The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1894-12-29

hound, and would even rremble In his
presence sometimes.
1.-THE youths temper correspOnded to
his habits. He was both gloomy and
passionate. Prone to anger, he had
never been known to forgive. De-
barred from anything ON which he had
SIT his heart he would have gone mad
with rage. His soul was like the night
arcand us now, dark, and sultry. and
silent. but lighted up by the red levin
OF wrath, and torn by the bellOwings
of thunder passion. He must have his
will; hell might have his SOUL Imagine
then, the rage and malice in his heart,
when lie suddenly became aware that
an orphan girl, distant)y related to
them, who had lived with them for
nearly two years. and whom he bad
loved for almost that period, was loved
by his elder brother, and loved him in
return. He flung his right hand above
his head. swOre terrible oath, that
If he might not. his brother should not,
rushed out of the house, and galloped
off among the hills.
1.-The orphan was a beautiful girl,
tall, pale, and slender, with plentiful
dark hair, which, when released
from the snood, rippled down below
her knees. Her appearance formed a
strong contrast with that of her ia
vOred lover, while there was some re-
semblance between her and the young
er brother. This fact seemed, to his
fierce seltishness, ground for a prior
claim
1T may appear strange that man
like him should not have had instant
recourse to his superior and hidden
knowledge, by means of which he
might have got rid of his rival with
far more of certainty and less risk:
but l presume that. for the moment,
his passion overwhelmed his conscious
ness of skill. Yet l do not. suppose
that he foresaw the mode in which his
hatred was about to operate. At the
moment, when he learned their mutual
attachment, probably through do
nestle, the lady was on her way to
meet her lover as he returned from the
days sport. The appointed place was
on the edge of deep, rocky ravine,
and foaWed a little mountain torrent.
You know the place, Duncan, my dear,
1 dare say"
Here she gave me a minute descrip-
ton Of the spot, with directions how
to find it,
whether any one saw what I am
going to relate, or whether it. was put
together afterward l cannot tell. The
story is like an old tree-so~old that it
has lost the marks of its growth But
this is how my grandmother told it to
me. An evil chance led him in the
right direction. The lovers, startled
by the sound Of the approaching horse,
parted in opposite directions along a
narrow mountain path on the edge of
the ravine. Into this path he struck
at point near where the lovers had
met. but to opposite sides of which
they had now receded; so that he was
between them Oh the path. Turning
his horse up the course of the stream,
he soon came in sight of his brother
on the ledge before him. With sup
pressed scream of rage, he rode head
long at him, and ere he had time to
make the least defense, hurled him
over the precipice. The help]essness
of the strong man was uttered in one
single despairing cry as he shot into
the abyss. Then all was still. The
sound Of his fall could not reach the
edge of the gulf. Divining in a mo-
ment that the lady. whose name was
Elsie, must have fed in the opposite
direction, he refined his steed on his
launches. He could touch the preci-
pice with his bride hand half out
stretched; his sword-hand half out
stretched would have dropped a stone
to the bottom OF the ravine. There
was no room to wheel. One desperate
practicability alone remained. Turn.
ing his horses head toward the edge,
he compelled him, by means of the
powerful bit, to rear till he stood al
most erect; and so, his body swaying
over the gulf, with quivering and
st1'aining muscles, to turn on his hind
legs. Having completed the half-cir-
Gle, he let him drop, and urged him
furiously in the opposite direction.
1t must have been by the devils own
care that he was able to continue his
gallop along that ledge of rock.
HE soon caught sight of the maiden,
She was leaning. half-fainting, against
the precipice. She had heard her low
er's last cry, and although it had con-
veyed no suggestion of his voice to
IV6T ear, Suc lIculOAcU 1IOIu ucuu ~
foot, and her limbs would bear her
no further. He checked his speed,
rode gently up to her, lifted her unre-
sisting, laid her across the shoulders
Of his horse and, riding carefully till
he reached a more open path. dashed
again wildly along the mountain side.
The lady's long hair was shaken
loose. and dropped trailing on the
ground. The horse trampled upon it.
and stumbled. half-dragging her from
the saddle bow. He caught her, lift
err up, and looked ut her face. She was
dead. l suppose he went mad. He
laid her again across the saddle be-
fore him, and rode on, reckless width
er. Horse and man, and maiden were
found the next day lying at the foot
Of a cliff. dashed to pieces. 1t was oh
served that a hind-shoe of the horse
was lOOSp and broken. Whether this