The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1901-08-08
Sam Ransom, but how pale he looked
and what agony was painted upon his

herself, what have you done?"
The eyes of the man holding the
match fell upon her lace, pressed
against the window. Instantly the
match was extinguished, and Blanche,
realizing her peril, dropped fat upon
the ground, and a second later a charge
OF buckshot shattered the pane. A
piece of the broken glass, falling upon
her forehead, cut deep cash, from
which the blood flowed freely.
Crawling under the friendly shelter
of climatis vine, she stopped the flow
OF blood with it's leaves. For hours
she crouched there, under the threat
ening clouds, which ever and anon sent
a spiteful shower to the earth
crouched there, listening to the cry
of the owl and the low moaning of the
wounded man.
Thrice. as she thought how much
was needed woman's tender touch to
ease his feverish brow, did she start up
as ii to go to him, but each time she
shook her head and said "Not vet;
not yet"
When the first light, shining from a
window in Craig's Hollow, warned her
OF the approach of dawn, she crept
stealthily away, crawling upon her
hands and knees until she reached the
road. And that morning Joe, going
out to feed his horses, found her stand
ing at the gate, gazing anxiously
across the ravine towards the Ransom
cabin on Pine mountain, and-weep-
ing. He put his arms around her ten
Derby.
what air the matter. sis?" he said.
"Air you sick?"
eyes," said she, II air-sick O. the
world"
what be it you mean by that ?" he
asked, anxiously.
II mean air sick o world where
two men, two brothers, you might say,
kill each other counter what they
choose to call revenge. No matter what
former friendship there may have ex-
listed, or what ties may be broken
She paused suddenly. The excite
ment of the momert had paled her
cheeks-paler in contrast to her raven
hair. Her eyes shone like twin jewels,
and Joe Burton, looking at his sister in
the light of the rising sun, thought he
never had seen girl more beautiful.
"Oh, Joe" she continued, passionat to-
1y, "do you not see; can you not under
stand?"
Then she turned suddenly and went
into the house, leaving him alone with
Bruno.
Her brother watched her retreating
figure until it disappeared through the
doorway. Then he sat down in the
grass and gave himself up to thought.
For long time he sat there; then he
shook his head.
II give it up" he said. II don't un-
derstand"
The summer passed, and Sam Ran
som, in whose veins the ife-giving,
life-preserving tonic of the mountain
air throbbed warmly, was again in
the saddle, his trusty rifle in hi.
hand, the brightness of dauntless
spirit in his eyes, the tan of outdoor
life upon his face, and in his heart
the ever-warring emotions of venge-
ance aud of love.
Ever as the thought of revenge
upon the Burton gang" steeled his
nerves and caused his fingers to an
grily fondle the trigger of his rife,
the thought of Blanche stole into his
heart and brought a CLEAN of tender
ness to his eyes. She haunted his
dreams; she was the central figure in
all his hopes and plans and ambi-
tions. He loved her, but he had no
thought that she regarded him other
than an enemy, until
Down the winding road from his
cabin on Pine mountain Sam Ransom
rode one afternoon. the autumn sun
shine in his face, the mountain
breezes toying with his hair, and
never a thought of death within him.
Turning sharp bend in the road
he came suddenly face to face with
Blanche. She was on her pony; her
bonnet had slipped from her head
and hung down her back, suspended
by it's strings; her hair, tossed by the
boisterous breeze, fell across her
shoulders like the dark shadows of
the pine trees across the mountain
road; her face was pale; her eyes
glistened like the stars on a winters
night. She raised her hand and he
drew rein, his heart bounding within
him.
"Sam," she said, timidly, 81 have
come to meet you, an I want to ride
beside you down the mounting. May
I, or do you reckon NE too great an
enemy o. yourn?"
Little GAL" he replied, taking his
hat from his head and awkwardly
fumbling it in his hands, little gal,
me an you can't never be no ene-
mics"
She smiled, the warm blood surging
to her cheeks and great gladness
in her eyes. Then she held out her
hand to him, and he took it in both
his big brown ones, patting it as he
would pat his horses neck.
When they had come to a narrow
passage between two dense thickets
Of underbrush Blanche grasped the
IBID ~ c.