Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-01-27

eral Crook is seated at the bedside OF
very sick man in the main room OF
the Stone House. He is delirious for
long periods and conscious for short
| ones. His conscious moments are
I moments of agony.
! 1t is the Lord of the Desert. He
had remained sober during the siege
of the Stone House and had taken an
oath at the time that he would never
drink intoxicants again. AS soon as
| the siege was over and the soldiers
and cowboys had gone and the excite
ment died out, he had collapsed. For
! more than week he had neither eat
en- nor slept. The collapse of his
years of dissipation had come. His
bloated form was rapidly assuming
| it's natural state. He was but a
| sponge, dry decaying sponge with
all of the substance gone. He was a
human wreck, made SO by sin and al
cohol. His was not an isolated case;
it was the same old story. Written
and unwritten history abound with
such stories.
''It is too late, general, it is too
late," said the unfortunate man in
moment of consciousness. II have
taken the oath, / will never drink
again, but it was taken too late. 1t
might stimulate me now for few
hours, but it would make death the
more agonizing.''
''It is true, Mr.. Lyle" replied the
general, its effects are always tenn
porary, except the injury it gives
This is permanent. A man may feel
good for moment; his life may even
be prolonged by it for brief spell
but he must suffer the consequences
! in the end.''
After more exhausting delirium
the dying man spoke again.
ct is here that 1 hurt worse, gen.
eral, it is here" he said, placing his
hand over his heart "If you knew
what lies there, general, you would
pity me though I'm the most wicked
man living"
''It is not too late to repent and
co Justice suggested the warrior.
''Not too late to repent l know, for
am doing that as fast as guilty
soul can confess itself, but it is toe
late to do justice; they are dead
general, they are dead,-my brother
and his child are dead!"
! This confession seemed to ease the
man for moment. Then he con.
tinued: eff I could give them back
their lives, general, and this mockery
called wealth-the half-breed only
took a small portion OF ,w1s. DOS
sess-death would lose many of It's
terrors. I do not fear it, general. but
to meet my God with this load here
General, for many years I have kept
my heart, my conscience, my soul
benumbed with strong drink; now
| general, it all falls upon me like a
/ tot hot 11cyl
me, dissolve me like vapor. extermi
nate me that should not have to
meet my Maker"
st am able to give you some relief,
said veteran soldier, "you are not
as guilty as you think"
"Oh, but they are dead, general
No power on earth can give me reliet
now-it is too late. I will tell you
how it happened" continued Lyle
gasping. ST hired Follett to kill one
and old Egan to kill the other"
81 know you think it happened" re
piled General Crook, "but it is not
that bad. Suppose I should tell you
! that they both liver"
"You would mock me, general, you
would mock me-
| mo, 1 speak truthfully, when I tel
| you that they still live, and are here
at this moment" said the general.
"Do not torture me, general, but il
they are here let me see them. Let
| them tell me that they still live"
Jim Lyle was brought in in a chair
and seated by the bedside, and Ber
tina came and stood by her fathers
side.
"This is Jim, Brother Jim," said the
dying man. Speak Jim, and tell me
/ =
child by your SIDE"
The cripple's spirit of revenge had