The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1897-09-18
copyright, 1897, by the Author.l
CHAPTER |,

OLlAE LEN L.
Why he should have chosen such a
spot for his dwelling no one could i'm
agine. The"Valley of Death, - the old
Spanish settlers had called it, and it de-
served its title, for a more utterly hope
less, desolate, barren region was not to
be found in all Arizona. Within Is min
utes' ride from the fort there were half
a dozen excellent sections supplied
with abundance of rich bottom grass,
wood and water, any one of which he
might have had for the taking, to say
nothing Of c~ontiguity to the post-no
small matter in a country where anv
Gay IN the year one might be called upon
to defend ones life and property against
the very worst savages on the globe.
But Omer ignored all such considera-
lions. A deputation, of which l was
one, went out from the fort one day to
warn him against the folly of his course.
He received US with grave courtesy, lis
tened to what we had to urge, but polite
ly declined our advice. The spot he had
chosen suited his purpose, he said, and
he saw no reason to change.
We argued with him, representing
his exposed situation, the absolute GER
tainty, one or later, of a visit from
the ~marauding Apaches, which of course
meant robbery, arson and murder and
the impossibility of timely aid from the
fort, but argument, warning and re-
monstrance were vain. He was iniexi-
BILE, and we retired in a dudgeon, for he
very frankly intimated that he was not
at all grateful for our interference and
preferred to be left strictly to himself.
He had selected a dwelling place which
he believed neither whites nor Indians
would dispute with him, and all that he
asked was to be let alone. So he told us
in plain terms.
He had built himself a hut of split
cypress logs chinked with clay and
matched with the broad, tough leaves
of the sand palm, whose thick, oily
fronds shed water like glass. The hut
jacale, the Mexicans call twas divid-
ed into two apartments, the larger occu-
pied by his mustang and the smaller
by himself and his setter dog. Other
companions he had none.
caught a glimpse of some books in
a rack against the wall. There were an
inkstand, pens and paper upon his pine
table, under which were carelessly hud-
died a winchester repeater, an ammu-
milton belt, a hunting knife and a huge
revolver. He wore a cheap flannel shirt,
rough trousers thrust into
awkward boots heavily spurred and a
cheap SLOUGH felt hat, but | detected a
suit Of fine black cloth hanging in a
corner of the room, and there were
other evidences of past refinement about
the place, more or less hidden, but still
evident to an observant eye.
"Confound the fellow!" growled
Lieutenant Reed as we rode homeward
discounted and irritated. "He will lose
his scalp one of these days. Serve him
right, too, the obstinate beggarl But
there is something about the man l like
i'll spite of his airs. I'd give a months
pay to know his past history"
perhaps it's the old sordid story."I
suggested. "a scrape Of some kind.
Short in his accounts, a sudden exit,
and all the rest of it,.
"No," replied Reed positively, Il am
sure it's not that. He is no common
rascal. I'd stake my commission on
that"
l agreed with him, and our rebuff
only stimulated my curiosity the more
and made me the more determined to
penetrate the mystery surrounding the
strange man living alone out there in
the VALLEY of Death" A week later |
rod to Omer's iacale by myself. He