Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1893-05-26

no! | heard you were somewhere in
Arizona, but never thought of being
surpri, ed i'm this manner"
"iiow are you fixed, Sam?"
'"Tolcrable."
"Married?"
"No, of course not. I've found one
pretty girl in this God forsaken land.
/ don t say that because she came from
the old State, but she's an angel all
the same. | mean the one up yonder
at the station"
''Bess?"
els that her nance" said Jack.
"By thunder! YOU knew it was!"
and Sam drew closer, and looked dag
gers at the undisturbed face of the
man he hated.
IL did not ask her what her name
was" was the reply. Il happened to
pull I'D there the other day and this
very day, too. She is a pretty girl,
Sam; but Wen not discuss beauty
now. Where do you live?"
Livid with i'll suppress ell rage, Sam
could ha dly talk, but he managd to
tell Jack that he had little ranch, and
was making a good living.
ave don't get to decorate to-mor-
row." said Jack, after a moments
silence.
~ hadn't thought of that"
''It's the 3oth, you know"
eyes"
1.-The boys will get the wreath and
the eulogy, and we-why, hang it all,
Sam-we won't get anything"
There was no reply, and Sam Chess
ter looked at the old pard with eyes
that BODIED him no good.
Thnxr GxxopNn1 fr,ig
to some extent, but Sam Chester's
heart was not in the game and he
soon withdrew, declining the invita-
ton to pass the night at Jack sshanty.
Sam Chester stood in front of his
shanty and saw the soaring vultures
as they sUread cir wings over the
plain and swooped down upon the
fresh morsel which the night had
brought for the carrion feast.
1t was the day after his sud in
terview with his old enemy.
After breakfast he rode his ranch. as
was his custom, and then galfoped
toward the little railroad station
WI ere Bess held down the keys.
Gods! What was thatg'
He drew rein, and then stood erect
in his broad stirrups
There's trouble at the stationr' he
cried, sinking the spurs into the black
steeds toweis, and in an instant was
OFF like the wind.
Horror came to his face when he
rode out from the cacu and saw the
little stltion-house.
Smoke was curling over n mss of
ruins. and Us he FASTENED on he heard
reports of firearms, and then caught
sight of some men who were not In
dians circling off over the sand.
"Bandits!"
1t was "A raid, and when he thought
of Bsss beauty, VIII n he compre-
hended al that border foray meant,
he grew pale, and for an instant
seemed to tottor in the saddle
Down upon the ruined st tion he
came with the Jury of storm, and,
drawing n rein in front of the scene.
looted at ound for glimpse OF Be3s.
But the girl was gone, and, though
he looked everywhere he could see
nothing that would remind him OF her
safety.
He turned to the bandits riding off,
and now dark specks against the
horizon.
There was a fight here, he said.
"but who resisted them-Bess?"
The rascils had cut the wires, and
Sam saw that some sanyuinary work
had taken place which probably a..
counted for the burning of the OH ,e.
This was a premeditated attacks
They knew the girl was defenseless.
and that's why they came. They
wanted TO get even with the company
for issuing that merciless order against
bandits last summer. fthink know
who did this piece of work, and he
shall pay dearly for it."
Sam rode from the scene of ruin
with heavy heart