Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-07-03
was alongside Mrs. HarIans mount.

was alongside Mrs. harlan S mount.
"Come!'' cried Bendixon hoarsely.
"There is no time. Turn your he sci"
Mrs. Harlan, seeing the look in his eyes,
tried to obey, but her horse had his
head and she could not stop him. She
turned a white, scared face toward
Bendixon, and he, nudging Dick bit
closer to the gray, reached out his arm,
grasped the slight form firmly, then
"Back, Dicky, backi" = and Dick,
wheeling like lightning, was running
like an antelope, despite his double load,
down the canyon.
"How silly we are!'' CALCULATED Mrs.
Harlan as they reached the top of one OF
the hills back near the canyon mouth,
and Bendixon released her. 81 think
you retryling to frighten me. Really
Hush p said her companion solemn
ly. "Do you hear that?''
The rocks of the canyon echoed low,
terrible roar, now loud, now more SUBJ
dued, as the great body of water found
narrow Or wide passage. 1t came
rapidly nearer Mrs. Harlan, alive now
to the possible danger she had escaped,
sat with ears and eyes alert wondering
how long
Just then her horse came in sight,
turning a bend quarter of mile
above, racing for his life, and behind
him, not 100 yards, came a rolling,
tumbling wall of water 40 feet high.
Tensely they watched the unequal race,
but not for long. In few seconds the
flood overlook the poor animal, and
presently, shapeless mass, he was roll
ed by them in the torrent, along with
all the rocks and debris at the forefront
of the watery avalanche.
"Now," began Bendixon, ''you
see''-
But his companion did not see. She
was crying.
1t was too much for Bendixon. In a
second he was beside her, his arms were
about her, and she finished her cry on
his shoulder. And that afternoon they
told their stories to each other-just
enough for each to know that the other
had suffered-as, the woman awkward
1y sitting sidewise on Dick, and the
man walking beside, they went back to
the Wheatley place together.
'Some duck gives it out t. me-" said
Dan, the bartender, to one of Bendix-
on's men who dropped in one quiet
evening, "th't Boston's got riv'l over
t. Wheatleys.'' -
Boston's men were loyal, and this one
merely gave the bartender an inquisi-
tive look.
"Ya-as," continued Dan, setting up
the whisky bottle, 81 gifts it straight
th't this bloke is tn same one th't her
an 'er oil man splits up on, an th't she's
go'n t. marry i'm soon's she gifts er de-
vOrce.
Mr.. Bendixon's cowhand merely
vouchsafed noncommitally, eth helln'
and went out to where his cayuse was
tied, mentally resolving, however. to
learn more about the matter.
Boston had met the distinguished
looking stranger two or three times, but
tonight he noticed, or thought he no
ticed, for the first time a certain con-
straint in the manner of his sweetheart
toward himself, and vague, wonder
ing jealousy took possession Of him.
Who was this fellow Bement anyway
this gray haired, blase man Of the
world? What was he doing at the
Wheatleys? He had not thought to ask
rather he had had no opportunity.
1t was late when he started home
ward and began wondering over these
things, and there came sudden pang
as he remembered that he had not had
a chance to say his lovers good night to
Bertha
''She might have made an opportuni
ty," he said to himself. Then, sudden
ly halting Dick: "Poor little girl! She
has to be careful, of course. That fellow
may be her-that is, Harlan's lawyer. -
And wondering why he had not thought
of this before he wheeled Dick and rode
quietly back toward the ranch. He
would see the light in her window at
least.
He saw his arm about her-that man
Dement'S. He could see them plainly as
they walked slowly toward him-him,
her dupe, who was supposed to be near
ly home by now. They came directly on.
They would pass close by the clump of
brush where he and his horse were con-
cealed. He heard the woman say:
Chow shocked Cousin Matte and
Horace will be when they find we're
gone! And Bendixon-poor fellow, he'll
be awfully cut up! He's tried to make
it so pleasant for me this summer.
A rush of horses hoofs-a whirring,
sinuous something that clasped them
both-and a frightened, frantic pony,
with frenzied rider, dashed across the
valley and up rocky canyon, dragging at
the end of a lariat a squirming, scream
ing mass, whose cries were soon stilled.
y
"Let 'em goV' said old man Wheatley,
who rode over to camp next morning to
see if he could get any trace Of the sup
posed fugitives. "Good riddance, says,
when we finds her note this mornin, but
why n thunder didn't they take no bag
gage, an why d they go afoot? Wouldn't
"a keered f'r a couple O. hosses. p"
In little mining camp in New Mex
leo the landlord of the hotel pointed
out to me dirty, detected looking
specimen of the genus bum. "That there
feller's got hist'ry. Few years back e
had good ranch up country piece an
was well fixed. Well, he got stuck on
grass .widder th't was stayin with one
O. tn neighbors, an I reckon they had
it all fixed up when along comes sho'
star lookin jay firm back east, an him
an tn grass widder turns up missin.
EVERYBODY thought they'd skipped, but
Their bodies-what was left of 'em-
was found in a OIL deserted shaft few
months later. An Boston he h 'ain't new
er ben right sence. He's tried ranchin
an minin an gamblin, but it don't do
no good. Poor OF Boston! He's sho'
'nough all time loser. Lester Ketch-
um in San Francisco Argonaut.
Child Language.
Does anybody know of children who
today use language apart in the COM
n II L