The Cooperstown courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., N.D.) 1902-1913, 1902-08-28

Tho bright sunlight which caused
everySspeck on the mountain side to
stand out wonderfully vivid. mate
rally aided him, and after he had
found the correct range he managed
by carefully shooting at every ex-
posed redskin to force very whole
some fear into the soul of the enemy.
The girl, entirely inefficient to rem
der any aid, sat silently watching
with q wonderful kind Of interest the
boy who was doing gall that man
could do to save his life and her
own. Occasionally . bullet bored
through the mud walls and sent the
dry mud flying in their faces, but
the range was great and the walls.
|astopped4the majority Of the bullets. N
The hours seemed to come and go,
to them; dozen times Horton had
momentarily ceased his fire to listen
for the welcome thud of hoofs, and
as often was disappointed. 1t was
in reality but an hour before he sud-
denly discovered that his supply Of.
rifle ammunition had been expended,
and that the six charges in his piss,
toll were his only remaining articles
of defense. The girl saw this asahe
discarded the rife and drew the pis-
toll, and felt her heart sink as she
realized the situation. She saw him
as he gazed searchingly out over the
plain in an effort to discern a bit Of
friendly blue, and saw the despair.
which no man can hope to conceal,
come into his face and snuff out the
bit of hope and dignity brought
there by the Joy of well fought com
bat.
Horton carefully examined each
precious charge in the pistol, striv-
ing to force himself to think calmly;
and all the time an unknown voice
repeatedly asserted that further re-
sistance was entirely useless. Still,
possessed by that wonderful Anglo
Saxon courage which grows more
and more rebelliously firm as the
fight goes more and more to the
enemy, he quietly informed the girl
that he had only begun to fight, and
by his demeanor attempted to live
the lie.
Instinct, however, told the girl
that. his cheerfulness was entirely
assumed, but by neither word nor
look did she betray this knowledge.
Silent, not voicing vain regrets,
nor weak vindictives, they stood, liv-
ing for the moments that reeled off
with fearful regularity, each fraught
with the question of life or death.
Occasionally Horton, from force of
habit, glanced at his timepiece, and
each time he slightly shook his head.
The wary Apaches, noting that the
white mans terrible rifle was stilled,
had stolen down to the last fringe
Of rocks that offered them protec-
ton, and were making visible prepa-
rations for rush. Still, they knew
that the blue-shirted cavalrymen had
an uncomfortable habit Of shooting
terribly fast and accurate at short
range, with the pistol, and so they
still hesitated.
Horton, closely watching their
every move and carefully weighing
every circumstance, reluctantly de-
cided that the time had come to
make the girl aware Of the hope
lessness Of their situation.
cts all up with us now, Tn
afraid, Miss Jordan" he said, quiet
". They're getting ready for rush
out there, see, and when they try
that, I'm afraid I won't be able to
hold them off. I'll only have time to
fire probably couple Of shots, then
they'll
II know" she said, quickly, as if
the privilege of speech was Q relief
after the long pulseless wait.
"We'n be killed. Well, youth find
that I'm not afraid to die.''
The boy became visibly embar-
raised.
"'Tisn't that,' he said, dropping
his eyes to the floor. 'They won't
kill you, you know, Miss Jordan;
'tisn't their style with white women.
Theyll-they'll let you live; you un-
derstand, don't you, Miss Jordan?"
For moment she did not compre-
bend, then when the revelation
dawned upon her all her composure
and self-possession gave way.
my God, they don't really do that,
do they?" she cried.
The boy nodded.
'Oh, it can't be-" she. said, clasp
ing her hands as the fearfulness of
the boys disclosures grew upon her.
I'D Fsooner die hundred tines"
She stopped suddenly, for her eyes,
roaming furtively, had fallen upon
the pistol in the boys hand, the only
lcthal weapon remaining to them.
Her gaze rose steadily to his frank
eyes, and for q moment they gazed
at each other, each fully cognizant
Of the others thoughts. The boy
grew sick at heart. for there was q
world of pleading in the girls eyes.
You win, won't you?" she said.
abruptly. "You'll surely spare me
the fate of falling into their hands
alive" It was weak little plea, q
plea which told of all hope for life
departed, and only q wish remaining
for decent death.
Horton walked to loop-hole and