The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-09-04


length settling down to a steady
breeze, as of the sea- The sun, that
IN the early mornin" was no more
IMAM pale effigy, poured on US
neart-Warming fire. We hustled Ior
nome, knowing that the Chinook would
make short work of the snow, in fact,
we had not covered more than hatL
the distance before the prairie began
to show brown here and there, where
1t lay thin between mountain drltts-
We sang and hoWled all the way TO
the sheds, feeling fine.
Here Steve left us; to go to the
house, while Oscar and l unloaded the,
sleighs
Suddenly I felt uncomfortable, for
no reason in this world The lana
about us was rejoicing with booming
of that kind, warm wind, yet sharp
uneasness stopped me and forced me
to raise my head. For three-quarterS
of a circle nothing met my eye but
the vanishing snow drifts. l reached
the house; nothing wrong there. Steve
was walking briskly out toward US,
smoking his pipe. Then the corrals-
all right. number one, two three, four
Lord have mercyi
Oscar L shrieked. and snatched
him to his feet. He rose. bewildered
and half angry, then looked to where
/ pointed
Through the centre of number four
corral tripped Sally, dear little timid
sally. glad to be out in this lovely air,
her eyes and mind on Oscar doubtless,
and in the same corral. shut off from
her sight by Il projection of the sheds,
stood Geronimo. And Ire saw her,
too, for as she waved a hand to us, he
barred his great teeth and FLASHED them
together. The earth seemed to rock
n, CT,
ranch was told to keep away from the
corral with the two buffalo skulls over
the gates, a warning sufficiently big
land gruesome to stop any one. what
fatal lapse of memory had struck the
girl?
She was beyond all help. We were
all of two hundred yards away, and
Steve still further; she was not
quarter of that from the brute. If we
shouted. if we moved, we might bring
her end upon her-and such an end!
When / thought of that dainty, pretty
little woman beneath those hoofs L
felt hideous sickness. The man be-
side me said:
my Cod My mistake!"
A corral opened on each side of the
box stall in which Geronimo was con-
fined One of these was usually
empty, a reserve. 1t was into this that
Oscar had turned the horse. The
other was the corral Of the skulls.
Geronimo leaped out. The girl
halted, stark, open-mouthed, every
sign of life stricken from her at a
blow. Geronimo sprang high and
snapped at nothing, in evil play be-
fore the earnest. 1T was horrible. We
could do neither harm nor good now,
SO we ran for the spot. 1t was down
hill from US to them. / doubt that
anything on two legs ever covered dis
lance as we did. for all the despair.
Geronimo reared and stood upon his
hind feet, as straight as man. he
advanced, striking, looming above his
victim. "All over" | thought, and
tried to take my eyes away. L could
not.
AT that instant whitehatted,
gaunt. tall figure Bushed from the
stable door, q shovel in its hand,
straight between the girl and her de-
struction. There he stood, with his
paltry weapon raised. unflinching. An
/ oath came to my lips and hot spot
to my throat at the sight. No eye ever
saw a Drawer thing.
At this, a dip in the ground and the
eight-foot fence of the corral shut out
all within God knows how we got
| over that fence. / swear L think we
| leaped it. | have no memory CT
climbing. but l do recall landing on
the other side in a swoop.
Geronimo had old Charley in his
| teeth, shaking him like a rat.
"Steve." | called, "Steve!" and
then Oscar and | charged at the wick
ed brute with our pitchforks. All that
| followed is a tangled, bad dream of
hurry, fear, yells, oaths, and myself
stabbing. stabbing. stabbing with the
pitchfork. Then a gun cracked some
where black mass tOppled toward
me that Knocked me SPRAYING, and
all was still. | sat for a moment
smiling foolishly and fumbling for my
hat Steve raised me by the arm lie
still had his revolver in his hand, and
/ his glance on the dead stallion. He
asked me if / was hurt, and | said yes.
He asked me where, and L said that
made no difference. Then, as l came
to a little more. | said l guessed l
wasn't hurt and looked around. Oscar
had Sally in his arms. The tears were
running down his cheeks and he
moved his head from side to side, like
a man in agony. Her head was buried
in his breast, her hands locked around
his neck. 1t was we'll with them, evil
IDENTIFY. But linn upon the ground. his
forehead vanished red. lay old Char
| ley.
| We turned him over tenderly, wipins
the blood away. Steve's lips quivered
as he put his hand on the old man
heart He kept it there long time.
Then he said huskily, Hes gone!'
At the words the sound eye of the
victim popped open with a sudden
ness that made my heart throw a
ksomer3ault 1t was as sane, calm and
undisturbed an optic as ever regarded
the world.
"G-a-w-n h--l!' came drawing
through the nose of Charley.
We laughed and wiped our eyes with
STORY-FOUR. g 30 30 30 e. :.
our coat sleeves and got the OLD boy
to his feet
Same old Texas" said he, feeling
of his head. The hoof had scraped
instead of smashing. Slightly dis
figaared, but still in the ring.
Ke caught sight OF the lovers
! "Helloi" he said. oscar maze ms
ante good at last-bad hawse works
as we'll as Injuns." We started to lead
him by the pair.
NAV, boys, he commanded
'"Take me round t'uthed way. That
gal don't want to see me now, all
bloody and mussed up like this"
| 1t was useless to try and make a
hero of Charley.