Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-01-30
NINE

Her words went home. IL was as ie
the beauty of her face, the magnetism
Of her lissome and symmetrical form,
the sweet fire of her eyes and the pas
sionate appeal Of her voice gave what
she said a new and irresistible force OF
truth. When she spoke of Beverley'a
love for her and declared her love for
him there was not manly heart in all
the garrison that did not suddenly beat
quicker and feel a strange sweet watt
of tenderness. A mother somewhere, q
wife, daughter, sister. sweetheart,
called through that voice OF absolute
womanhood
Beverley, what can do2" muttered
Clark his bronze face as pale as IL
could possibly become.
DOR thundered Beverley. "Dol You
cannot murder that man. Hamilton is
the man you should shoot He offered
large rewards, he in6amed the passions
and fed the love of rum and the cupidl-
ty OF the poor wild men like the one
standing yonder. Yet you take him
prisoner and treat him with dlstin-
guished consideration Hamilton offer
ed a large sum for me taken alive, "A
smaller one for my scalp. Long Hair
saved me- You let Hamilton stand
yonder i'm perfect safety while you
shoot the Indian. shame on you, Colo
mel Clark Shame on you u you do It."
Alice stood looking at the stalwart
commander while Beverley was pour
ing forth his torrent of scathing refer
ence to Hamilton, and she quickly saw
that Clark was moved. The moment
was ripe for the finishing stroke. They
say II is genius that avails itself OF op-
portuulty Beverley knew the fight
wns won when he saw what followed.
Alice suddenly left Long Hair and ran
20 Colonel Clark, who felt lfer warm.
strong arms loop around him for n sin
gle point of time never to be effaced
from his memory; then he saw her
kncellng at his feet, her hands up
stretched. her face n glorious prayer.
while she pleaded the Indians cause
and won it.
Doubtless, while we all rather feel
that Clark was weak to be thus sway
ed by a girl, we cannot quite blame
him. Allce's flag was over him. He
had heard her history from Beverley's
cunning lips. He actually believed that
Hamilton was the real culprit, and be-
sides he felt not Il little nauseated with
executing Indians A good excuse to
have an end Of II all did not go beg
glng.
But Long Hair was barely gone over
the horizon from the fort, as free and
as villainous a savage as ever trod the
earth when n discovery made by Oncle
Jazon caused Clark TO hate himself for
what he had done.
The old scout picked up the scalp
which Long Hair had flung at HRmil.
ton and examined IL with odlOus curl
oslty. He had fingered on the spot
with no other purpose than 10 get pos
session OF that CHASTITY relic. Since los
ing his own scalp the subject Of crown
locks had grown upon his mind until
its fascination was Irresistible, He
studied the hair Of every person he saw
as a physlognomlst studies faces. He
held the grewsome thing up before him.
scrutinizng II with the expression OF
a cOnnolsseur who has discovered on
grimy canvas the signature Of an old
master.
"Sac' bleuw he presently broke forth.
"Well, I'll be- Lookee yer, George
Clark! Come yer an look Ye've been
sold ag'in. Take a squlnt, Of ye pleased"
Colonel Clark, with his hands crossed
behind him. his face thoughtfully con
tracted, was walking slowly to and fro
a little way of. lie turned about when
Oncle Jazon spoke.
"What now, Jazonp
"a mighty heap right now, that's
what Come yer an let me show ye.
Yer a fine sort o. eejit now. amt YER
The two men walked toward each
other and met. Oncle Jazon held up
the scalp with one hand, pointing at II
with the index finger OF the other
"'rhis here scalp come off'n Rene de
Ronville's head"
"And who is he7"
"who's he2 Ye may well ak thet.
He wuz Frenchman. He wuz a fine
young feller o this town. He killed a
corp'ral o. HaTilton's an tuck ter the
woods a month or two ago. Hamilton
offered a lot O money for i'm or, is
scalp, an Long Hair went In fer gittln
II. Now ye knows the whole racket
An ye let's that InJun gol An thei
same InJun be mighty nigh kicked mJ
ribs inter my stomachT
onele JazOn's feelings were visible
and audible. but Clark could not resent
the contempt OF the old mans looks
and words. He felt that he deserved
far more than he was receiving. MOI
was Oncle Jazon wrong. Rene de
Ronviile never came back 10 little Adrt
enne Bourcier. although, being kept
entirely ignorant OF her lovers fate
she waited and dreamed and hoped
throughout more than two years, after
which there Is no further record Of ha
life.
Clark. Beverley and oncle Jazon CON
suited together and agreed among
themselves that they would hold pro-