The silver blade. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1895-1903, 1899-05-20

" 80 eoAAA1<0e VvCASSeAsO ~ - D~O |
with an effort, he moved on. In an !
instant 1t was gone. in yet another
he was at the cabin door, confront
ing his awakened guest.
"You look pale, the young man
observed easily. II hope my sudden
arrival hasn't put you out. I" And
he smiled into his hosts puzzled
face. -.
81 do feel little upset, MoDou-
gal replied. 1.-THE truth is. guess
this long spell of my own society
was about scattering the few wits !
was ever blessed with. Now, you
! won't believe it, but when you came
| up there there was woman with
you, and when l took my eyes of you
| for moment she vanished. She
isn't on the mesa, for I've looked,
but just az passed the spot whereI
saw her last seemed to smell water
lilies and rushes and all that sort Of
watery thing"
Rather Il strange smell for these
parts. = remarked the youth jocose-
ly. seeing all the water you have
runs through inch pipe"
well. it was strange, that's
fact. but let's have supper. he add
ed Hospitality. "You must be hun
CRY after your long tramp" Ho
drew up chair for his guest.
The table was spread with the best
the cupboard afforded. but the chief
dish, roasted prairie chicken,
caught the strangers eye.
Chicken. by jewel Well. this is
fine after barracks farel There, the
cats out of the bag, SO I might as
well confess. I'm deserter from
the regulars, and there's good
round sum on my head by this time,
but I'm not afraid to trust myself to
you. I've proved that, haven't /,
by giving away the storya l might
have invented one. you know"
II have little sympathy with de-
serters," said McDougal gravely,
"but since you are one 1t is just as
we'll that you ehould acknowledge
1t. 1t might be awkward to have it
! come out later, and" he added gen.
erously, there may have been ex-
. tenuating circumstances"
1.-THE circumstances were these:
was color sergeant in the Eighty
third. The colonel had pretty
niece stopping with him. A lot Of
the fellows were in love with her
and she liked them all, me among
the rest. Three nights ago she dis
appeared, and, unfortunately, dis
: appeared the same night. He1
friends kept it quiet from the CAM
, until her body was accidental,
found in a creek the next afternoon
Then when got back that night on,
: OF the fellows told me the story ant
the rumOr that connected my mann
: with it. He advised me to skip
Q which l did, and here am, 70
9 miles from the scene of action AM
t at your service.
q $50 far there seems to be very lit
9 tie that is extenuating, said tn
O older man sternly. IF you ha
8 nothing to do with the girls death
) you could surely prove it,
q "Well, no, that was the worst Q
It You see, there had been q part
= of Apaches camping near US durin
d the spring, and Nita-Nita was
d beauty. Not such pretty face
It you know, Apaches aren't hand
il some, as q rule - but arms an
d shoulders'
e McDougal frowned, and the bo
t. went on. "You see, the Indians wer
II going to break camp, and | had t
II see Nita once more. did see he1
!. and the time passed-you've no ide
N and when left her the tribe ha
1t already started, and she had to rid
hard to catch them. So, you see,
10 couldn't prove an alibi if cared to.
10 "Who killed the girls" asked Nj
is Dougal.
j. "Oh, Maud killed herselfi II
t. dead sure Of that. In fact, she sal
g she meant to, but / didn't beliey
d. her at the time"
,e McDougal looked at his colnpanio
ID sternly. "How did she look9" /
said.
I'd Handsome, some thought" al
o.. swered the narrator. "Too dark
ne suit me, except at first. ! though
n her eyes we're fine, and they wer
b. too" he admitted in a genera,
Re burst, especially when che was e.
s- cited"
Il This description gave McDoug
at distinct relief. At least it was n
to the drowned girls wrath he hi
n seen on the mesa.
as That night when Desmond-Dual
Y, Desmond he had given as his nan
ed had retired. McDougal sat ponde
n ing over the events of the afternoo
Ie- He believed the boys story. TIL
or he was morally responsible for II
he girls death he believed too. He hi
he himself admitted as much, but II