The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1898-12-22
Copyright 1894, by Mary Halloek Foote.l
OUT OF THE GULCH.

somed Christian in the Coeur d'Alene
had lived, according to the word that
we preach TO the heather, as simply,
as fearfully, as Wan pursued his timor-
Gus wsy by the glimmer of his per-
,fumed joss-sticks, there would have
been no call for martial law. Yet Wan
was destined to be one of the chosen
victims of the labor question, his part
in which, as proletarian, was little
more considered than that of the pony
in the doctors corral.
1t fell out as the doctor had pre-
dicted. The case of Mike and Darcie
had been postponedi it was not forgot
ten. There came a moment, in that
hour of insane victory, when it did
occur to some of the Big Horn men that
there was little job unfinished at the
mine. One or two of them who had
been concerned in the shooting on
Tuesday night were burning to avenge
that silly failure.
The trains were still running on the
narrow gauge track between Gem and
the mines of Big Horn gulch, but they
were in the hands of the strikers, and
carried chiefly armed men and muni-
tions of murder. They brought the
posse of so men who had detailed them
selves for special duty at the mine.
Faith witnessed this ill-omened ar
rival from the second-story gallery,
where she was walking alone in the
starlight, herself being unseen in the
shadow of the roof. She watched the
movements of the men with anxiety, and
saw them in threatening consultation
with Abby. Even as she listened to the
sound of their bodeful voices, her own
name was under' discussion, and the
men were proposing to put her to the
question concerning the whereabouts
of the spy.
Don't bother with her; it's time
wasted for nothing" Abby advised.
''She was asing Wan about him her
self this morning, and Wan was sully
and scared, and pretended he didn't
know. But l saw you going away
somewhere with him., says she. That's
what she said; l heard her myself.
You bet he knows all there is to know!
You go find Wan"
The doctor also had witnessed the
ominous arrival, and was at that mo-
ment in the cellar, warning the refu-
gees to be ready, and to have out their
light in case it should be seen when
the cellar door opened to admit the
unhappy girl who was going with
them.
Darcie's heart was in his mouth with
fear and joy, and Mikes blood was
bounding at the thought of the wild
nights flight in the free, open dark
ness, and the deeds of daring he might
have occasion to display; for Mike had
a warm Irish imagination, and he was
as vain of his valor as he was sure Of
il. The doctor had omitted to men
ton, as a detail of his plan, that he
had not as yet presented the same to
Faith. He was deliberately conspir-
ing with the cruel circumstances that
beset the girl to capture all her scruples
at once; there was no other way but
to harden his heart against doubts and
compunctions, and to put confidence
in the men he had chosen in the place
of her natural protectors. The doc
tor was no bungling judge of male
character, and, in his opinion, man
may be a young girls natural protector
in other than the established way;
but the doctor was not yet father.
As he left the cellar, his ear was
shocked by a sound of pitiable screams
and hoarse brutal cries, and, looking
across the gulch, he saw, as in vision
of the Inferno" a wretched, struggling
figure hailed along at the end OF a
rope, towed by a mass of men, as fast
as they could go over the rough ground
in the direction of the secret tamaracks
The person of the victim was scarcely
distinguishable, but the doctor knew
it could be only the miserable China
mani. and a strange familiarity with
the fact crossed him, as if he had beheld
the shameful scene before in some mo-
ment of prophetic consciousness, and
had always known that such would be
the end of Wan.
In that horror-stricken moment
Faith had flown to her father, forget
full of the breach between them, ano
confident of his protection for the
wretched Wan. She could not yet
count him as naught, or quite believe
for all the doctors unrelenting sum
ming up of facts that were sadly IN
evidence, what "a king of shreds and
patches" was the manager of the Big
Horn.
At this after-dinner hour he was
usually clothed on with his evening
liouor, and inccmmunicable to the
pitch of surliness. 1t was thus that she
found him. He had risen from his
chair, and was moving with circum
spection from the table to the side
board, when his daughters excited en-
trance startled him. He let fall the key
which he held-that very precious
duplicate key of the sideboard close
where his liquors and brandies were
kept, the possession OF which he hao
thus far been able to conceal from the
vigilant Abby. AS it slipped from hi'
fat, smooth, shaking fingers, all thai
was left of his intelligence groveleo
after il upon the floor.
.Father, father!" cried Faith, rush
ing upon him. Come, come with me-
oh, rouse up, do! Come out, and stoI
this fearful thingl"
Seeing no hope of comprehension IL
his CLASSY, floating eyes, which tried &c
fix hers with reprehensive frown' sh'
seized him and shook him passionate
ly, trying TO awaken in that dead hear
.o,,,a s1orl, of warmth from the lndig