Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-03-25


t. sleep an lay weth golden head on net
arm-Td robbed her of her pillows
sweet a picture as a mans eyes ever
rested on; an then / looked at Perfs
Winston's wife.
She wasn't down in heap on tn floor
cryin' over her danger, but stood, like
TIL brave woman she was, weth one hand
on tn foot O. her baby's cradle an tn
other sort o hoyerin' over tn Winches-
ter tibet she was all ready t hand me th'
minute l needed it; an her face set an
white, but as steady as rock, weth
tibet awful look O. listenin' on it thet we
all wore.
looked at her, an as I gazed tn
clouds seemed t. sort o. lift an | saw
clean t. tn bottom O. my own heart an
knew thet if my very life au' soul 'u'ddo
any good t her or t. tn ones tibet her
heart was set on, I'd drag 'em out, glad
ly, an throw 'em down before her. An
as / kept on tookin', for her eyes was on
tn cradle an she wasn't takin' any no.
tice o. me. an thought O. tn fate tibet
m ,eht be in store fer her before tn game
we'd got ready Ter was played t h finish
tibet night, l promised myself, firm an
true, tibet if 1t came t. the worst she
should have my last cartridge full in her
pure, lovin' heart t. send her straight t
Heaven safe an easy.
An then thought o til baby; an
though knew what slim chance ia
was tibet TIL redskins 'l'I load them
selves weth live plumber, KNOWN well
how swift an not tn pursuit 'u'd be,
still tn was chance. If tn fiends
Drained her, it 'u'd be nigh as short an
merciful as my bullet; an if they did
take her off alive, O. course knew Win
ston u have every man on tn Northern
range out after 'en an wipe tn whole
Blackfoot nation of n tn face o. tn
earth but what he'd bring her back.
Twas torture t me t think O. her in tn
hands O. TIL dirty brutes, but tn was
chance an knew I'd got t resk it.
AS fer tn Chinaman-well, we was
men, an 'u'd have t take whut came our
way.
| If they only didn't set US on firel Thet
l hadn't mentioned it t tn others.
But then, on the other hand-harl1!
At last my strained ear had caught TIL
long dreaded sound. Tn thud, thudl
O horses feet on long, steady galiop.
l looked at Mrs. Winston, au' as her eye
met mine, saw thet she heard it too,
an that at last our time had come.
Nobody moved after tn sort O wave
tibet seemed t pass over US jest at first.
Everything was ready an there was
nothn' t be done till TIL attack cane
Thud, thud nearer, now; quite PLAIN
t. our strained hearin'. Click !-Over
tn log bridge, an thud, thu !--up tn
hllI-quite close up t. th' hou,e-an'
then, all at once, silence!
/ never want t live through thet five
minutes as'in. Where was they2 Dis
mounted an surroundn' tn house?
Creepin' up, weth famln' torches, t fire
tn place over our heads an drive Us out,
like rats from sinkin' shipl Crawlin'
by scores through tn new buildin' t
throw themselves on the door, an burst
in it weth rush, overpower me before
| cd fire a shot?-Sh-! Is tibet step
outside2 A hand on tn doorl
"Now, then, Mrs. Winston; steady
with the guns!-"
"Steve- Steve Scarrett!" 'Twai
Perry Wlnstcn's welcome hail. care
you there, Steve2 Aud safe' Open the
door, mani Mary, dariingl Never mind
Steve, but cry it out in my arms, love.
Thanking God, as do, tina. it isn't you
that's lying out and burned to death in
the ashes of your own hone as poor, AL
Tyndal's wife and babies are this night,
Molly"
"Where's young Lea Troue at9' said
I, rather ggutf, from tn feelin' o relief
thet had sort o surged up into my throat
and choked my voice at tn hearin' an
sight o Perry.
''All right, Steve, outside with the
boys. We met him five miles below the
bend, with the welcome news thai you'd
come over here to take care Of my
people; but we'd already heard that the
Piegaus were down and had raided the
Three Bar and were hard on our way
up to look out for mY wife and fight the
cusses if we can lay our hands on them.
"You gave US a tremendous scare with
your dark house, Steve. | couldn't
make it out, but was inclined to think
that they'd cleaned you out, garrisoned
the place and that an attack from us
would be the signal for the murder of
any of you that were left alive. Thank
Godl once more, that it's all right.
"Georgel Steve, you're ready for a
siege, herel You could stand off regi-
ment if they charged in small pIatoons.
Wing, my brave boy, I see you meant to
carve Piegans with that knife. Go and
turn it loose on ham, and knock US up
some supper lively, for we must hit the
trail north before it gets cold.
"You'l come along, Steve, of course.
There'll be no more danger here this
year, Molly, and please Godl we'll fix it
this time so there'll never be another
Plegau raid into the Ce IT dor country"
San Francisco Examiner.
Artificial Maple Sugar,
Decorations or extract of the wood or