The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1895-11-09

~ ~t>"@.HS the l'tIA 10 Take AIdtc
blanchard In his arms; Emory with
passion pnling his face and Grace
blanchard In the beauty of disturb
Ing humility.
He cursed as he watched them cling
TO each other. and he cursed his way
back to the saloons and his Mariposa
mining.
"Ihe next day he turned up again In
the settlement, with liquor enough
aboard TO put a wheel In his head, and.
after losing fling at the tables, he
started TO find Emory.
after little Intellectual riding, he
leaped from the back OF his vicious-eyed
piebald at the corner that bulged thick
est with saloons. and stood close to the
stilrup with his hand on his hip. Some
one vino noticed him said his face had
the stcely intensity of razor edge.
Then out of the crowd, unconscious.
with the music of love in his heart,
swung Ned Emory His hat was pushed
back on his fair hair. and he WINS whist
ling the overflow out of his veins.
ain one instant n bullet rang through
the air, followed by another. Emory
fell In his own blood. and horseman
was riding OF wildly and safe through
the shower OF bullets thatrainedar around
him. Every man with cayuse tore In
pursuit, but they only brought back
eight half-dead horses. Stokes had
stal1ed relay beasts Mt different points
along the road, and was then safe in the
chaparral canyons toward the north.
"rke gambling dens choled up with
the crowds; gold dust was heaped on
gold dust for the reward of the coward
~ hounds capture. Murders weren't
rare then, but there was only one Ned
Emory, remember.
-Four OF us wouldn't drop the search.
We let the blood-moncy men get out of
the way, and then we worked as we'd
toll for only our own.
"There was scarcely no scent TO fol-
low, for Stokes had bribed the greascrs
who furnished his horses; but we
forced our way along on nothing. Day
and night we rode with our eyes open,
sometimes bullying and sometimes beg
ging. IL began 10 seem hopeless. The
days were running into summer again.
zone afternoon, toward twilight, we
rested on the crest OF a mountain where
the path took sudden turn away from
two-hundred-foot prccipice.
"We were torn with the swapping
branches of the greasewood, and full
of EXTREMIST dirt and disgust. Sudden
ly we heard the rustic of step on the
fallen leaves. Under q live oak. not
thirty yards away, on the very edge of
the cliff, stood Shorty Stokes. lie had
not heard us. and he stood looking at
tho moon which hung sickle in the hot
sky. The evening star was showing.
''The four of us were like stones. He
could have got TO Guinea before mo-
tion'd have come to us. Then, stimuli
taneously with our steps forward, he
turned and looked into our faces.
cit was q moment TO test the nervo
of any man. He stood il as we were
used TO seeing him face all things.
"'I suppose I'm the man you're after
he said.
"Hc said 1t with the dignity Of n
parson.
"In second he had thrown down his
pistols. He unsheathed his knives and
dropped them 20 the ground.
"'Tale me- he said.
-Four OF us looked into the unhinch-
ing clearness of his eyes. As we hesf-
tated, he spoke again.
"'Iisten. IL is not IN excuse that I
speak. nor in weakening. II is TO tell
you that those among you who are
men will follow my steps under like
circumstances.
"'Emory gave me his hand and his
oath. In the manner of his franlmess,
TO stand by an arranged agreement.
"'Wc were to meet at eight o'clock
on that Sunday night. A--a beautifully
good woman was TO decide on our ar
gument which man she would marry.
In riding TO meet my engagement /
happened on an accident.~ Within half
mile Of the settlement. close onto
time, my piebald went back on his
launches and the groan OF man came
up from the roadside. found an over
loaded miner, hurt in the leg. and the
hope in my own heart aroused my sym
pathy. mounted the man on my beast
and headed him back toward camp.
"'WallS as / never walk, reached
the meeting place three minutes late.
Ah-God--out In the darkness saw
Emory taking advantage OF the delay.
~'None of you Is so much a cur as TO
let the life run In n man who, under his
honor, couldn't yield a rival three min
utcs' grace.
"'Ilut. with the camp against me and
Emory the friend OF the sorriest. /
couldn't face the music when the JUS
tico was done.
at Is not mercy ask. IL In life
hereafter. Come
"'With a common impulse we started
forward, only 20 halt In frozen horror
az Stokes broncho threw up his head
in alarm 20 watch with us the back
wnrd somersaulting of his masters
body over the precipice.