Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1901-07-11
! fl MAID OF THE !
+ s. MOUNTAINS% I
I By Edgar WeltOn Cooley. I
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Copyright, 1901, by Authors Syndieate)

tain mlStS. a lonely cdDlh H0SUA0u
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 a light shone, like star on the
mountain. Below, in the valley,
squatted the little village of Craig's
Hollow. A hOrseman rode up ana
drew rein before the CABIN.
"Halloa!" he shouted.
The door was opened and the light
within revealed the form of young
man in the doorway. a pistol shot
from the horseman was echoed by
volley of rifles from behind the sur
rounding rocks.
The man in the doorway fell upon
his face with a groan, and the hight
within was Immediately extinguished'
Leaning on the weather-beaten fence
that surrounded the cabin on Snake
mountain Blanche Burton stood Bru-
no, her dog, lay sleeping at her
feet. She had a good view OF Pine
mountain, and she could see the occa-
sional flash of rife long before she
could hear the report.
And after awhile the shooting ceased
and all became quiet and dark but stlii
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.
eve air all safe an sound, sis" he
said, though I can't say as much for
them Ransoms. Sam, like a fool
opened the door, and L"
The girl recoiled.
did you kill him?" she demanded,
almost fiercely. "Joe, did you kill
him?"
"Why, SIS" replied her brother
"what air the matter?
"Oh. nothing" she replied, calmly;
'I thought, maybe, you were hurt.
Near to the midnight hour, while her
brothers slept with their rifles within
easv reach, Blanche Burton opened the
door of the cabin and stepped out into
the darkness. No lights were visible
on neither mountain, and none in Craig
Hollow. Above, solitary star shone
through a rift in the clouds. Save for
the lonely cry of an owl, no sound
broke the solemn stiffness of the night
She was alone on the mountain.
Slowly and with painful carefulnesS
the girl picked her way through the
dooryard, fearful lest some swapping
twig should awaken the slumbererS
within and bring upon her indistinct
form in the darkness, the contents OF
deadly rifle.
She breathed more freely when she
had passed the gate and was safely il
the road, and drawing her shawl tight
w about her she walked rapidly down
the mountain side and across the ra
vine. Here she slackened her pace ant
! finally stopped. How loud her hear
beat and how warm her cheeks were
She sat down on small bowlder tC
rest, but only for a moment, and thel
she was on her way again up Pine
mountain toward the Ransom cabin.
Noiselessly, carefully, that not
whisper should give notice of her ap
proach, she crept onward, trembling
feverish, anxious. Frequently sh
paused to listen for any sound emanat
ing from the cabin, but nothin!
reached her ears, save the loud beatin!
of her own heart.
When at last she reached the littl
yard that surrounded the cabin, sh
sank upon the ground and crept on he
hands and knees to the window. Sh
thought she heard a noise within. Sh
heard it again-the low moan CT man
THANK Godl" she whispered to her
self Thank God, he is not dead.
And she fattened her nose against tn
pane in vain endeavor to pierce tn
darkness.
Suddenly light flashed; some on
had struck match. In the faint, fiicl
ering light she made out the form of
T man stretched upon the floor, wit
some one bending over him. His fac
was turned directly toward her. 1t wa
Sam Ransom, but how pale he looked
and what agony was painted upon hi
, features!
| ooh, Joe, brother Joel" she said
|
The eyes of the man holding tn
= match fell upon her face, presse
IL against the window. Instantly tI
!, match was extinguished, and Blanch
realizing her peril, dropped fiat upo
the ground, and a second later a chare
" of buckshot shattered the pane.
&c piece of the broken glass, falling upo
t her forehead, cut a Nep cash, fro
- which the blood flowed freely.
Crawling under the friendly shelt'
E. of a climatis vine, she stopped the flo
g. O. Of blood with it's leaves. For hou
she crouched there, under the threa
80 ening clouds, which ever and anon SCI
", spiteful shower to the earth
OF crouched there, listening to the CT
en- of the owl and the low moaning OF II
wounded man.
Thrice, as she thought how niue
W, was needed woman's tender touch
#. ease his feverish brow, did she start
in as if to go to him, but each time 81
shook her head and said: Not We
not yet"
h When the first light, shining IRON
on window in Craig's Hollow, warned h
of the approach of dawn, she ere
. stealthily away, crawling upon d
III hands and knees until she reached I
m road And that morning Joe, gol
rus out to feed his horses, found her star
ing at the gate, gazing anxious
across the ravine towards the Kans'