Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1897-04-24

faint star glimmered in the purpling
sky. Her eyes were wonderfully
bright, and her wild gracefulness
would have heen allurlng to anoth-
er man.
She went up behind him and touch
cd him on the shoulder. He faced
about and asked what she wanted.
But for the bright handkerchief On
her head, he would not have remem-
bered her. When he saw that, he
smiled, and the girl, encouraged, be-
gan protestation of desperate, saw
age love in the most even OF voices
and broken of English, interspersed
with Apache and Mexican.
Rowland answered her kindly and
to her calm toned pleadings, smiled
in her tense face and turned away.
"Poco tempo, you come she
said, gliding after him and grasping
his hand. She followed him for a
few yards. still holding his hand.
"You come 2" she insisted.
Eyes, POGO tempo, | come see
your father.'
She flung the hand from her and
hurried off into the shadow, with
low snarl.
Late at night, as Rowland left the
council of the braves, q hundred
yards from the camp woman strobe
up to him, and, without any preface,
dropped at his feet and caught his
hands, and repeated the story of her
savage passion in the same mono
tone, as tlnkling and musical as the
sound of crystal bell.
But Rowland had completed his
embassy successfully, and was in
haste to return to the camp during
the night and comparative GOODNESS
so be pushed her away with dis
gusted "Vamoose - and hurried on.
Years ago there was still poison
ed arrows used occasionally, weap-
ons deadlier than the popular rife
or carbine, for their scratch was fat
al. The head was dipped in pois-
ON curiously made. A bit of liver,
quite putrid, was held before rattle
snake until he had injected his ven.
ON into it time and time again.
After few more days this viru-
lent substance was put upon the
points of the arrows, 10 carry agony
and dissolution to whatsoever they
touched.
It was one of these arrows that
Rowland jerked from his arm few
moments later, as he went into the
but where his two soldiers we're
waiting.
He held it in front OF the candle
and examined it intently, while the
blood dripped over his dusty boot.
One of the men asked him how it
had happened, while he cut open the
sleeve.
"A mistake, very likely. It was
not one of the bucks; we parted
good frieods.'
The woman he did not mention.
He looked at the arrow again.
"It's poisoned, ! guess. Rather
hard luck he said. He passed one
hand across his face YEARLY, aud re-
peated Hard luck ~
Then be gave the men a detailed
account of what he had done and &C.
complished, that they migh6 tell the
major in case he himself should be
passed speaking.
The agency doctor was off on a
two days. hunting trip, so the SOL
diers bathed and dressed the wound
and made Rowland drink the con-
tents of a large flask of wiskey.
But he ordered his horse and went
back to the post, nevertheless across
the long, cleaning plain of sand Jun.
der the purple arch, with its stars of
glimmering gold three weird, dark
figures following the road through
night.
And just as the gray dawn came
over the black mountains, just as the
dawn breeze sprang up and blew on
his swollen and burning face, just as
the first call for reveille shrilled
through the valley, two dust-whiten-
ed riders, supporting him in his sad
die, drew up at the hospital.
At two O'Clock a stretcher car
ried the body of Lieut.. Rowland
from the hospital to his quarters.
And the flag was put at half mast.