El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-03-10
SILURY.
By MATT GRIM.
copyright, 1899, by Matt Crim.]

Silury Cole threw a fresh pine knot
on the fire and stepped to the door to
peer out into the night. listening in
tently for the first sound Of her father s
footsteps on the hard mountain road.
For two days the revenue officers had
been abroad on the mountains, and the
hearts of women and children were
heaving with terror and dread.
The rich pine kindled, burnt into
vivid flame, throwing its light upon
the girl from head to foot, on her
smooth hair, black as the night, on the
profile of her face, denoting unusual
character for a girl of IA, and on her
primitively fashioned gown of blue
checked cotton.
The rioting flames, filling the black
cavernous depths of the fireplace, light
ed up the low room also, throwing
grotesque shadows behind the loom
and spinning wheel, lingering round the
f1axen heads of the three children asleep
on the low trundle bed, CHANGING over
the basket of corn ready to be shelled
for the miller, and over the ia BILE and
simple preparations for supper Mrs.
Cole sat in the corner at one end of the
fiat, stone hearth smoking and silently
broodipg. She was a small. sickly look
ing woman with sunken eyes and
sharp, delicate features. She leaned
forward with her chin resting in one
hand staring into the fire. A stick Of
wood burned apart and fell softly to
the Goals underneath. She started and
glanced at Silury.
els he comm, Silury T.
"Not yet. ma.
She refilled her pipe and laid glow
ing coal on it, shaking her head slowly
can not likely to till the revenue
men have gone away.
''Ahl But don't you know, ma, pa
never stays away morn two days at a
time. Recollect the time he came
awhistlin. with his gun on his shoulder
an three raiders just down on the mill
road" said Silnry, and laughed at the
remembrance of his daring. ''Pa amt
easily scared.
''That'S so, an L remember that he
was mighty hungry, too" murmured
her mother, faint smile for a moment
lighting up her prematurely wrinkled
face
Silury glanced over her shoulder at
the oven Of potatoes steaming on the
hearth and the frying pan filled with
place over the fire Her preparations
were all complete. When he came it
would take but few minutes to place
before him.
care the children covered up?' her
mother inquired, CHANGING toward the
bed. THE nights are gettin cold
Silury stepped across the room and
sleepers. No wonder her face had such
a mature look, she moved with such
womanly air, the cares of the house
hold nearly all fell on her. She was the
pride of her fathers heart, her mother
depended on her, and the younger chill
dren always looked to her to supply
their needs. Mrs. Cole relapsed into her
former attitude for few minutes. then
suddenly raised her head, look of fear
flashing into her dull eyes. ''Silury, it
pears to me l hear somethin,' she
whispered quickly.
The girl hurried back to the door
and leaned out again, her head slight
ly bent, one hand lifted to her ear in
listening attitude. A gust of wind
swept down the black, serried peaks
so high above the small cabin, so sharp
ly cut against the starlit sky, hurrying
on its cratic course to the valley. The
COW munched dry corn husks in corner
of the fence. and Kit, the mule, paved
restlessly at the stable door. But none
Of those sounds had disturbed Mrs
Cole reused that fear in her. Far away
Silury heard the steady beat of hoofs
upon the dry, hard road, as of horse
newly shod and urged to his utmost
speed.
81 low it's only somebody ridin for
the DOCTOR" she said soothingly. But
a line, drawn by honest anxiety, APP
peared between her dark brows. The
sound came upward from the valley,
not downward from the mountains. 1t
drew nearer each moment, bringing
glad or evil tidings to some lone dweller
on the heights. for no one ever trav-
eied over the mountains in that way
simply for the pleasure of it. How
swift, how steady, felt the ironshod
feet upon the earth, now clear and dis
tinct they passed along a ridge.