The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1894-12-22

Markham lifted h0r to his saddle AND
the remainder of the party were just
mounting their horses when q cracks,
Ing sound in the bushes and dry weeds
attracted their attention.
Adozen revolver hammers clicked
All waited and watched eagerly un.
ill at once they saw q number OF
points OF fire in q semi-circle before
them and then dark forms came cauti
ously forward.
"Cattle, rs Pm q sinner" calculated
Markham. Boys, t'it's q bunch OF
the Credentials herd wandered of an
here we was goin' ter"
The cattle came nearer and one OF
the herders recognized them and sWore
with a string of oaths nearly as long
as his lariat that Markham was right
and the tall grass in the bottom
lands, sprinkled with brush had prov.
ed an affective hiding place for the
stray animals even had the season
been later.
Tt was far past midnight when the
party drew up at the nearest house,
Blake's cabin. eve oughtn't bring
her here but it's too far in any other
direction" said Markham, IAN we kin
send fer some Of the women.
Blake met them a mile or morefrom
the house, as he had saddled his own
horse and followed to see what was
the fate of his rescuer.
"Blake," said Markham, when they
had laid down their burden on the
rude bed and lighted a fire, 1--WE hev
bin q pack O. tarnel fools an but fer
that brave lassie, thar, you'd be hang
in from some neiehborin' cottonwood.
Ye would, fer q fac'."
Blake's face whitened as he thought
Of it for he knew that he had little
to offer against the party's circum-
stantial evidence.
By daylight Mrs. Markham and the
only ma pretendingt to medicinallore,
the paymaster OF the Occidental Com.
pany, were at the cabin.
"She's bruised pretty bad" said
McCarrick, as he felt of the girls head.
"Her arm is broken and she has had
other injuries. She unjust not b emoved
for a week. Then she'll be all right.
They stepped outside the cabin to
have further consultation and did not
notice that Blake returned to the
house.
He knelt by the side of the white
faced sufferer. She was conscious
now and blushed as she saw his beard
ed face SO near her own. Thedoctor's
words were repeated and then he
added some other words, the import
of which was that she need not ever
be moved from the cabin if she would
but say yes. ~
"But-but-the school marm?" she
stammered, with a h~alf.jealous parg.
"The school mam?" repeated Blake.
"Do you mean my sister, Nary"
There vas no more hesitancy and
when with Markham and the rest
standing around, McCarrick, who was
also q justice OF the peace, made the
settler and his rescuer husband and
wife, no m was SAD but Mrs. Fleegle
who thought what a good servant she
had lost and how angry her husband
would be.
"And it's Thanksgiving, too," OK.
claimed Blake when he had received
the congratulations of his late ene-
mics.
"Ya-as, you hev' two things ter be
thankful fer" said Markham dryly,
t'yer life an yer wife,"
There was no Thanksgiving dinner,
for there was no time or room
for such a thing; but there was just as
much happiness in Blake's heart and
Merl.. as Her face glowed with glad.
ness, felt that even with her perilous
ride and the resulting accident she
had purchased her .entry into a new
life 'cheaply. The rest Of the furni-
ture WAS brought later on and Blake
said it reached the one it was intend