Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1898-01-12
A FIGHT FOR A WIFE.

tercSted in contact and intercourse with
these semisayages, whose wild ways and
legends had always been an attractive
study, when my eyes fell upon the face OF
n young girl of their band. 1t was most
wonderfully beautiful and fascinating.
The girl held herself strangely aioof
from the rest of her people.
One day happened to be near one of
the mess fires when the men We're cooking
supper, and one of them used some coarse
ribaldry in his reference to Marata, for
such was her name.
Quick as a flash one of his companions,
Edward Robson, young giant of "a plains
man, sprang at him with the ferocity of
tiger, and thenceforward the careless jest
er carried gap in his teeth as IA memento
of his rashneSs.
One day late in July the sun had drop
ped so low that we were in the grateful
shadow of the hills to the westward, and
the small mess fires were beginning to
show their yellow glare among the trees in
preparation for the evening meal Robson
was talking earnestly with Marata.
Am / never to sec you where can
talk to you us l want?" he asked in the
Navajo tongue. You know | love you,
Marata, and that l shall make you my
wife when l get my discharge and we
shall be happy then together But it is
too long to wait. | must see you and talk
to you of the plans | have for our lives
He told her that he was to be on picket
duty that night, and she consented to join
him and fly with him. Their signal was
to be the howl of a coyote
When they We're gone, another figure,
crouched in II clump of bushes, straight
ened itself from its cramped position and
raised its hand with Il savage gesture.
1t was the Indian Wild Horse, who had
slipped into this conccalmcnt, where he
could hear the lovers intercourse and
Marata's promise.
When Robson went to his post on picket
that night, it was with heart beating high
and eyes kindled with IA CLEAN of satisfac-
ton.
With step as light as a boys he paced
back and forth, back and forth, humming
to himself beneath his breath the melody
of a fervid Spanish love song
"Only o'clock" he said impatiently
at length. THAT means long wait yet,
for she said she would not come until all
was quiet, but would wait for years If
l expected her to come at last "
Hank A drcary, dismal howl came to
him on the night air, making his heart
leap. Could it be the signal? Yes, there
it came again and againl Surely it must
be Marata. for the cry swelled and waned,
long drawn and sad rs the cry of the lost.
Robson hid his rifle in thicket then
drew it ont again
- must have my rifle in case should
he seen by one Of the other rickets, he
said. lie slunE 1t across his shoulder and
stole with st"aIthy step out INTO the shad-
ows.
harata'
Here voice answered him from the
darkness.
And the impatient lover swung himself
down the elm with the aud OF the over
hanging bushes and Stunted trees
" Marata' he called again eagerly
And again the voice answered close It
hand, and he saw dim figure outlined in
tn" obscure shadows of the canyon, where
the starlight only penetrated ittdlly. 1t
was not Marata, for the dim light showed
him an uplifted arm and the pale glitter
OF steel blade descending, and he felt the
sharp pain of the knife in his shoulder,
stumbled and tell, sliding helplessly down
the slope to the bottom OF the canyon.
III was the lall that SaScu MN, tor other
Wise his asSailant would have leaped upon
MN, and another thrust OF the cruel knife
would nave sent him out INTO the un-
known. As it was, he had time To recover
himself, stagger 10 his feet and draw his
own knife before Wild Horse could swing
himself down the wall of rock to renew
the attack
Robson wears OF frontier service had
made him as skillfnl with the knife as the
Indian himself, and he was no less 1.-the
and strong IN body and courageous in
heart but as they bent, swayed and
struggled watchlul and wary, the wound
IN Robson shoulder began to tell and the
A stranp. feeling of 1an0llor took nos
session of him, the glitter of the stars