The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1896-01-24
90 "a z n 81 30 660
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u ByHENRY HERMAN. 3
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Observation-Disclosures
By HENRY HERMAN.

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limbs, she had sent him staggering
into the dust The drunken man had
returned to the assault Of defiant
maidenly virtue and had been stretch
ed full length at the girls feet, sense
less and bleeding, by a fierce and
swinging blow from the back of a
w0odsman's axe, which. Lucy welded
as scientifically as q man. When he
had recovered consciousness he had
crawled away, fouling the mir with
curses and threats against Lucy. His
words were overheard and doomed
him. The girl pleaded for his life
she tried persuasion, anger, stern CON-
mand. All were equally unavailing.
That half-breeds body swung for
weeks from the branch of red oak,
over chasm many hundreds of feet
In depth, while the carrion buzzards
tore the clothes into rags and picked
every shred of flesh from the bones.
Then it dropped down into the canyon
and Its pieces lay by the side of the
raging mountain torrent for months
afterward, until a pack Of hungry
cayotes. venturfng thus far mountain
ward one black night made short
work of them and crunched them up.
That half-breed's fate proved O saw
age warning, and men whose CONVEX
sation was habitually studded with
adjectives and other interpretations Of
the vilest and filthiest. sort became
choice aud careful in their language
when Lucy Maclane was the topic Of
campfire talk.
She was barely eighteen, that bright
eyed queen of the mountains, and the
%H,n% ct,
potic sway over all the inferior male
creation for miles around. They all
petted her and loaded her with pres
ents; they idolized and spoiled her.
Yet she was as good, as simple, as
true, Us trusty, as homely and as
kindly as any country girl brcle,ht up
within sound of English cathedral
chimes. Many IN ailing mountaineer
her dainty care nursed back to health
and strength; dying men had crossed
the dark threshold with lighter hearts
when "fairy Lucy's" soft fingers had
smoothed their pillows of skins. Men
would ride for miles and miles out Of
their way to be gladdened by one of
Lucy'S pretty smiles. and wonder.
in that country where, among crowd
OF Sioux squaws, loathly alf-breeds
and viler unwomanly white women
that were dragged by the proxenet's
net from the stews Of st. Louis or
Memphis into the gambling and dane
ing hells Of the frontier traders sta
tions, she alone represented the holy
attributes Of pure womanhood.
The young man returned to the girl
the tin cup which he had drained of
its refreshing contents of mountain
water.
Thank you, my DEAR" he said, as
his hand grazed her rosy finger tips.
The contact made his palms tingle,
and his speech became little holder.
He refined in his prancing horse tight
~ and raised himself in his stlrrups.
do you know TINT you are charming,
my DEAR? he exclaimed, his eyes glis-,
tening and flashing at her.
"You bet d." was the stolid and
long reply.
1t shocked the young man first of
all, and then made him laugh out
right.
There's nature here" he said to
himself. GLORIOUS, unadulterated ma
ture. She is worth fifty Lady Eve
lynes. How I'd make them all Jump
II brought her into the drawing room
at Chauncey Towers"
''Then It's two miles, you say" he
continued, ito Dick Ashland'sY'
Jest about that" the girl replied;
can tat hoss o. yewrn's got to riggle
q bit less, reckon, or yew'll git to the
canyon bottom instead o. Dick Ash
lands. The path amt much more'n q
yard wide at Blacknose Corner, an
yew've jest got to keep his nose
straight or down yell go into the alder
bushes"
'"Thank you for the warning, my
DEAR" the young man retorted. "Old
Sam and have gone up and down
many a bad mountain road before to-
day and I think we'll manage to
wriggle round Blacknose Corner. So,
gOod-by," he exclaimed, putting spurs
to his horse and kissing his hand to
her.
Lucy looked after him as he gal
loped up the mountain path. The
sounds of his horses hoofs and the
clatter Of his rifle against his
powder flask became less and
less audible, but she still saw him
turn, and turn again, waving his hat
back to her. Then he disappeared
among the great pines and the stunted
cedars, and Lucy, shading her eyes
/ with her hands against the fierce glare
| Of the midday sun, scanned the point
beyond tile small forest where she
knew he would emerge. There little
! pale streak scanned the face of the
mountain, and opposite the bare and
naked edge of the BLUSH brown rock
1 the further side Of, the yawning
chasm doomed dark and fierce. Pres
emily diminutive figure on horseback
seemed to crawl out Of the deep green
Of the cedars beyond, and to move like
fly along the precipitous mountain
face until 1t disappeared around the
bend.
Hes more hensum than Dave"
Lucy said to herself; IAN smarter, an
i guess he looks like good grit"
She rolled, up her sleeves and re-
turned to the small, round wash tub
that stood on block of wood by the
door Of the log cabin. She dipped her
hands into the white and opal foam
that glistened with prismatic colors in
/ the sunlight, and soon was busy at
1 her hOmely work. &