St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1899-03-18
copyright. 1894. BY Mary HalIoek Foote.l
- - 90 % - = = -
n1rr On THE nrrI !

IL OUT OF THE GULGH
1t is safe to say that If every ran.
somed Christian in the Occur dAlene
had lived, according to the word that
We preach to the heather, as simply,
as fearfully, as Wan pursued his timor-
Gus way by the glimmer of his per-
furned joss-sticks, there would have
been no cali for martial law. Yet Wan
was destined to be one ofsthe chosen
victims Of the labor question, his part
in which, as a proletarian, was little
more considered than that of the pony
in the doctors corral.
It fell out as fhe-decter had pre-
dicted. The case of Mike and Darcie
had been postponed; it was not forgot
ten. There came moment, in that
hour of insane victory. when it did
occur to some of the Big Horn men that
there Hasza little Job unfinished at the
mine. One or two of them who had
been concerned IN the shooting on
Tuesday night were burning to ayenge
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 seeond-story gallery
where she was walking alone in the
starlight, herself being unseen in the
shadow of the root She watched the
movements of the menwith ankle tysand
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 thetspy.1 aa. ss8
'.Don't bother with herr it's time
wasted for nothing ABBY advised.
sShe was aasing Wan about him her
self this morning, and Wan was sulky
and scared, and pretended he didn't
know. But 1 saw you going away
somewhere with him, says she. That's
what she said; heard her myself.
You betshe 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 ana Joy, and Mikes blood was
bounding at the thought of the wild
nights fight in the free, open dark
ness, and the deeds of daring he might
have occasion to display; for Mike had
warm Irish imagination, and he was
as vain of. his yalor as he was sure OF
IL. The doctor had omitted to mem
ton, lis 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 allher rscruples
at once; there was no other way but
to harden his heart against doubts and
compunetions, and 10 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, ia his opinion, a man
may be q young girl 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, d wretched, struggling
figure hailed along at the end OF q
rope, towed by mass Of men,. as fast
as they could 60 over the roagh ground,
in the direction of the secret tamaracks.
The person Of the victim was scarcely
aistinguishable, but the doctor knew
It could be only fhe miserable China
man; and strange familiarity with