El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-10-19
HER LIFE FOR HIS.

81 wonder eff Capn Earle is here?" she
nuttered. as she placed the pail she had
been carrying on the ground. Shading
her blue eyes from the rays of the now
risen sun she peered into the leafy dark
ness of the farreaching chasm. He said
he'd come eff he could git away from his
The cap'n he'd better be pullin
up sticks and gittin out o here, cause
dads mad an Jim Helms mad too. An
wnen them air two git mad at a revenue
man thar's sho to be trouble Jim
Helm an dad he'd JUS as well put t i'll
their pipes an smoke it, too, fer the
cap'n amt goin to git till he ketches
'em. Dads done got the revenue mer
down him fer maxim moonshine
Thar's goin to be trouble roun Terrapin
mounting yit."
Talking thus to herself, she started.
blushed and turned quickly, she hearc
low whistle. 4 tall, fine looking young
fellow stepped out into the clearing
around the spring.
Good morning, Mary, you are looking
as fresh and as pretty as that little
mountain pink. What news?'
The girl blushed to her ears as she
faced him, but looked him steadily in the
eyes
.'Thar's goin to be trouble roun here
tonight, cap'n, an dad swore last night
he was goin to kill you fer smashin his
still on t'other mounting. You better
keep both eyes open.
rs that all?' he asked, as he came
closer to her.
'tAin't that enough?"
NO. Mary. 1 am not afrai1 of his
threats. / fear your pretty face and biue
eyes more than L do moonshiners.
Look here Cap'n Earle, l amt rothin
but poor mounting gal, an l can't re;c
or write. Keep them ere sugary things
fer the valley gals. Say 'em to them as
will take EN-
AS Mary said this she turned away. \
tremor was in her heart, a sob in her
voice. She had grown to love the hand
some officer. She loved him with the wild
and impassioned fervor of a nature IN
taught. unframed. And he, had he con-
ceived such thing, would have smiled At
her simplicity. She turned to him again.
''Oh, cap'n, you must go down to the
valley tonight. Jim Hefiin an dad'H kill
you They air hot cause you foun the
stiA an smashed it.
well, Mary. l can't run from them.
That would be cowardly. Besides,
have this protector slapping his Win
chester rifle. THAT is good for 16 men,"
Promise me, cap'n, eff you stay on the
mounting you won't leave Silas Coombs'
cabin. Promise me! Promise men' Her
voice pleaded with him by her accents
alone.
I'll be careful, Mary" And turning,
he walked rapidly away. Reaching the
entrance to the gorge, he waved his hat
to her as he disappeared in the thick I'M
dergrowth. Mary Mason sighed and re-
turned to the cabin.
That night, while getting supper in the
little shed in the rear of the cabin, she
heard her father and Jim Heflin talking
in low tones in the main room. Creep
ing near the door, she listened to their
n.Iv
Earle. With heart humping with ter
ror she served their supper in silence. As
soon as sapper was finished the two men
shouldered their guns, got on horses and
started away. 1t was dark and star
less night. The wind moaned and sobbed
through the echoing pines.
80 Lord, God Almighty, never said a
prayer but this oncst. o Lord, give me
grit 'nough to git to him before dad an
Jim does
Out of the cabin she rushed, dashing
madly over the rocks that formed the
bed of winter torrent, but now gone
dry. With every muscle in her supple
young body strained to the utmost, her
breath coming with painful sobs, her
eyes staring into the pitchy darkness,
her lips breathing fervid appeals to
heaven to allow her to reach Silas
Coombs' before the men did, on, she
ran, clutching in her haste even the briers
that cruelty tore her hands and face
she clambered up the mountain. Faster,
faster she ran, now falling headlong, but
only to arise again and rush on. At last
she gained the plateau of Terrapin, where
stood the cabin of Silas Coombs. Down
the declivity she dashed. AS she gained
the cabin, turning, she saw her father
and Jim Hefiin riding to the house as
the great, round, silvery moon appeared
ovet the peak
open the door, open the door, fer
Gods sake, cap'n, Git on your horse and
ago, go like satan was arter youn'
Earle rushed out. Grasping her with
one arm, as he saw she was faint, he
turned and faced old man Mason and
Jim Helm.
What do you want?'' he asked.
eve want you, cuss you replied Hef-
lin, as he made dash at Earle. Earle
released his grasp of Mary, and the two
men clinched in deadly struggle. Over
and over they rolled the gallery
each striving to disengage his pistol from
his belt. At last Hef1in drew his and.
aiming it, would have despatched the
floor with Earle's brains had not Mary,
with scream of anguish, thrown HERSELF
between the pistol and Earle. But twas
too late. The ball went crashing through
the poor girls breast. Helm started to
his feet with an exclamation of horror,
and fled madly down the mountain, fol-
lowed by Mason, who had not seen the
mark of the bullet. Earle rose to his
knees, and. catching the dying girl in his
arms, sobbed as if his heart would break,
strong man as he was.
what can l do, what can l do, Mary.
darling?
THAR amt but one thing, cap'n," the
dying girl gasped, ''just let me rest my
head on yer shoulder here, an, an" she
hesitated, IAN. cap'u eff you don't min,
I'd like to have yer kiss me just oncst''-
And with his kiss her lips the little
heroine gave up to her Maker that life