Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1903-11-04

The tChole herd tCere after Joe.
aid smile. ~ fuller knowledge would
only justify the opinion" Then. after
pause he added: But IL Gwen goes
must pull out. couldn't stand IT,"
As we rode up the doctor came out.
We'll. what do you thinkY' asked
the Duke.
Cant say yet" replied the old doc
tor, gruf with long army practice.
bad enough. Good night"
But the Dukes hand fell upon his
shoulder with grip that must have
got TO the bone, and in a husky voice
he asked:
"Win she IiveT
The doctor squirmed. but could not
shake OF the crushing grip.
Here, you young tiger. let go What
do you think I am made OFF, he cried
angrily. IL didn't suppose I was COM
ing 20 a bears den or / should have
brought gun"
1t was only 10y the most complete
apology that the Duke could mollify the
old doctor sufficiently to get his opinion.
"No, she Will not diet Great bit OF
stun! Better she should die. perhapsl
But can't say yet for two weeks. Now
remember" he added sharply, looking
into the Dukes woe stricken face. her
spirits must be kept, up. have lied
most fully and cheerfully TO them in
side. You must do the same" And the
doctor strobe away, calling out:
Joe! Here, joel Where is he gone?
Joe, l sayi Extraordinary selection
Providence makes at times; we could
have spared that lazy half breed with
pleasure! Joei oh, here you are!
Where in thunder But here the
doctor stopped abruptly. The agony in
the dark face before him was too much
even for the bluff doctor. Straight and
stin Joe stood by the horses head till
the doctor had mounted. Then with a
great effort he said:
Little miss. she go dead?"
"DeadT called out the doctor, glanc-
ing at the open window. "Why,
bless your old copper carcass, no! Gwen
will show you yet how TO rope a steer"
Joe took step nearer, and, lowering
his tone, said:
You speak me true? Ne man. me
no papoose." The piercing black eyes
searched the doctors face. The doctor
hesitated moment, and then, with an
air of great candor, he said cheerily:
That's all right. Joe. Miss Gwen
will cut circles round your old cayuse
yet But remember" and the doctor
was very impressive. you must make
her laugh every day"
Joe folded his arms across his breast
and stood like a statue till the doctor
rode away. Then, turning to us, he
grunted out:
Him good man, eh?"
Good man." answered the Duke
adding, ''but remember, joe what he
told you to do-must make her laugh
every day"
Poor joel Humor was not his forte
and his attempt in this direction in the
weeks that followed would have been
humorous were they not so pathetic
How l did my part cannot tell. Those
weeks are TO me now like the memory
OF an ugly nightmare The ghostly old
man moving out of and into his little
daughters room In useless, dumb
agony, Ponka's woe stricken Indian
face, Joe's extraordinary and unusual
but loyal attempts at fun making-gro-
tesquely sad. and the Dukes unvarying
and invincible cheeriness-these furnish
light and shade for the picture my mem
ory brings me of Gwen In those days.
For the first two weeks she was SIM
ply heroic. She bore her pain without a
groan, submitted to the Imprisonment,
which was harder than pain. with an
Celic Datience JOe the Duke and I
carried out our instructions with care
full exactness TO the letter. She never
doubted, and we never let her doubt.
but that in few weeks she would be
on the pinto's back again and after the
cattle. She made us pass our word for
this till IL seemed as IL she must have
read the falsehoods on our brows.
"To lie cheerfully with her eyes upon