The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-09-04

was as if the doors of giant conservatory were
thrown open.
Chinook. boys. Chinook" called. casting down
my fork. They from the lee Of the stack throw
ing their coats open, drinking it in and laughing for
man. we were weary of winter. First it came in
pufs, at length settling down to steady breeze as
of the sea The that in the early morning was
no more than pale efigy, poured a heart
warming fire. We hustled for home knowing that
the chinook would make short work of the snow;
in fact we had not covered more. than half the dis
lance before the prairie began to show brown here
and there, where it lay thin between mountain drifts
We sang and howled all the way the Sheds feeling
fine.
Here Steve left us, to go to the house, while Os-
and unloaded the sleighs.
Suddenly felt uncomfortable for no reason in
this world. The land about rejoicing with
booming of that kind warm wind yet sharp
easiness stopped and forced To raise my head
For three-quarters of a circle nothing met my eye
but the vanishing snow drifts reached the house;
nothing wrong there. Steve was walking brskly out
toward smoking his pipe Then the corras-alI
right, number one, two, three four-LOrd have
!. cy!
Oscar" I shrieked and snatched himsto his feet
He rose, bewildered and half angry, then looked to
where pointed
Through the center of number four corral tripped
Sally. dear little tmid Sally glad to be in this
lovely air, her eyes and mind Oscar doubtless
and in the corral, shut of from her sight by
projection of the sheds stood Geronimo And he saw
her. too, for she waved hand TO US he barred his
seemed to rock and sink from me- Every soul on the
ranch told to keep away from the corral with the
two buffalo skulls over the gates, warning sufn-
GENTLY big and gruesOme 10 stop any one What
fatal lapse of memory had struck the girl9
She beyond help. We were all of 200 yards
away. and Steve still further: she was not quarter
of that from the brute. If we shouted. if moved
might bring her end upon her-and such end,
When thought of that dainty, pretty little woman
beneath those hoofs, I felt hdeous sickness. The
man beside said
MY God, My mstake,"
A corral opened on each side of the box stall in
which Geronimo confined. One of these
usually empty, reserve 1t was into that that Os-
had turned the horse. The other the corral
Of the skulls.
Geronimo leaped out. The girl halted. stark open
mouthed, every sign of life stricken from her a
blow. Geronimo sprang high and snapped at nothing,
in evil play before the earnest 1t horrible We
could do neither harm good now, so We ran for
the spot II was down hill from lis to them. doubt
that anything on two legs ever covered distance as
did. for all the despair
Geronimo reared and stood upon his hind feet as
straight a man. He advanced, striking. looming
above his victim "All over ! thought and tried
to take my eyes away. I could not
At that instant white-hatted, gaunt, tall figure
rushed from the stable door, shovel in its hand.
straight between the girl and her destruction. There
he stood with his paltry weapon raised. unfnching
An oath came to my lips and hot spot to my throat
at the sight No-eye ever saw drawer thing
At this, dip in the ground and the eght-foot
fence Of the corral shut out all within God knows
how We got over that fence. 7 swear think we
leaped it. I have memory of climbing. but l do
recall landing the other side in a swoop.
Geronimo had old Charley in his teeth, shaking
him like a rat
"SteYe!" 1 called "Steve!" And then Oscar and
charged at the wicked brute with our pchforks All
that followed is tangled, bad dream of hurry feaE
yels oaths and myself stabbing, stabbing stabbing
with the pitchfOrk Then gun cracked somewhere.
black mass tOppled toward me that knocked me
smiling foolishly and fumbling for my hat. Steve
raised me by the He 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
Nhere, and said that made no difference. Then, as
l came little more, said guessed I 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 in agony. Her
head buried in his breast her hands locked
around his neck. 1t we'll with them, evidently.
But limp upon the ground, his forehead vanished
red, lay old Charley
We turned. him over tenderly wiping the blood
away Steve's lips quiyered he put his hand on
the old mans heart. He kept it there Ions time.
Then he said huskily, Hes gone"
AT the words the sound eye of the victim popped
open with suddenness that made my heart throw
sOmersaUt It was as sane, calm and UndistuThed
optic as ever regarded the world
GAVIN h-ll." came drawing through the nose
of Charley.
We laughed and wiped our eyes with our coat
sleeves and got the old hoy to his feet
Same old Texas, said he. feeling of his head.
The hoof had scraped instead of smashing. Slightly
dishggered. but still in the ring"
He caught sight of the lovers. Hello" he said
Oscars made his ante good at lastbad hawse works
we'll Iniuns." We started to lead him by the
pair.
Nav boys he commanded Take me round
luther way. That gal don't want to see now, all
Bloody and mussed up like this"
1t was useless to try and make hero OF Charley.
Copyright by S. S. Mcclure Co.