Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1905-04-12

| deaf ears to the weak's appeal. To
him, womanhood and childhood were
the most sacred things on earth. FoY-
ever he would have despised himself rs
a coward had he hesitated at time like
this.
And so it was, that almost before the
bystanders had realized what was
transpiring, he had leaped directly in
the path of the team and had c1utched
the horses by the bits in a grasp of
steel
The maddened animals dragged him
roughly over the hard pavement in
their headlong fight. His legs were
bruised and mangled by their hoofs;
his head was battered by the buggy
tongue. But he did not relax his grip.
He had spent all his life with horses;
to handle them-to ma ster them, was a
second nature with him.
He eXerted the whole of his giant
strength upon the bits. The muscles
on his arms, from which the coat and
shirt sleeves had been torn, stood out
like hickory knots. Slowly but sure
ly he drew the horses heads down,
all but broken. He pressed their muz-
zles beneath their breasts and held
them until they knew that they were
conquered-until they stopped and
groaned for mercy.
,, After that he had faint recollec-
ton of being pulled from beneath
the horses feet. Then he knew moth
ing more until he awoke in a hospital
and saw a bright-eyed nurse WITH
snowy cap and apron bending over
him.
He was covered with cuts and
bruises. Every inch of his body
seemed to ache and pain. But, look
ing into the bright eyes of the nurse,
he forgot all this. For, somehow,
those eyes reminded him of the sweet
faced girl in the farmhouse in the
Iowa hills.
The nurse smiled and smoothed the
| pillow under his head.
"You have been delirious," she said.
softly, "but you are not seriously in
jured. In few days you will be
quite recovered
81 have been delirious?'' he re.
piled.
Eyes, you have talked a great deal.
Mostly about Annie and the Iowa riv-
er, and, let's see-Marietta. Is that
the name?''
eyes," he laughed. 81 live on the
Iowa river near Marietta, and Annie
Annie has eyes like you.''
There" she said, brushing his dark
hair back from his temples, '.you
must be quiet now"
Then she moved away, and he
watched her with dreamy eyes until
she disappeared through the door.
On the third day he had visitor.
He was an elderly man with eve
glasses attached to gold chain. The
| nurse conducted him to Roberts cot.
and he took the boys brown, rough
hand in both his soft, white ones.
Young man." he said, in manner
intended to be matter of fact, but in
voice that trembled in spite of him
self, young man, it is needless for
! me to try to thank you for saving nv
daughters life. Nothing that 1 can
say or do will sufficiently express my
gratitude. But 1 will say this: NV
wealth, my influence and my expert
! ence are at your command. am
ready to further, to the best of nv
ability, your most cherished ambi-
ton. Tell me, my son, what is your
most ardent desire?''
From the kind face of the grateful
father. Robert shifted his glance to
the bright eyes of the smiling nurse.
A wistful look came into his face and
| his lips trembled. Then again he
looked into the eyes of the aged man.
My greatest DESIRE" he said. ooh,
SIR want to hear the wind whisper
in in the corn; I want to see the
starlight fallin' in the river, and I
want to look at Annie and to hold An
MES hand.''