El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-06-03

moment he stood over her with the
dripping knife His stiff white hair and
long beard bristled, his bumped shout
ders were drawn back, and his horny
hand threatened her life
Up in the mountains, deep in its re-
cess Of gray rocks, fringed around by
lichens and high grass that crinkled and
dried in the wind, is an Indian spring.
The water is deadly poison. An old
story relates that a tribe there paused
in their march, in all the glory of saw
| age war paint, bent upon the destruction
of a nobler race, and gazed and drank
and died. The venom in Gilliad Moon g
eyes was as deadly as the waters Of the
| mountain spring. Laney covered before
| it and crouched upon her bare feet.
While he stood there a thought came to
him that Of all the poor creatures with
whom his life had been linked here was
the dearest He was about to strike
down the only living thing that he
pved. Gipiad Moon had saved himself
from developing into a veritable human
vampire by that very love for Laney.
Strike her? Mol He had never yet laid
his rough hand upon her in anger His
arm dropped to his side.
eff W uvver do watch me again"
he said with quavering voice, "ef ye
uvver do, I'll lay hands on ye, shore
I'll tar ye inter threads O. whit leather
an feed ye ter the DEVILS huntin dorg"
The old mans face settled into its
stolid scowl, and he resumed his work.
The two dogs stood by, swapping occa-
sionally at each other, and greedy for
the blood. The knife glittered as he
flashed it before the fire.
II know'd ye he'd money! said
Laney suIlenly "Taddy Green sed es
how ther inginearer showed pile O.
money ter some un ct ther falls Their
vary day he was drownded.
'Thadeous Green gut tibet money,
then, eff he knows so much erbout it.
said Gilliad
81 seed We git it, persisted Laney.
''an-ef ye don gin me huff fur a par
O. shews I'll tell on ye.
''Ye dassent, - said Gilliad, with an
ugly smile What dye want wit
shoes ennyhow? Ye nuvver hev he'd emmy
yit. They'll confne yer feet SOS ye
KANT walk. -
She tossed her head and sneered at
his arguments. The frown on her face
grew darker
I've kin do es We air a min ter.
pappy. but eff yer want me ter stay here
ct home an dredge fur ye es hes did
sence nanny died yell hev ter shew
me. l air too big er gal ter be goin
ar'foot afore folks. -
''Stay at home, said the old man
sullenly KANT blame ye eff ye go
bar foot ct home
I'll leave We an hire out like a
niger. SAID Laney. "Inuvver did hev
Il. B. n
jis' tired O. dredgin fur nothin-'
I've air got yer head turned ther
wrang way, like a whoot OWLS, scarf
out O. his hole i'll Their daytime. Ye air
a thinkin ter pattern arter them hum
backed gals what comes ter ther hotel, |
an ye min me. l say, eff l ketches ye
doin ennythin fur them, er up thar fur
emmy cause whutsumever in the least,
I'll git me bunch o rope an larrup ye
uvvery step ter this caben. Ye' hear?
Now We min me eff ye want home. Eff
ye don want no home here. jis' igh
out es soon es ye air min ter. Ye |
don hope me marry haight. Me an ther
dorgs kin gil on fine thout ye.''
GilIiad Moon then staIked out of the |
house.
Laney squatted by the fire where she |
had held the carcass of the wildcat, |
rested her chin in her hands and looked |
out at the evening sky Her thin face |
seemed to grow longer III the twilight |
Her eyes frightened and brimmed over |
and the tears rained down her cheeks. |
She heard her fathers footsteps descend |
the hardened path and die away i'll the
distance. She shuddered. Then she
crept toward the greasy old |
box in the corner
1t was not all stolen money in the
box. Since she was little girl Gilliad
had been contributing to its contents.
She would not have touched one of
those shiny coins or water soaked notes
she had seen from the cliff for all the
world put together The top of the box
bad served in turn as washstand, meat
block, bread board and kitchen table.
1t was now piled with nondescript
heap of rubbish. and the front of it was
fastened firmly with a rusty paddock.
But with the opportunity that makes
the thief. Laney had cut the leather
hinges on the lid. and she now lifted it
At the bottom of the box she found
an old yarn sock-colored blue when
her mother lived and set blue pot
and slowed away in the sock was
money 1t was lumpy and heavy. 1t
was but one of the many stuffed socks
in the old box, but 1t was the only one
she had seen, and it contained more than
she thought she could ever spend. She
lifted it from the moldy old ropes and
rubbish and weighed it in her hand
She was trem bling from head to foot
She went forward into the freight
md, squatting down. poured out the
money in her lap
The fire hickered and cracked. The
wind outsid whistled through the cleft
'ocks and stirred among the iron weeds
The river moaned as it beat and dashed
Itself on the shoals. Laney crouched in
he cabin and listened crnnchinn Ste1.