The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-10-17

I friendly conversation Luke inform "a Us
! that he had been to Parsons City that
morning 10 buy a horse.
The next few days passed quickly
enough. Naomi and I became fast friends,
and whenever she had the chance, she tod
me much Of her early life. But Luke took
care that We were seldom acne. He
haunted the cabin, under the pretence OF
entertaining me, and pressed attentions
which were almost servile. He avoided
talking of his claim on The solicitOm, but
when obliged to speak OF it always in
/ fsrred that Naomi was 10 share his good
/ fortune. II was understood that 1 was
] 10 remain at any rate unit the remittance
for which l had written TO New York ar
rived.
/ When 1 had been at Golden Falls three
weeks, an incident occurred which had It's
+ effect on after-events. / came out Of the
cabin enc morning and found Luke
+ brutally thTashing Indian Joe, the hlf-
breed boy. who fetched and carried for
Naomi. In my horror at tho cruel treat
ment, called Luke blackSuard. To my
! surprise. he left the lad alone and apo.o-
] glz5d TO me humb-y. making some excuse
! about his temper. When L told Naomi Of
this, she was much agitated. Luke )
/ civllity she felt sure was dangerous
The next day 1 was sitting a-one in the
! cabin reading a week-o.d newspaper. Ma
! oml had gone up the ravine 10 hunt for
/ some herbs among the rocks; and Luke
/ had stared of after breakfast 10 his
cradle" TO wash for god. Suddenly the
/ door Of the cabin brust open and Luke
( dashed in. For Gods sake, cousin he
always called me c5usln-..get ON my nag
/ and ride for DR.. Bel at Parsons City.
1 Naomi has fallen over a crag up y0ndeF.
I'm afraid her back is broken. she can't
! be moved, and l must get back TO her
/ right away"
/ Horrihed as 1 was. and anxious TO go TO
( her, there was no need for Luke to press
I NE into the service. In Two minutes |
f was mounted and listening TO Lukes final
7 ins tructions. Take the path YOU came
/ by TIT You strike the coach road, he
! said. then along the road III You come
. 10 the city. Any one viii tel YOU where
/ the Doe lives; bring him back at all
/ risks. and ride like thunder"
The sure-footed horse-a large, raw
! b0ned cheStnut-carried me safely up tie
rocky sides of the ravine Once on the
! top. l dug my hee.s into his sides and
made him gallop his best. The ground,
/ though eve, had a broken surface but
/ with Naomi lying there injured perhaps
/ fatally, what cared l for the risk of 4
4 broken neck? We flew along regardless
/ OF stones and the frequent burrows Of
I prairie-dogs 1 had reached a spot three
/ miles from the zach road when /
thought heard 4 shout. Looking around
! | saw some twenty or thirty mounted
! men following in my tracks. They were
: g1ll5plng thor hardest, and some of the
! best mounted were OVerh3uling me. For
a moment | wondered what il meant; had
Naomis peril started off the whole of
Golden Falls i'm search of doctor ?
I That had nothing To d. with me; ] had
! promised to g 10 Parsons City, and
i whether I arrived there first or last,
\ tAithsr l would g. 1 sent my horse along
with a viii.
But there were fleeter footed Their the
I chestnut behind me, As we entered the
! coach-road. three of my pursuers dashed
alongside, and. before / could realize Nhdt
+ they were doing, pointed their pistols a,
my head. Halt YOU burned hOss-thief,
or Wen down you" cried one OF the
/ miners.
l pulled up to explain. Before l had
opened my mouth. they had me of the
+ horse. Two Of them held me fast white
the remainder OF the party came sJras-
Cling up.
For heavens sake" I said. "WhatLyer
blunder you are making ever me, len one
/ of You ride on for the doctor. 1t may be
! too late else
.'It's uncommon little good doctor
will do YOU In this job my lad" said one
! of my captors. Here, Luke" he added,
/ as Naomrs soi-disanJ brother rode Up on
+ a borrowed 3teed, we've took MN, you
! see"
/ Luke came up to where I stood. What
I does this mean?" I asked. You told me
4 Naomi was hurt and asked me to Iide
; Tor the doctor.
THAT be hanged for yarn: you had
/ better tell that TO the court. You stole
the horse you dirty tenderfoot" replied
/ Luke. letting his pent-up hatred loose at
. last l saw shat J was trapped, but / re-
+ joced that Naomi's supposed fall was
+ but part Of Luke's device.
] Come, boys; form the court" said one
! of the older men; there's a handy tree on
+ yonder bluff ready for the Britsher"
! Thus il was that 1 found myself on trial
my hlnfe cal line
I business in Dakota-before the drea led
, Judge Lynch. Luke's periured evidence was
! fatal He swore that my story Of having
/ been sent for the doctor was false. that I
/ had arrived at Golden Falls a mere pen
niess lOafer. and that / had requited his
| charity by robbing him of his horse /
/ clptOrs, and saw there was no hope tor
( mercy. | was absolutely without proof of
| 1t was ali over in five minutes The
J court pronounced me guilty" and ] was
! told 10 say nay prayers. But just as the
/ sentence was uttered there was the clat-
/ ter and rattle of whee.s. and round Black
/ mans Corner came the Parsons city mail
! coach-the self-same vehicle in which |
/ had been victimiZed by the road agents. "
The driver pulled up as he came abreast
/ the crowd. / saw that my old acquaint-
/ anCe. the One-eyed guard, was in charge.
J He got down and str0lled over to where
the miner who had overtaken me was still
! hang him, boys?' he asked after a mo-
ment's scrutiny
! That's So" was the reply.
| where is the cuss2'' asked the guard.
! That's him." said one OF the men, point
| ing to where l stood with my hands bound
| behind me
The guard recognized me with a start.
J "Pahw he said, you're foolin' That
I Brtisher was along with us a passenger,
! when the agents stuck up: ne coulCn I
/ have stole the horse or the dust either, for
/ the matter Of that"
What do YOU mean?" asked the miner
! who had acted as jue,Se; no ones talk
It am. though" said the guard shortly.
\ 81 tell you that that is the horse the roac'-
/ agents lifted, and it stands to reason that
/ the man as lifted the horse lifted your
1 dust, don't it?"
! There was a murmur of wrath among the
miners. All eyes were turned on Luke.
/ He began TO move toward the eC're of the
crowd; but rough hands restrained him,
/ and the leader said very quietly: you will
have to show where you got that boss,
/ Luke, before you make tracks"
/ 1T amt a matter of shown where he
! got the boss, | reckon said the guard
| ''leastways not altogether. Seel he's a
| button short in the center of his shirt
Guess i can FIND the missing sinner TO
| match" and he pulled out of his pocket a
/ bright metal fancy button, engraved with
! phoeniX-the exact counterpart of the
/ snowy fastenings Luke wore in his hunting
| shirt.
go on What of that?" shouted the
Il picked up that button on the ground
/ where we were robbed" said the guard.
fright here by the corner. 1t got hitched
off the galOot cut the trace of that
] baId-faced chestnut. ] saw it drop. I guess
that ought to be enough for YOU"
| 1t was. What say you, boys shall we
! I'm rod ha M