Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-09-21

uioWu Ovcr MS n0aO. He did not
utter word, but stood silently look
ing down at our he:o AZ Brandt
looked up into the dark face, fascin.
ated by the fixed case OF those
penetrating eyes, it seemed to un-
dergo change. The nose elongated;
the long, coarse hair on either side
the head grew curling and glossy, and
assumed the shape of ears; the face
itself became covered with a growth
OF short, dark hair He had almost
exclaimed, 1T is Ben," when his
visitor suddenly dropped on ali fours
and trotted toward the door. I'm
PEELED by what force he knew
not, Brandt arose and followed
after Out in the moonlight
he saw that the blanket the In.
dian wore was the old flannel shirt
he had thrown down some time ago
tor Ben's bed. His strange guide
bounded forward straight up the
mountain path, and it seemed to
Brandt that he followed after with
incredible speed. The direction they
took was over the same trail he had so
often trod in the past two years; but
the rapid figure ahead did not halt at
the SHAFT" but kept straight on.
Some 20 rods further he turned and
doubled on his track. This maneuver
he repeated several times. then went
ahead again, Brandt following. Now
the path was crooked and uneven;
now darting straight up the side of
the mountain, then plunging as alb
ruptly down again. In this manner
they followed a course that took them
through unbroken paths OF trees and
over ground quite unfamiliar to
Brandt. Suddenly, with the strange
second sight Of dreams, he realized
that the dark splatches on the snow
ahead of him were blood; and even
in his dream his own blood ran cold
At this juncture the form ahead of
him suddenly stopped short, and
Brandt. who was but few PAGES be-
hind, pulled up Just in time to avoid
stepping into dark, cavernous hole
that yawned at his feet, and all about
the margin the snow was splashed
with the dark red blood, while up
from the cavern at his feet ISSUED a
faint groan. A cold shiver passed
over his frame, the real cold of the
snow and night air, and the feeling
of returning consciousness. He
rubbed his eyes and looked about
him; he really stood ON the mountain
side, and not far from home. He
could see his cabin at a little distance.
But he was on the opposite side Of
the mountain from his claim. He
must have gone clear around il in his
dream. But how did he come there
at dead OF night, and by what un-
seen hand led!
He was not coward. A life in
the mines of California in those days
did not tend to lessen a mans cour-
age; but a feeling not unlike the
crawling of a Shiny snake down his
spine crept over him when he looked
about and found everything exactly
as he had seen it in his dream. There
was the pathway by which he had
come, and on that pathway were
horrors! The patches of dark red
blood!
"God" The ejaculation escaped his
lips Involuntary. Athis feet yawned
the dark cavern of his dreams, and
again, as then, he heard the faint
groan. Conquering an impulse to
put distance between that dark hole
and himself, he stood still and list
ened. The groan was repeated. No.
notIa groan-a whine. The truth
came to him like a flash. ut is
Benz"
That thought dispelled all lesser
IDEAS and lying down in the snow,
he peered into the hole, calling:
"Ben, dear boy, are you there?" "A
glad whine, soft tap Of his tail re.
spOnded.
"Good boy, be patient, I'll get you
out" and he darted down the side OF
the mountain, taking the shortest
cut to his cabin, regardless of the
fact that his feet might at any mo-
ment run into some overgrown shaft.
1t was but a simple task to gather up
a blanket from his bed, a strong rope,
bis pick and shovel and dark Ian.
tern, and hurry back to the spot
where he had left the dog.
Climbing down into the shaft, he
found that it was not Deep and the
entrance to tunnel, halfway inside
of which Ben lay. A hasty examina,
ton of the dog showed that the
wound consisted of pretty badly
lacerated shoulder, probably being the
result of running against something
sharp on his way to the mine. This
accounted for the blood on the snow;
and after losing considerable blood,
the dog was unable to get out Of the
shaft. and in some occult manner,
| this fact was communicated to his
| master.
Brandt did not waste time upon
! speculations as to the cause of his
dogs condition, but quickly bound w
the shoulder in strips of rags which
he had brought for that purpose The
dog submitted to this operation with
his usual good sense and fortitude,
| hat vphon hic rrocfor OF <r