Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1902-04-24
M A r AT A.

eyes fell upon the face Of young girl
Of their band. | happened to be near
one Of the mess fires where the men
We're cooking supper, and one of them
used some coarse ribaldry in his refer
ence to Marata, for such was her name.
Quick as a flash one of his companions,
Edward Robson, a young giant Of a
plainsman, sprang at him with the
ferocity Of tiger, and thenceforward
the careless jester carried a gap in his
teeth as memento of his rashness.
One day late in July the sun had
dropped so low that we were in the
grateful shadow Of the hills to the
westward, and the small mess fires
were beginning to show their yellow
glare among the trees III preparation
for the evening meal Robson was talk
ing earnestly with Marata.
"Am | never to see you where | can
talk to YOU as | wantE" he asked in the
Navajo tongue. You know l love YOU
AIarata, and that / shall make you my
wife when / Sc: II" discharge "a! t,.
shall be happy then together. But 1t is
too long to wait. l must see you and
talk to you of the plans I have for our
lives"
he told her that he was to be on
picket duty that night, and she con
sented to join him and fly with him.
Their signal was to be the howl of a
coyote.
When they were gone, another figure,
crouched in clump Of bushes,
Strengthened itself from its cramped
position and raised its hand with Il
savage gesture.
It was the Indian Wild Horse, who
had slipped into this concealment,
where he could hear the lovers inter
course and Marata's promise.
When Robson went to his post on
picket that night, it was with heart
beating high and eyes kindled with
CLEAN of satisfaction.
With a step as light as a boys he
paced back and forth, back and forth,
hummlng to himself beneath his
breath the melody of a fervid Spanish
love song.
"Only 8 o'clock" he said impatiently
at length. THAT means a long wait
yet, for she said she would not come
until all was quiet, but l would wait
for years If | expected her to come at
last"
Hark! A dreary, dismal howl came
to him on the night air, making his
heart leap. Could it be the signal? Yes,
there it came again and again! Surely
1t must be Marata, for the cry swelled
and waned, long drawn and sad as the
cry Of the lost. Robson hid his rifle in
a thicket, then drew it out again.
Il must have my rifle in case |
should be seen by one of the other
pickets," he said. He slung it across
his shoulder and stole with stealthy
step out into the shadows.
"Marata."
"Here" a voice answered him from
the darkness.
And the impatient lover swung him
self down the cliff with the aid of the
overhanging bushes and stunted trees.
'Marata" he called again eagerly.
And again the voice answered close
at hand, and he saw dim figure out
lined in the obscure shadows Of the
canyon, where the starlight only pene-
trated titfully. 1t was not Marata, for
the dim light showed him an uplifted
arm and the pale glitter Of u steel
blade descending, and he felt the sharp
pain of the knife in his shoulder STUN
bled and fell, sliding helpleSsly down
the slope TO the bottom of the canyon.
1t was the fall that saved him, for
otherwise his asSailant would have
leaped upon him, and another thrust
Of the cruel knife would have sent him
out into the unknown. As it was he
had time 70 recover himself, steggor 70
his feet and draw his own knife before
Wild Horse could swing himself down
the wall Of rock TO renew the attack.
Robson's years of frontier service had
made him as skillful with the knife as
the Indian himself, and he was no less
1.-THE and strong in body and courage
Gus in heart, but as they bent, swayed
and struggled, watchful and wary, the
wound in Robson's shoulder began to
tell and the loss of blood to weaken
him
A strange feeling Of languor took pos
session Of him, the glitter of the stars
seemed farther away, and then they
danced before his very eyes as he stun
bled and slipped over the rough stones.
Blindly he staggered. His neryeless
hand could hardly hold the knife. 1t
was growing darker, darker Suddenly
there came Il fash and roar from the
wall of the canyon. Wild Horse
screamed in agony, threw his arms
aloft and fell upon the stones. But
Robson did not heed nor see. The whole
earth reeled before him, and he sank
into Inconsistencies. When he awoke,
a fire lit up the canyon, a group Of GU
rIous soldiers stood about him, and his
head was pillowed upon Marata's
breast.
wild Horse came first" she whis-
pered when he could listen. 81 saw him
slip away and steal down the canyon,
and l followed as fast as | could, for l
knew he meant harm, but | could not
keep up with him. heard the struggle
and came down into the canyon. Upon
the wall my foot struck the rife lying
among the stones, and it was with that
l shot him. The Great Spirit put it in
my way"
Robson did not answer in words. He
was smiling peacefully, and his glad
eyes answered for him.
Turpentine For COrns.
The cheapest and surest remedy for
either hard or soft corns is turpentinc.