The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1894-09-11

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3ut. Chlop he head of"
TIL was such a savage glitter in II
little heathe!'5 eye, an such ring l.
ais voice that swal!ered, t myself, ia
words Id said little while before, an
Felt fer tn first time thct tn was two t
10 tn tiyhtin' tbet night at th' Silver
Concho. ~' ~ ~--
Everything havin' been done thet could
be done, l cast q glance around at tn
Others. Th' little girl had dropped of
= sleep an lay weth golden head on hci
arm-I'd robbed her of her pillow:
sweet picture as a mans eyes ever
rested on; an then I looked at Perry
| Winston's wife.
She wasn't down in heap on tn floor
cryin' over her danger, but stood, like
tn brave woman she was, weth one hand
on tn' foot O her baby's cradle an tn
other sort o hoverin' over to Winches-
ter tibet she was all ready t hand me tn
minute l needed it; an her face set an
white, but as steady IS { rock, weth
thct awful look O. listenin' Oh it tnet We
all wore.
Hooked at her, an' as I gazsd til
clouds seemed t. sort o Lift au' ! saw
clean t. tn bottom O my own heart an
knew thct if my very life an soul 'u'd do
any gooI / ne: Or t tn ones tEet he.
heart was set on, Id drag 'em out, 6 lal'
IL, an throw EN- down before her. An
rs kept on lookin', for her eyes was Oh
tn cradle an she wasn't takin' any no.
tice o ME, an thought O tn fate theI
might be in store fer her before tn gami
we'd got ready ter was played t h tinis
thet night, l promised myself, firm al
true, thet if 1T came t the worst s!,t
should have my last ca fridge full in heI
pure, loyiu' heart t send her straight t
Heaven safe an easy.
An then 1 thought o IT, baby; an
though ] knew what slim chance tn
was thet tn redskins 'a'd load them.
selves weth live pluuder, KNOWN we'll
how swift an not tn pursuit 'u'd be,
still tn was a chance. If tn tieuds
Drained her, it 'u'd be nigh as short an
merciful as my bullet; an if they did
! take her off ally., o course I knew WIN.
ston u have every man on tn Northern
range out after 'en an wipe tn whole
Blackfoot nation off n th' face O. tn
earth but what he'd bring her back.
Twas torture t. me t. think O. her ip tn
hands O. tn dirty brutes, but ta' 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 fire Thet
was th' terrible fear in my mind, though
I hadn't mentioned it t. til Others.
But then, Oh the other hand-hark
At last my strained ear had caught til
long dreaded sound. Th' thud, thull
o horses feet on a long, steady gallop.
looked at Mrs. Winston, an as her eye
met mine, saw thet she heard it too:
an tha: at last our time had come.
Nobody moved after tn sort o wave
thet seemed t. pass over us jest at first,
Everything was ready an there wa:
uothin' t. be done till th' attack came.
Thud, thud l-nearer, nov; quite plain
? our strained hearin'. Click !-Over
;h' log bridge, an thud, thu !--up til
hlll-quite close UP t. tn LOu5e-au'
;hen, all at ouce, silence!
1 never want t live through thet five
minutes as'in. Where was they2 DIS.
mounted an surroundin' t. holsci
Creepin' W, weth flamln' torches, t lire
III place over our heads an drive US out,
ike rats from sinkin' ship2 Crawrn
~ scores through th' new buiIdin' t;
throw themselves on the door, an burst
n it weth rush, overpower me befere
cd fire shotl-Sh--! Is thet step
.utsidea A hand on tn door2
Snow, then, Mrs. Winston; stealy
With the guns"
"Steve- Steve Scarrett!" Twas
Perry Wlnston's welcome hail. "Are
rou there, Steve2 and ssfe2 Open the
loor, man! Mary, darlinsl Never mind
Steve, but cry it out in my arms, love.
Thanking God, as do, that it isn't you
hats lying out and burned to death in
he ashes of your own home as poor, Al
ryndal's wife and babies are this niglt,
Molly"
"Where's young Len Troule at2' said
I, rather gruf, from th' feelin O. rell3
ihet had sort O surged up into my throat
md choked my voice at tb' hearin au
light O Perry.
'sAll 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
Piegans were down and had raided the
Three Bar and were hard on our way
up to look out for my wife and fight the
:usses if We can lay our hands on them.
s'You gave US tremendous scare wit
your dark house, Steve. could /!
make it out, but was incline \ - :"
that they'd cleaned you out, garrlsoned
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 ell right
"George! Steve, you're ready for a
siege, herel You could stand of regi'
ment if they charged in small patoons.
Wing, my brave boy, l see you meant to
carve Piegans with that knife. Go and
turn 1t loose on ham, aud knock US up
some supper lively, for we must hit the
trail north before itgets cold.
"You'll come along, Steve, Of course.
There'N be no more danger here this
year, Molly, and please God! we'll fix it
this time so therell never be another
! Plegan raid into the CeIr dor country"
, San Francisco Examiner.
His Calling.
Father (despondently)-l am at a
toss to know what James will be