Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1900-10-23

Bob Blackmore amt fur er-way."
you better look out fer yerself," she
scornfully replies. "He'un is mighty
handy with his weepins, and with his
fists, too. l reckin you know thet, too
don't you, Jim Wooten? l hav heerd
tell thet you an him had er fight ter
wunce, an Bob didn't KUN out no little
end Nv ther horn, neither"
'We'uns will fix all tibet thar eff we
! ever git our hams ON ther on'ry, good
fer-nuthin' scoundrel ergin. He'uns
amt fitten ter live noways."
He's er sight mo- fitten than you
air." she breaks in hotly. Hes allus
bin er hard-workin', sober man, am
taken keer Nv his nanny; sumpin you
never done. Sides thet, he's er gentle
man, an allus minded his own bust
ness. Do you'uns call this wah?" she
demands with rising vehemence. ''Too
cowardly ter go way frum home an
fight yerselves, but lay round heah an
take everything ennybody's got left
An soon's somebody-that's Bob
Blackmore-who's fightin' fer his side
heahs his maw's sick, an slips off ter
KUN an see her, ter houn' him like er
dog an try ter kill him. Hits jes cause
he's better'n you air"
The faint winding of horn down the
road arrests their attention, and hur-
riedly mounting their horses they ride
off, one calling back to her:
We've got him, Sissy. Thet's Tom
Winburn. l tole him ter KUN up ther
road, SOS to head him off an meet
we'uns heah."
The pursuers proceeded down the
right-hand road beyond the forks, from
whence the shots seemed to have come,
where the road makes sudden dip into
dry ravine. Down there man lies
still In death, his cheek pressed heavily
against the delicate ferns that grow
luXuriantly out of the cool shadows.
The trees meeting overhead almost ex-
clude the light, but now and then a
recreant bough, straying from its place
bidding of the gentle morning
breeze, lets in a feeble ray of sunshine
that touches up the dead mans face
with a pallid coloring. The nodding
ferns caress his pale cheek in vain.
The morning songsters sing their lays
to unhearing ears. The pines and hem
locks mingling their foliage with the
poplars, and bowling their good morn
ings to the beeches and young hick-
the sleeper. He will never again take
of earthly things, nor inhale
the beauty and vitality of his native
spirit has gone before
the last tribunal. A round hole in the
center of his forehead shows where
the messenger of death has entered,
its inevitable summons. His
slouch hat lies where it has fallen few
feet away. his right hand still clutches
j pistol, his finger within the guard and |
grasping the trigger. His garb is the |
same as they wear who find him.
He had sought unfairly to take hu-
man life, and with his own had paid |
he penalty. Coming from farther |
1own the mountain to meet his COM
AIDES and seeing the fugitive he had |
'idden aside into the ravfne, intending
% slay him unawares as he passed. |
But he had seen the interceptor, and
vas prepared, and as the other fred at |
him going by he too had fired in return.
md slew him. 1t was but moments
work to exchange his steed for the
resher one of the dead man and ride
uriously forward again. The horse
leserted, frightened at the realization
f something wrong and scared at sight
f the dead man, gallops back to be
net and caught by the girl.
But now, heartbroken, overwhelmed
nd frightened at sight of the inani-
nate body they shortly bring up the
DAD toward her she fees stricken and
rushed, thinking it to be the other
ne. And thus it is for days and long
7eary days, until by chance she learns
he truth.
The wars over. Another bright
lorning. A man rides leisurely up the
Dad; where it forks he catches sight
woman's form sitting on fallen
rec, where she has evidently stopped
, rest.
''Mawnin', Miss Sissy" he says. At
he sound of her name the girl looks
p quickly, and then as quickly down
gain, flush surmounting her usually
olorless cheeks.
"Mawnin', Bob" she quietly re-
ponds. 1--WE lowed up ter our house
) how maybe you'uns had forgot US.
lows your maw? quickly changing
ne subject.
'Hit did look bad in my not erkum-
lin ter see you all afore now" he re-
,ins, ignoring the last question. But
had ter kinder straighten up around
ONE bit afore l got out much"
81 thaut you wuz killed wunce, Bob"
le ventures by way of further con- .
arsation. Instantly he dismounts. !.
aving his horse standing In the road. :
nd goes up and sits down beside her. !,
"Why did you'uns think thatw he !,
SKIS.
Il wuz ergoin' down ter your maw's
L stopped your critter in the road I'D :,
lar that time, an then they brought
e'un that wuz killed, an'-an'-" she
'uld go no further at recollection of
er misery.
AN did you keer, Sissy" he asks,
aiming eagerly forward
You warn't Dead" she protests. )
"Well, then Nv ther fac that you
aut l wuz dead?'
She answers him nothing. A few dry :
aves fiutter in the autumn air and !.
II at their feet. A wild grape vine :
IDS its approval and swings in the =
eeze, and the branches of the trees