wound; but no bones broken. If he
could but have rest and peace and sur
gerry! But if not, after the fever of our
day, after the wearing anguish of our
doubtful gallop-if not?
Ellen Clitheroe revived in a moment
when she saw another needed her care.
Woman's gentle duty of nurse found her
ready for its offices. Ny laundering
good will gave place willingly to her fine
fingered skillfulness. She forgot her
own WEAKNESS while she was magnetic
ing away the pangs of the wounded man
by her delicate touch.
He looked at me and smiled with total
content.
"My father" asked the lady family,
as if she dreaded the answer.
"Safe" said l. Free from the Nor
mons. He is waiting for you with a
friend"
Her tears began to flow. She was busy
bandaging the wound. All was silent
about US except the pleasant gurgle of
the fountains, when we heard shot up
the defile.
- The sharp sound of pistol shot came
leaping down the narrow chasm, flying
before the pursuit of its own thunder
ing echoes.
sprang up when l heard the shot
and stood on the alert. There were two
up the alley; which, after the shot, was
tfiSing, and which dead?
M many moments had passed, when
heard Soofs coming --Saa Armstrong
rode into view. The gaunt whitS9orse
galloped with the long, careless fling r
had noticed all day. He moved machine
like, as if without choice or volition of
his own, horse commissioned to carry
fate. Larrap's stolen horse trotted
along by his old master.
Armstrong glanced at Murker's body
lying there, q battered mass.
"Bothv' he whispered. "The other
was sent right into my hands to be put
to death. knew all the time it would
be sent to me to do the killing. He was
squirting up the alley ON my own horse.
He snapped at me. My pistol did not
know how to snap. See here"
And he showed me, hanging from his
saddle horn, that most loathsome of all
objects mans eyes ever lighted upon
a fresh scalp. 1t sickrned me.
''Shame!' said 1. "Do you call your
self man to bring such thing into a
lady's presence"
ut was rather mean to take the fell
lows hair" says Armstrong. 81 don't
believe Brother Bill would have did it.
| But felt orful ugly when l saw that
fat, low lived devil, aud thought of my
brother, big, hui hearted man as never
gave bad word to nobody, and never
held on to dollar or a slug when ayry
man wanted it more n him. Come, I'll
throw the nasty thing away if you say
So"
"Help me drag off this corpse, and
| We'll bury man and scalp together" l
said.
We buried him at the gate of the alley
under great cairn of stones.
"God forgive them both," said I, as
flung the last stone, shat they were
| brutes, and not men,"
"Brutes they was, stranger" says
Armstrong, "but these things is ordered
somehow. l allow your pardener and
| you is glad to get that gal out of a Nor
mon camp, eff it did cost him horse
and both on you an all days tremble.
| Men don't ride so hard and look so wolf
| ish as you two men have did onless their
| heart is into it,"
| at is indeed strange" said l, rather
thinking aloud than addressing my COM
! panion, ''that this brute force should
have achieved for us by outrage what
love failed in. Fate seems to have
played Brute against Brute, that Love
might step between and claim the vic
| tory. The lady is safe; but the lover
may have won her life and lost his
| own"
"Look here, stranger" says Arm
strong, ''part of this is yourn," pointing
to the money belt, which, with the dead
mans knife and pistol, he had taken
| from the corpse. "Halves of this and
the other fellows plumber belongs to
your party"
| l suppose l looked disgusted; yet /
! nave seen gentle ladies wearing boast
fully brooches that their favorite heroes
| had taken from Christian men dead on
| the field at Inkerman, and shawls of
| the loot of Delhi cover many shoulders
| that would shudder over dead worm.
I'm not squimmidge," said Arm
strong. "It's my own and my brothers
money in them belts. I'll count that
out, and then, eff you won't take your
part, I'll pass it over to the gals father
l allowed from signs Their was, that that
thar boss Mormon had about tux the OLD
mans pile. Most likely these sinners
| thew won last nipht Is some of the very