Smyrna times., 1903-04-29


and fought away from the plows and
the blinded men that still forced them
on.
closer still. The long file broke. and
the ponies galloped into the corral.
there to huddle in a frightened bunch.
Inc plOws were left where they fell,
and the men staggered toward the
house. Then a shout went up. and
they stood still peering through the
smoke. The door of MigueTs fence
was thrown open, and Bright Ewes.
with the papoOse clinging to her
skirts, stood in the doorway. The wo-
man must have slept through all the
ulh ana only awakened to her danger
when too late. For a moment there
was an awful silence, broken only by
the roaring of the fire that was hardly
ten yards away from the tepee, which
stood just without the plOwed lNe.
Ihen a long tongue of fire shot out
toward the canvas wall and licked
greedily up to the roof pole. With
savage yell Miguel sprang across the
open, Rusty Pete at his heels. Over
the plOwed ground the men sped. Mi
guel had reached Bright Eyes and was
struggling back, when Pete yelled,
where's the kidT' Too late. The
fire had wrapped the canvas walls in
a sheet of flame, and the little brown
baby was nowhere to be seen. Then.
before the eyes of those who would
have held him back, Rusty Pete
plunged through that blazing doorway.
1t was all over in a minute. A dozen
men had reached him when, blind and
staggering, the papoose under his
arm, Rusty Pete fell in the new made
burrows.
Overhead the clouds had formed un-
noticed in the human vortex that
surged below, and as the wall of flame
reared its crest as if to leap across the
stretch of plOwed land the very heav-
ems opened up. Down came the blessed
rain in sheets, and the thirsty, fire
cursed earth laughed in very joy.
All over. But in a darkened room
Rusty Pete lay dying. He was suffer
ing greatly, but toward the last be
came conscious and, beckOning to John,
whispered something. John turned to
the boys that lined the room, the dark
faces heavy with grief. Boys, he says
'GOodby,' and don't forget Pete. He
wants to be alone with me-"
They filed out slowly, with many a
backward look. Outside Miguel sob
bed and cursed in breath at the stOl-
id Bright Eyes. whose carelessness had
brought Pete to his death.
Rusty Pete lay still little time
gathering strength for the effort then
he reached out his hand. "Alleyne."
John started. The tone belonged to
the man he had not known. You have
been very patient with me, and as the
tide of a useless life goes out we are
man and man. There is no excuse for
| the past. and l will not burden you
with my history, but when l am under
the ground mail the picture to the ad-
dress that you will find at the head of
| the letters. Those you can bury with
me-" John took the little package
from Pete's breast and Pete went on
There is nothing else. But will you
write a short letter and tell her how
| died-not." with a bitter attempt at q
smile. "how l have livedY After that
he was still for a long time. The gray
dawn lay over the fire SCARED mesa
like a kindly pail, and as one long
rosy arm shot across the sky Pete
| sprang from the bed. Harvard! Har
ward! Rah. rah. rah! The crimson
wins He fell back on the pillow
The shadows came down on the great
dark eyes, and Rusty Pete had passed