The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-01-06
CHAPTER II.

Panther Harry selected the sharpest
and the most pointed Of the knives he
found in ths.table drawer and took from
the shelf, whereon it stood, big drink
ing cup made from the horn Of buffa-
10. Then he gathered up few strips Of
the rags he had left lying near by, and
after glancing for brief second at the
motionless figure Of the old frontiersman
be raised the blue blanket curtain and
stepped into the inner room.
The girl was lying white and silent
rs before, with a deathlike, peaceful
mile w,eathing her parted lips.
Harry stole to the couch and looked
into the girls eyes. A nerest CLEAN of
notwithstanding recognition fickered
there, like stray and feeble sunbeam,
and vanished. The young man dropped
on ono knee by the side of his dying
bride and, grasping her cold and humid
hand, covered it with his kisses.
"Oh, my God" he cried in the ter
ror of his heart, grant that it may not
be too late-grant that it may not be
too later'
He took the knife he had brought,
and with one swift and desperate move
ment cut great cash in his left arm.
The steaming blood spurted over his
face and chest, but be dashed the horn
cup to the wound with lightninglike
swing. and the hot fluid gushed into it.
He felt his face grow red and white by
turns, and a strong tremor filed his
frame, but be kept tight hold Of the
horn until he knew that his blood was
trickling into it more and more slowly
Then he satisfied himself that the cup
was nearly full to the brim, though his
head swan and the walls and the
couch and the girl upon it appeared to
him to turn round in hazy whirl. He
crept to the couch side with the love Of
a life beaming in his dark eyes, Cen
tly, tenderly, as woman might have
done, be inserted his right arm beneath
the girls shoulders, and, raising her
dropping head with solicitous care, he
held with his left the cup to her lips,
though he felt the blood still flowing
from his arm in warm stream. The
half open lips admitted few drops; then
the head sank back as gasping thrill
pervaded the slender frame. Harry soft
ly pressed the cup again to his loves
lips, and few more drops passed.
Then he waited a dozen seconds,
while his sight grew DINNER and his
temples throbbed as in fever. Again he
placed the cup to the white lips and he
was happy to see few more drops of
his lifes blood rushing to save her
whom he loved so well.
Time after time during the next hour
he repeated his work Of mercy until at
last the CLASSY eyes frightened with the
signs of reviving life and dim smile
beamed there. The cold figure seemed
to warm into pulsating vigor, the bosom
heaved in more visible evenness, and at
last sigh, long drawn, escaped from it.
Then Harry on sudden felt all
around him grow dark. His wounded
arm burned as in q raging fever. and he
swayed as 6e knelt by his Nellie's
couch.
eve done what I could" he NUT
tered. "Goodby, Nellie. Goodby, dar-
lin. Goodby, goodbyl"
He stretched out wildly fumbling
hand and fell face foremost on the floor.
The SUI Of bright winter morning
glowed, an orb Of red fire, on horizon
Of silver, which graduated westward
into.a pale, steely blue,
Around the hut where Panther Harry
lay horses Weighed and paved the snowy
ground, while the air was astir with
CHEEKY human voices.
A score Of Uncle Sam 3 dragons, un-
recognizable as soldiers under the odd
est and most varied assortment of fur
clothing, tramped up and down by the
tethered horses, swinging their arms
and stamping their feet to keep their
limbs warm in the keen and bitingly
brisk atmosphere.
Within three or four men, two Of
them in the uniform of officers Of the
United States cavalry, were busy at
tending to the needs of poor Nellie,
who sat, pale and shamefaced, Oh her
couch, locking with frightened gazelle
eyes at her lover, whose wounds one Of
the men was dressing.
"a fine fellow that, dootorl" ex-
claimed boisteroHs Lieutenant of dra-
goons. II wonder how he came by that
cash in the arm. The plsce is swim
ming in blood. Is be all right?"
Right AZ rain, the surgeon replied.
SHE hasn's poisoned his constitution
with whisky Of late He'll be up aud
doing in day OF two"