Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-02-14


instant, without . word.
A ghastly pair-this appaition-hors'
and man! The horse was tall, gaunt
white. There were the deep hollows o.
age over his bloodshot eyes. His out
stretched head showed that he shared
his masters eagerness Of pursuit. Deatt
would have chosen such . steed for {
gallop on one Of deaths errands.
Death would have commissioned sucf
q rider to bear sentence Of death. A
tall, gaunt man, with the loose, Ions
frame Of q pioneer, but the brown vigol
Of q pioneer was gone from him. Hi
face was lean and bloodless. II wa
clear where some Of his blood had found
Issue. A strip Of old white blanket
soiled with dust and blood, was turbaned
askew about his head. and under 1t there
showed the ugly edges OF . recen'
wound.
When he pulled M beside rs hi'
stringy right hand was ready upon thu
butt Of q revolver. He dropped the muz
xle as he looked at us.
For what horror was this man the en-
bodied Nemesis!
"Where are theyf"
He whispered this question In voice
thick with stern purpose and shudder.
ing with some recollection that inspired
the purpose.
"They! WhoY
The two murderers."
"They staid behind at Bridger."
"No. The Mormons told me they
were here. Don't hide them! Their
time Is come"
Still in the same curdling whisper.
He crushed his voice, as II he feared the
very hillocks Of the prairie would re.
vertebrate his words and earth would
after warning cry to those he hunted
to fly, fly, for the avenger OF blood wa
at hand.
No need to be told whom he sought.
The two gamblers-the two murderers
tho brutes we had suspected; but
where were theyi Where TO be soughtl
We hailed the mail train. II was but
ahundred yards before us over the ridge.
Jake Shamberlain and his party returned
to learn what delayed rs.
The haggsrd horsemen stared at them
all In silence.
"rve seen you before, stranger" said
Shamberlain.
eyes" said the man, in his shuddering
whisper
"It's Armstrong from Oregon, from
the Umpqua, amt iti You don't look
@ II you were after cattle this time.
Where's your brotherT
Murdered"
"I allowed something had happened,
because he warn't long. I never seed
two men stick 30 close as You and he
did. They didn't kill him without get.
tin q lick at you, ! see. Who was it'
Indiansy'
"Worse."
81 reckon I know why you're after rs
then"
81 can't waste time, chamberlain"
said Armstrong, In . hurried whisper.
"rll tell you in two words what's hap.
pened to me, and p'r'aps you can help
me to find the men mean to dnd."
"Tll help you, II know how, Arm.
strong. Ihain't seen no two In my life.
old country or new country, saints OF
gentiles, as I'd do more for n you and
your brother. I've olluz said, ef the
world was chock full Of Armstrong;,
Paradise wouldn't pay, and Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob mout just as well blow
out their candle and 90 under bushel
basket, unless half bushel would kiver
EN-"
The stranger seemed insensible to this
compliment. He went on In the same
whisper. full Of agony. pain and weari'
ness. While he talked his painting horse
drew mp his lip and whinnied, showing
his long. yellow teeth. The spirit OF his
rider had entered him. He was impa.
tient Of this dalliance.
1--WE were coming down from the
Umpqua, my brother and l." said Arm
strong, "goan across to the states to
drive out cattle next summer. We was
q little late one morning. along OF oul
horses havin strayed of from camp, and
that was how we met them men. Two
ON 'em ther' wa-s tall, most ungodly
Pike and little, fat, mean lookin runt,
We lighted on 'em just to the crossin ol
Bear river. They was comm from Sac
ramenter, they said. I kinder allowed
they was horse thieves and wanted tc
shy Of. But Bill-that was my
brother
Here the poor fellow choked little.
"Bill, he never could think wrong ol
nobody. Bill. he said; NO. Looks wa,
nothin.' he said, 'and we'd jine the fel
lers.' SO we did, and rode together al
day, and camped together on branch
we cum TO. reckon we talked tot
much about the cattle we was goan Y
buy, and I suppose ther' ain't many OF
the Pacific side that amt heard OF tn,
Armstrong;. They allowed we had
money, them murderes did. Well, W,
camped all right. and went to sleep, ant
I never knowed nothin. ef 1t warn't
dream that q grizzly had wiped me ovel
the head, till woke mp the next da!
with the sun brilin down on my head
and my head all raw and bloody. as e
I'd been scslpad. And there was Bill
my brother Bill-lyin dead In hi
blankets" =
A shudder passed through our group
These were the men we had tolerated
sat with at the camp fire, to whose rougl
stories and foul Jokes We had listened
Brent's instinct was true.
Armstrong was evidently an honest
simple, kindly fellow. His eyes wer
pure, gentle blue. They filed witt
tears a. he spoke. But the storm look re
msined, the Rhadamanthino whispe
only grew thicker with vengeance.
"Bill wa dead" he continued. eth
Ratchet slipped when they come to hi
me, and they was too skeared. i sup
pose. TO 70 on chopin me ~ they ha'
him. P'raps his ghost cum round an
told EN- 7 wsrn't the fair thing they
ben at, and I wsrnt. But they got on
horses, Bills big sorrel and my Flsthsa'
horse, what's made . hundred and tweu
ty.thrse miles bstwixt sunrise and suu
ct Of . September day. gosn for th
doctor, when Ma Armstrong was TUX I
de. Thsy got the horses and our none
bsla 30 when ] found Bili wss deed