The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-07-28

stances Of life to endure and be strong.
The law does not punish the noon
sinner alone. but 1t falls heavily on his
wife and children. Silury dried her
eyes and touched her mother on the
shoulder, speaking in frmer tone.
II must 60 down to Buckhorn
springs tonight, ma
sch Z" said the dazed woman.
II must see pa. must help him to
get away from the raiders"
1 "You. Siluryl How'll You do it,"
II don't know" her lips trembling
again. ''but must do it, mustP'
Mrs. Cole stared at her. She had
faith in Silury's courage and ability,
but now she caught the girls hand,
fresh terror Selling her.
"Don't you get into trouble, honey.
Me an the children would perish IL
your pa an you were both took off,
"Don't you fret. ma. Ill come back
to you an bring pa too"
"How'll you get to Buckhorn
springer
"Ride Kit"
She was already down on her knees
before the fire kindling torch to take
out to the lot with her. She looked up
at her mother with brave, tender eyes.
"Now, don't poster yourself any
more than you can help. ma"
Mrs Cole shook her head. with deep
sigh, and instinctively reached for her
pipe, but she could only sit and hold it
! in her hand, untitled, unlighted, while
Silury went away to the lot with the
faring torch and an old saddle thrown
on her arm.
Kit was shabby tsast, thin, wiry
and with only one good eye, but he
had served the Coles faithfully. He
greeted the young girl with gentle
whinny, and she leaned her head
against him with another burst Of
tears But she quietly wiped them
away and led Kit out to the road. 1t
did not take her long to put bride and
saddle on him; then she ran in, took
down her fathers rife from the rack
over the front door, and in few minutes
had started on her solitary ride down
the mountains. The hound would have
followed her, but she ordered him back.
GO back, Bolivar. an take care Of
them that's left behind" and he skunk
unwillingly to the doorstep again.
1t was a night to live in the child's
memory all her life, for with all her
fearlessness and hard training she had
never before been called upon to
traverse the mountain passes alone
after darkness mad fallen upon them
Solitude and gloom surrounded her
The valley seemed hut formless gulf
of darkness, the multitudinous noun
tains black sentinels, towering to the
stars. Far away in some remote fast
ness of the mountain dog barked, and
she could hear the prolonged blast of
hunting horn. A star shot downward
from the zenith, bearing trail of fire
across the eky, and was lost behind the
farreaching western ranges. A sense Of
isolation oppressed her, She seemed the
only living human creature in all the
vast, silent world. On the saddle in
front of her she felt the trusty rifle.
and that gave her sense of security
from beasts of prey Her father had
Taught her how to use the gun. and
practice had given her an almost uner-
ring aim, But it was trying situa-
tion for even a mountain girl to ride
alone through ravines and over declivi-
ties, often only bride path to guide
her. 1t required a brave heart and q
steady nerve to do it
Buckhorn springs arc on the public
highway leading from market town
in North Georgia to Murphy, N c..
and traditions of the wonderful medic.
inal qualities of the water come
down even from the remote days when
the Indian set up the poles of his wig
wan near the springs and slaked his
thirst in their cool, healing streams.
flowing out from under Buckhorn
mountain. The Indian and his wigwam
are mere traditions now themselves,
and the white man and his covered
market wagon have taken their places.
1t has been the favu.'ite camping
ground Of the mountaineers coming
from or going to marker since the first
white settlers boldly penetrated the
wilderness beyond. Campers were there
the night the revenue officers were TO
pass with Amaziah Cole, Pelee White
and young Davis. They were on the
roadside, their white covered wagon
drawn out under the sparse timber,
their sleek red oxen lying anyoked near
it. A campfire Of brushwood and pine
nfu h1n1,1 i,,t ho- |
tween the timber and the road, throw.
ing strange, eerie shadows against the
mountain side and in the tree tops
A lean, brown faced wagner sat on,
an inverted feed box whiting stick,
and a woman occupied a rude camp
stool nearer the fire, the light bringing
out the stripes in her brown and yellow
homespun skirts and the melancholy
lines in her sharply featured face. A
brown wooden veil was tied around her
head, and she rubbed snuff with sub
dued enjoyment. Silury did not go
down to the public road. On the noun
tain side, above the springs, ledge Of
lone gray rocks jutted out. Dismount-
ing at a level spot in the pathway,
Silury tied Kits bride to an overhang-
ing bough then, with the gun grasped
in her hands, she crept through the I'M
derbrush to the rocks. She trembled
with excitement, for daring thought
hrd come to her, scheme whereby she
might deliver her father from his cap
tors She crouched down behind the
rocks and waited, praying that she
might be calm, that her eye might be
true, her hand steady when the time
came.
Evidently the campers had heard Of
the raid and were intending to sit up
until the Officers passed with the pris-
oners. for several times during that
tagging hour of suspense silury spent
behind the powders, the man walked
out into the road to listen for sounds Of
travel.
II low they are comm at last" he
said, closing his knife with a sharp
click, and his wife put up her snuffbox
and Joined him on the roadside.
Gi1ppv'o haovf povo uraok $hur,p |