The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1899-01-06
XIII.
THE MASSACRE.

| fingers dcToSS the ueluS, pointing DARK
ly toward the canyon. "About sunset"
the child had said.
| Up at Wallace and at Gem the rumor
was flying that the negro troops from
Missoula had marched around the
burned. bridges. and were coming in by
way of Mullan, to gather the nonrunion
men. and to bring them back and pro-
tect them in their places; and the union
had sworn that the thing should not
be. Therefore there should be blood
shed that night at the Mission; not a
| "scab" should be left for the ringers"
to bring back. For "scabs" to be forced
upon them by "niggers" was an aggra-
walton of injury by insult which the
| pride of these valiant Irish leaders could
| not brook.
This was the story of the confiding
little boy at the Mission, told in the
| simple faith of one who believes that
his friends can do no wrong; all the
bad men were on the other side. Not a
shadow or a stain of it's cruel meaning
seemed to have touched his childish ap-
prehension.
Faith was unhappy and fearful in her
mind; yet-she tried to comfort her
sellf-the thing was, as Mr.. Casson had
said, too monstrous, too suicidal dis
grace for the union leaders to permit
to touch their organization, still less to
invite as means of discipline. The sun
was getting low. Faith rebuked her
Impotence by turning her back on the
upstream view, and, taking a longer
stroll toward the landing, resolved not
to look around again till the sounds
she yearned to hear announced her
friends; but no new sounds broke the
quiet stir of the leaves and the softly
moving water. She grew sick with sus-
pe7se. They would not come in time to
get her warning; else they would not
come at all-and what could have hap
pened! This was day when one
might not talk of morrow.
Suddenly. close inshore, making for
the next bend across loop of the river,
long, sharp canoe, or dugout, shot by,
loaded with disaster; for Mike stood
balanced, alone, guiding the slim craft,
and along the bottom, stretched upon
his back, lay a man helpless, motion
less. shape with the face hidden. What
did the coat conceal that covered the
face? Was it death? There was enough
of Darcie there for Faith to recognize.
He was coming to meet her at the Mis-
sion, and this was the fate he had en-
countered on the way.
"Oh, Mike-oh, stop!" she groaned,
upon her knees on the bank, stretching
her arms out above the water The
breeze shook the bushes; the dismal
load shot by. Mike had not heard her
choking cry or seen her gesture of an
guish. Gathering herself up she STUN
bled through the grass, past the trees,
that delayed her like idle, curious per-
sons crowding upon one in moment
of extreme distress; but by the time she
had rounded the loop by land Mike had
crossed it by water-as the bow-string
measures the bow, had landed his
freight under the bushes in the shade,
and was already out of sight below the
lower bend.
A wind was rising. spreading the
rapid GOODNESS that precedes summer
gale. The bushes were beating wild
ly, leaves and dust and blossom petals
were flying. and dark wind-track
streaked the meadows; but the waveless
river only shuddered and crept by in
silence.
Darcie was lying on his back, staring
at the green boughs overhead; the
coat lay over his chest, and it's folds
perceptibly rose and fell. This was
Faiths first assurance that he breathed.
In the shock of so sudden, so COM
piete release from so great fear. for
the moment she forgot her warning.
He looked at her stupidity at first,
then little wildly. and then with an
eager smile he flung his hand out to-
ward her upon the grass. Yet something
in his manner she misunderstanding
that she had looked to see on their meet
ing again; missed it, and drew back
from her instructive first advances.
He knew her. but had placed her at
the beginning of their brief. intense ac-
quaintance; all between was oblivion.
His love spoke, and his need of love. in
his dumb eyes; but he was silent,
troubled. and took nothing for granted.
Ii was useless to question him as tn
how he had arrived at this phase of his
condition. Investigating. as his nurse,
Faith discovered that there had been a
fresh hemorrhage from his wound; the
sleeve and breast of his shirt beneath the
coat were soaked with blood. Weak
ness, thirst and delirium had followed,
but not fever, so far as she could Judge.
He was bareheaded. and she looked in
vain for his hat to fetch him water in