The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1897-08-28


! "GOw
in the clay chimney at the farther END
of the room, but the young man shook
his head.
Give me a minnit," he said. al
guess I've got to thaw bit afore car
say another word
The old man placed three legged
stool by the fireside and sat there for o
| few moments in trembling silence.
Then he rose, writhing his arms in the
air, as if unable longer to bear the nerv-
ous strain.
"Whar are the othersG" he cried.
"DeadP" was the hard reply.
"Whatl Joe an Fire Headed Dick an
French Bill, all gone under?" He
clutched his thin hair as if in mortal
agony, and his bosom heaved az, with
lips parted, he awaited the answer.
"All gone under
"Allf'
Yes, all. They're lyin in the snow
on the Wam bdazona, fruz to death.
"Alll My poor boy ~ h 'em," walled
the old man. "An yew?" he asked.
Have yew brought anything to eat?''
Thar's nuthin that flies or walks
alive on the mount'in. I've brought
nuthin but this. -
With that he painfully removed the
leather satchel which hung from its
strap across his shoulder. 1t was heavy,
and it fell on the deal table with dull
thud. The old man leaped toward it
and tore it open greedily. A number of
uneven glittering yellow Jumps rolled
on tho board.
What's this?" yelled the old man.
"What, in the name of God, is this?'
Its gold, Daddy Hays, goldr' was
the even toned reply.
The old frontiersman raised his bony
arms heavenward.
Il sent yew an the others to fetch
food, an yew bring me stones. My poor
gell is dyin in thar. Thar's bin no food
in this house nigh on a week now. I've
billed the bark of the cottonwoods an
eaten 1t, as if wos hoss. Day an day
an night an night I've waited an said
to myself: Panther Harry will live
through it all Panther Harry will
bring me meat for my gell, acos he
loves her. Panther Harry will save my
Nellie, if he'll reach my doorstep to die
on it,. An yew've come back alone, an
yew'ye left even yewr rife ON the road,
an yew bring me this filthy gold. Can
yew eat gold? Can yew eat 1T? Speak,
ifyew're not dumb. Take it out Of my
sight. Away with it!''
He grasped feeble handful of the
shining fragments and flung them into
the fire, where they rang against the
hard baked clay of the chimney. Then
he sat down and buried his face in his
hands, and his low means filled the
room as with calls of gaunt death.
The young man stood there, with his
dark, pain stretched face clouded by
the old mans accusation. With slow
and diffident step he stole toward him
and laid one of his blood stained hands
gently on his shoulder.
Don't speak so hard, Daddy Hays"
he said, with heartbreaking quiet.
1--WE found nuthin that we could bring
on ourselves, but we found this. There's
bushels whar this comes from, an
when the wind slows down it'll pay
fetchin. didn't think I'd live through
it, an Pm nigh dead myself, but the
instant minnit / can use my limbs I'll
take that rife an start out ag'in.
cayn't go ont with these things ON. I'd
die ON the road, an thar'll be pieces of
my skin comm away with 'em as it is.
But cheer up. Daddy. Nellie won't die,
If Panther Harry kin save her, an /
will save her still. I"
The old man remained dumb in his
grief and doubt, while Harry, with
agonized efforts, stripped off his ice
covered clothing. In the corner by the
fireside hung striped Navajo blanket
and couple Of mountaineer's buckskin
shirts and trousers. Harry strapped the
blanket around his waist and tied strips
of fresh rag around his wounded and
bleeding limbs. Then he sat down by
the fire, facing Hays.
IAN Nellie?" he asked at last.
"Whar is she:''
Daddy Hays looked up.
In thar" he replied" dead, may
be. ! amt had the courage to look this
hour past.
"She amt had nuthin to eat--for
how long now?" inquired the young
man, feverish determination gleam-
ing in his eye.
"She amt touched food for more
than eight an forty hours now. -
May 90 an look at her?"
COP
The young man strapped the blanket
= little more tightly and wiped the
dripping moisture from his dark hair