The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1901-08-08
n MAID OF THE
<MOUNTAINS<
By Edgar Welton Cooley.
Copyright, l01, by Authors Syndicats)

nj lUn1 udu SCtG1CO oSCA VIC AaOuA-
m tains of Tennessee-night with
The darkness intensified by the noun
tain mists. A lonely cabin nestled
amid the rocks on Pine mountain and
watched with its one window an
other cabin on Snake mountain,
across the ravine, and from this win
dow light shone, like star on the
mountain. Below, in the valley,
souatted the little village of Craig's
Hollow. A horseman rode up and
drew rein before the CABIN.
"Halloa!" he shouted.
The door was opened and the light
within revealed She form of young
man in the doorway. A pistol shot
from the horseman was echoed by a
volley of rifles from behind the sur
rounding rocks.
The man in the doorway fell upon
his face with groan, and the light
within was Immediately extinguished.
Leaning on the weather-beatenf fence
that surrounded the cabin on Snake
mountain Blanche Burton stood. Bru-
no, her dog, lay sleeping at her
feet. She had good view of Pine
mountain, and she could see the occa-
sional fash of a rifle long before she
could hear the report.
And after awhile the shooting ceased
and all became quiet and dark, but still
she stood by the fence, the dog at her
feet and the night breeze tossing her
raven hair.
Out of the darkness finally came the
clatter of horses hoofs, and her three
brothers rode into the yard. The
eldest, noticing her white face, leaped
from his horse and threw his arms
around her.
"We air all safe an sound, sis," he
said, though l can't say as much for
them Ransoms. Sam, like fool,
opened the door, and L"
The girl recoiled.
did you kill him?" she demanded,
almost fercely. "Joe, did you kill
him?"
Why. SIS" replied her brother,
what air the matter?"
oh, nothing" she replied, calmly;
7 thought, maybe, you were hurt"
Near to the midnight hour, while her
brothers slept with their rifles within
easy reach, Blanche Burton opened the
uoor OF the cabin and stepped out into
the darkness. No lights were visible
on either mountain, and none in Craig's
Hollow. Above, a solitary star shone
through rift in the clouds. Save for
.he lonely cry of an owl, no sound
broke the solemn stiffness of the night.
one was alone on the mountain.
Slowly and with painful carefulness
the girl picked her way through the
aooryard, fearful lest some swapping
: twlg should awaken the slumberers
within and bring upon her indistinct
form in the darkness, the contents of
deadly rife.
ohe breathed more freely when she
mad passed the gate and was safely in
,ne road, and drawing her shawl tight
y ABOUT her she walked rapidly down
'ae mountain side and across the ra-
cue here she slaekened her pace and
naaiiy stopped. How loud her heart
=, o,ae ana how warm her cheeks were!
one SAT down on a small bowlder to
s'' put only for moment, and then
He was on her way again up Pine
"ountaln toward the Ransom cabin.
soiselessly, carefully. that not a
Whisper should give notice of her ap-
Proach. she crept onward, trembling,
s'erish' anxious. Frequently she
pausea to listen for any sound emanat-
g from the cabin, but nothing
..aehed her ears, save the loud beating
VI her own heart.
"heh at last she reached the little
su mat surrounded the cabin, she
sa nA upon the ground and crept on her
ahus and knees to the window. She
thought she heard noise within. She
Aearu or, II again-the low moan cf man.
ihank God!" she whispered to her
eii Thank God, he is not dead"
Ana she tlattened her nose against the
49, n 9 vain endeavor to pierce the
uuaeniy light flashed; some one
Aao struck match. In the faint f;ck-
.iihg hight she made out the form of a
nan stretched upon the. floor. with
ume one bending over him. His face
80 turned directly toward her. It wa.
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