Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1898-01-01
THE EIGHT BEYOND.
BY FLORENCE A. MUNRoE.

goin' tomorrow. Why ~
"Here's bundle for 81 Warner,
who is blastin' in the hills near
Humboldt, an If you'll take it over
I can get to Ogden fore night"
"Well, leave it. III take coed
keer OF it,"
"All right, Jake. Goodby.'
"Goodby.'
| stood in the cabin door and
watched the stage rattle of. Fore
sunrise next morning we started.
I'd ruther have taken onyone else
but Tendertoot, for he was lookin'
kinder done out. But the others
were busy and / couldn't GO alone.
The ponies were fresh and the air
sweet with the perfume of the flow
ers. kept my eye on Tenderfoot,
for | saw he was dreaming again.
A queer look used to come over
his face sometimes and he would
shut his teeth hard, as though he
was trying to keep something back.
Soon the sun shot up over the edge
of the prairie. Then he turned in
his saddle, and said
'Jake, Pm glad you took me with
you, for there's something / want to
tell you. This is my last trip. I'm
going east when we get back to the
ranch.'
"Well," l says, "you amt SO we'll
lookin lately. What's tie matter !?
Don't the fellers on tie rarch treat
ycu good, Tcnderfoot ~
alt isn't that. But somebody I
love is waiting for me beyond that
edge Of light yonder, and I'm going
back to her.
"Your mother 2"
uNo- another womar.n
1t was most noon now, and we
were gettin out of the grass land
into the sage near the alkali. The
glare of the sun was awful and the
water in the cans hanging to the sad
dies was gettin' hot.
But we pulled our hats down over
our eyes and keepin' the ponies heads
due north pushed ON.
The bundle for Warner WAS tied
with lot of other stuff to Tender
foot's saddle. Pretty soon be says
to me
sake, what's in the bundle Z"
"Powder for Warner who is blast
in in the hills
"Why didn't you tell me It's
dangerous work carrying it out in
the open under a sun like this.
Where did you get it?'
"Michals on the stage gave it to
me yesterday. I've taken it before.
Give it to me if you're scared
NO." be says, kinder slow "you
ought to know if you have done it
before. III keep it right here.p
Then he got to dreamin' again. /
was gettin' tired of Haitin' for him
to tell me what he promised, but
didn't Ike to speak up and bring it
about.
When twilight came over the
Humboldt hills, five miles off, we
halted. | built great smudge to
keep away the flies and mosquitoes,
and Tenderfoot got the supper. Then
We lit our pipes.
We had to wait for The moon to
rise before we could push on. The
wind began BLOWN pretty hard and
Ttnderfoot's pony was runnin loose
about 100 feet from him with the
bundle still tied to the saddle.
Once got up to take it off-but
there WASH 't>any danger. I'd taken
the stuff before. But it wouldn't
take much. A spark from the
smudge !
"Jake."
Tenderfoot had emptied his pipe
and was sitting on the other side of
the fire, his eyes looking into mine.
Jake, / never told anybody on
the ranch much about myself, but
it's just six years ago tonight since
| lett home and I'm going to tell
you why"
81 can guess. 1t was that other
woman, wasn't it ~
eyes. The same old story J;
drink and cards. One day she says
to me: Dick, this is your last
chance. / can stand the liquor, but
the cards / won't | promised her
I'd stop, but the next night went
home worse than ever, She met me
at the door, her eyes all red with.
crying, and says: "A woman can't
put up with everything, even if she
does love a man. / am tired of try
ing to bring you out OF the ways of
darkness into the light, but can't.
Dick, you and | had better part.
But, | love you, Dick / love you p
| didn't wait for her to finish that
sentence, but rushed out of the house
and never stopped till ] got 10
Bryce's, where | used to play.
"And that night / did play. By
midnight / lost every dollar had.
Then / staked the home and lost that
too. Then, Jake, | put her fathers
name on q piece of paper, and it
went with the rest. The fellow who
had it all said You better get
out of Gainesville By morning, or
they'll put ron behind The bars for
this.
II had been all right ] would
Rave stayed and brayed it oat, but
was a coward. The worst kind,
Ialzn hcnarca ,ur.,r q frs5,l rf rn.noIc