The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1904-09-01
'MOOREHEAVEN\
JUSTICE !
By CHARLES SLOAN REID
%;
Copyright, 1904. by Daily Story Pub. Col

l the Brasstown ridge, where tho
honey dew lies deep in the ravines
and sparkles only in the monday sun.
and where the catamount chants
blood-curdling dirges to the low hang
ing moon in the small hours of the
night, while contemplating an attack
upon the sheepfold, occurred the ira
gedy of Martha Ann Hereford's life.
She had been married less than year.
She had married Ike Sorrel, and the
two lived in new cabin far up the
side of the mountain, overlooking the
valley of the Conneross. Ike was
mean, mean as the lankest, hungriest
catamount that ranged the hills; and
he had struck Martha Ann with his
big bony fist before the marriage vows
were a month old. But the girl had
nursed the sore spot in silence and
done what she could to please the big
animal she had chosen to abide with.
Ike loved liquor, and he welcomed
weakness in everything but his own
muscular arm, because he could domi-
neer over it with impunity. The man
beast took every attitude to inspire
terror of himself in the heart of the
woman who had taken his name. He
laughed big and loud at the ease with
which he could slap Martha Ann sum-
mersaults with his open hand. The
girl grew pale, but beyond this, the
neighbors had little idea of likes treat
ment of her, until the scar marks of
his abuse began to appear on her per-
son.
And about this time, Abe Hawkins
returned from Montana. Abe had come
home to marry Martha Ann, and when
he found she had married Ike Sorrel
he sulked, as raccoon does under in
suit He walked about over the hills
in silence, and did not 60 to Ike Sor-
rel's cabin, though there was a kind
of longing in his heart that only the
sight of Martha Ann could satisfy. He
walked miles among the hills every
day, making great circles that invari-
ably brought him some time during
the day in the neighborhood of Sor-
rels cabin, but never quite to the
small clearing which surrounded the
house. A few times he had caught the
CLEAN of the newly hewn logs of which
the cabin was built, through break
in the foliage of the timber; but no
glimpse of Martha Ann had met his
eager eyes in their surreptitious
search. He had seen Ike Sorrel a num-
Der of times, but had passed him by
without so much as nod of the head,
disdaining to renew any acquaintance
with Martha AIMS husband that he
might have had with Ike Sorrel before
his marriage.
On these occasions likes anger would
flare up, and he would register to
himself all kinds of vows detrimental
to the welfare of Abe Hawkins, and
the tail of his anger would light upon
Martha Ann, when he reached home,
In some form of abuse.
One day Ike got out a huge clasp
knife he possessed and whetted it's
blade to the keenness of a razor's
edge. Then he tried it on Martha
AIMS throat. Catching her by the
hair he drew her head over the back
Of chair, and lightly encircled her
heck with the edge of the knife, leav-
ing tiny thread Of blood round her
throat. Later he got out an old army
pistol from some hiding place, cleaned
it up carefully, oiled it's bearings and
charged it. With these weapons he
armed himself and walked about over
the hills, crossing trails that Abe Haw-
kins traversed. And he kept his blood
hot with whisky and anger, and Mar
tina Ann got the brunt of it all.
On one occasion, when Ike a second
time had Martha Ann by the hair of
the head, with her throat prominently
exposed, and with the big knife
grasped in his right hand, the girl
said:
"Lct it cut deep this time, Ike. I'd
ruther you would an make an end to
It ALL" a... f.....#
ooh, you'd ruther, would We? Then
If you'd ruther, why, won't; that's
me-" He satisfied himself with a jerk
of her head by the coil of hair he held
in his hand. 81 amt ready to hunt a
new cook an wood chopper yet. But
I don't reckon We ever need to look
for Abe Hawkins to come any nearer
than the Rock spring trail, for he's a
dead critter if he ever sets foot in this
clearin'; you hear that?"
Martha Ann didn't reply; and Ike
gritted his teeth and fingered the trig-
ger of his big revolver, making sug-
gestive clicks.
"An' let me tell We somethin' else,
Marthy Ann Sorrel. Ye needn't be
havin' anything to say to Abe Haw-
kins, or I'll make shoe strings out of
yer hide and peel 'em off one at
time till git enough to make a rope
that'll hang i'm. You understand
that?"
Still Martha Ann made no reply.
The next day was Sunday, and Abe
Hawkins made his usual round over
the hills, taking long strides and COW
ering four to five miles of rugged
country per hour, without aim or pur-
poes, except to be moving. In the af-
ternoon he got around to the vicinity
Of Ike Sorrel's cabin and to the Rock
spring 1rail, down which he strobe at
his swinging, tireless gait
As Abe neared the spring he saw
q woman kneeling by the little stream.
bathing her face in the waters that
flowed from the spring; and his heart