The Red Cloud chief., 1896-11-13
The Great Hesper.
BS FRANK JARRETT.
CHAPTER |

'enbor Ii, 1885. and - ragged crew
We wcro
The 'JUdgc." Joe Brace. led tho
Tay-a great gu mt man, with long
"ong leg - stOop in his shoulders.
anu q swaying movement vi his body
and arms when he wulkej "a if lac
Aad q load on his back and u !onn
way TO go; II mn with Il black fol
On the back Of his hands, "a dark
beard growing high upon his check
zones. and "A great bush Of iron.pray
aair sticking oat all round his head,
ana n forclOck hanging down over his
eye. One could see nothing of his
'AI:uros but Z long red nose and deep.
= bcady black eyes. Ills f~ustian
.acket was worn 10 rag at the elbows
ana so was mine, rs for that -
spllt in the seams between the
'houldcrs with the constant strain of
ne 'aboring arms. Once upon d time
ms top boots had been black, but
now they we q all the same yellow
clay color with the trousers that
we're tucked into them, and just a.
oadly in need OF repair.
followed with Van IIocck. He
aeld my arm, no for support, but for
guidance, because he was stone blind.
Tie wa, thirty or thereabouts, | be-
lieNe; but he looked twenty years
v!der than ], who am II " about
twenty six. Though he wa
Dutch b. ii tn, he looked like
an Asiut'c. While /. with my
fair skin, light hair and large frame,
em pretty true in appearance TO my
northern race. He was better dress.
ed than any of us, for though he
Il accompanied US. and roughcd II
80 ar as board and lodging were
concerned, he had taken only a
financial part in the enterprise. his
blindness naturally declaring him
IRON a iaborious part. His clothes
retained something Of their original
appearance. Albeit he had worn
them day after daY for eighteen
months at least; whereas mine, what
WIN the exposure 10 tho sun. the
sweat ol work, rough usage, and the
strange devices employed in rcpair-
ny them, were scurcciy Recognizable
a. civilized clothing. His face rave
"''t o'S' vi 'llalu anu luIlLlt 1nun
either tho judges o. mine, which
might well be-, seeing how great a
!eliei to the mind ply LABOR is.
There was Il furrow between his
nrows, deep lines descending from
the inner angle of the eye, a pinchcd
look about the nostrils and icshlcs.
cheeks. that gave Il fearful, strcnuou.
eagerness TO the weird expression of
his face. And that expression was
weird, nay. even rcpulsive, though
his leaf. res were not il%l-shaped. and
~ was due chiefly to the popularity
oi his eyes, Most people of dark
complexion, like his, have u dark
IRIS to the eye, but his was of "A
steely-gray, and vas the more notice
able because there was the iris and
nothing else; there was no pupil
4othing but that gray patch upon
the yeilowish ball OF the eve. He
kept hls eyes open when his mind
WAS preoccui led. Often when he was
sitting near me while ! worked
have changed nv position that
might not see those ghastly eyes
wide open to an African sun, yet I'm.
conscious of its glare. There was
something terrible in his blindness.
Our rear was brought up by the
kid" The name bi constant uso
And familiarity had long ceased TO be
to my ears,
Poor little Lola. she was the
rsggedest and most disreputable OF
the lot, though 1t IA not for that
reason that she walked behind US;
indeed. had She suspected that to
implied inferlority, she would
have marched ahead OF her own
That was her character.
The Kid had given u Il deal OF
.~rouble--had We forescen how much. 4,
! do not think Van Io, elk or | would ,
have put in that postscript TO the I
roement which her father, the !
Judge. induced us 10 subscribe. I
1.-The Hid has eyes in her head for I
SEQ with the Judge said. in I
her clam upon our future {
Isideration. end she kin use ON {
SSwell ms us in lookin' TO- stones, :
likewise, bein' a female. she kin |
cook our meals for us; she kin wash a
shuts, end she kin sew US up, |
md keep Us nice and tidy" Whether G
,e was capable OF helping US in
,r.eso matters | cannot say; all |
know is that she didn't. What kin y
Iou expcctE' asked hcr father. in =
Is tenuation; cher mother WAS tho /
of II burned grcascr, end IL
INIT the kid fault If she's got h
,reaser blood In her." a