The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1899-01-13

His hand slipped from hers, lower and
lower, and touched the sand; softly she
saved the contact from disturbing him
He sighed, and breathed more deeply;
he was gone, even beyond his conscious
ness of her.
She moved trifie, cautiously; drew
away her dress, and noiselessly raised
herself upon her knees. All along the
shore she seemed to hear stealthy foot
steps and furtive, leafy rustlings, as of
a hunter stalking big game. The rapid
firing had ceased, but scattering shots
came infrequently, one at time, from
distance. Step by step she moved a
little way past the bushes and looked
out. Overhead the clouds were blown
in wild masses; the stars in the dark
blue lakes of sky between winked peace
fully, while the torn and flying cloud
signals altered from moment to mo-
ment. So did the peace of heaven abide
this senseless, passing hour, that proved
nothing, changed nothing, simply add
ed its score to the wrong side, the side
of human passion, which must miss the
mark thousand times before one true
aim shall raise the record a little higher
as the centuries pass.
Faith was quoted; she had reached
the limit of emotional fear, and now
species of insensibility crept over her
the reaction after the shock. She
wondered why she could not feel as she
ought the peril of all those other men
Where was Mike-always rash with him
self? Was he safe? And how was it
with the honest Cassons-the wife wait
ing with her little sleepy brood about
her, to learn perhaps that they were
fatherless?
She started back from her relaxed out
look and hid herself as man came run
ming, like one pursued, out from group
of black birch trees that stood together
shivering in an open windy space. He
ran uncertainty, this way and that, as
if crazed with fear. His dog-hearted
pursuer covered him with deliberate
aim. 1t was pitiful to see him waver
between the chances of the river and
of the broken plain below. He was ex-
hausted with running; his chest labored
in hard, painful gasps; his legs were
giving under him. The next moment
he stumbled and fell. The 'scab"
hunter came up and turned him over
with his foot, keeping the muzzle of
his rifle close to his chest. He said
something brief, which Faith did not
hear. The man never spoke, but threw
out his hands expressively on the sod.
The other searched his clothes and took
all that he had in money or small valu-
ables and, stirring him with his foot,
said:
"Git-git out from here! I'll give you
till l count CO."
The hunted man sprang up and ran.
Once he turned his head over his Shout
der, and saw his pursuer following him
with cool aim. He plunged into the
bushes, cleared the bank and splashed
into the river.
The man with the rifle stood on the
bank and waited. Faith could have
touched him where he stood. He
watched till the swimmers head showed
plainly beyond the shoreward shadow.
dark spot parting the current in mid
stream; then bullet went clipping
through the wild-rose thicket. The
black spot turned toward the light;
it was the mans face; he was taking his
last look at the sky; his hands went
up; he sank-and coil of ripples I'M
wound in widening circles toward the
shore.
The hunter of "scabs" stood still a
| moment while the smoke of his rifle
| drifted away among the trees. Then
he set his feet upon the river bank, slid
down, and stopped at the rivers brink.
He laid his face to the water and drank;
and the.river did not refuse to quench
his thirst.
Faith crept back to her place; her
sleeper still slept. The man by the
river turned her way, and set his feet
again upon the bank. She slipped the
mantle from her shoulders, and laid
it, as soft as the rose of silence, upon
Darcie's face. The silk-lined folds set
tied into place; he did not move. So
he had looked when she had though:
him dead. She clasped her hands upon
her knees, and bent her head upon them.
Steps came up the bank and paused
close beside her; she merely breathed.
There was silence; then voice said:
| "Who is your man, my dear?"
She did not answer. Dan Rafferty,
studied the two figures attentively 4
moment.
SIS this you, Miss Bingham? and
our folks lookin' for you high and
low! And who's this party you are