Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1906-04-25

Il Hs had completely forgotten Is Hi
panic that he had anything to fear
from me. !. His gun dropped loosely
across his saddle, his leg rubbed mine.
! saw this, and changed my plan Of
action. As our horses reached the
stones I stopped. Is II to encourage
mine, and BY sudden clutch snatched
the gun bodily from his hand; at The
same time backed my horse with all
my strength. 1t was done in q mo-
ment! A second and I had him at the
end OF the gun, and my finger was on
the trigger. Never was victory more
easily gained. ~~>-- :. ~'"- :.
:. He looked at me between rage and
terror, his jaw fallen. "Are you mad ?"
he cried, his teeth chattering as he
spoke. Even in this strait his eyes
left me and wandered round in alarm.
mo, sane!" 1retorted fiercely:
But I do not like this place any
better than you dol" Which was true
enough, II not quite true $50, by your
right, quick march," I continued i'm
peratively. Turn your horse, my
friend, o. take the consequences
lie turned like lamb and headed
down the @alley again, without CIV
ing thought to his pistols. kep,
close to him and in less than a minute
we had left the Devils Chapel well
behind us and were moving down again
as we had come up. Only now I held
the gun.
When we had gone half mile or
so-until then did not feel comfort
able myself and though I thanked
heaven the place existed, thanked heay.
en- also that I was out of it babe
him halt. ''Take off your belt!" said
CURLY, land throw it down. But,
mark me, if you turn, fret"
The spirit was quite gone out of him.
He obeyed mechanically. jumped
down, still covering him with the gun
and picked up the belt, pistols and
all. Then I remounted and we went on.
By-and-bye he asked me sullenly wha
I was going to do.
Go back" I said, "and take the
road to Auch when I come to it,"
1T will be dark in an hour" he an
swered sulkily.
Il know that" retorted. 1--WE must
camp and do the best we can"
And as I said, We did. The DAYLIGHT
held until we gained the skirts of the
pine-wood at the head of the pass.
Here I chose corner a little off the
track and well-sheltered from the wind
and babe him light a fire. tethered
the horses near this and within sight.
It remained only to sup. had a
piece OF bread; he had another and
an onion. We ate in silence, sitting
on opposite sides of the fire.
But after supper I found myself in
a dilemma; did not see how I was to
sleep! The ruddy light which cleaned
on the knave's swart face and sinewy
hands showed also his eyes, black.
sullen and watchful. I knew that the
man was plotting revenge; that he
would not hesitate to plant his knife
between my ribs should give him
a chance. I could find only one al
tentative to remaining awake. Had
been bloody-minded, I should have
chosen it and solved the question at
once and in my favor by shooting him
as he sat.
But l have never been a cruel man
and I could not find it in my heart
to do this. The silence of the noun
tain and the sky-which seemed a
thing apart from the roar Of the tor
rent and not to be broken by it-awed
me. The vastness of the solitude in
which we sat, the dark void above
through which the stars kept shooting,
the black gulf below in which the un-
seen waters boiled and surged, the
absence of other human company or
other signs OF human existence put
such face upon the deed that gave
up the thought Of it with shudder and
resigned myself, instead, to watch
through the night-the long, cold,
Pyrenean night. Presently he curled
himself up like a dog and slept in
the blaze and then for q couple OF
hours l sat opposite him, thinking. It
seemed years since had seen Zaton's
or thrown the dice. The old life, the
old MISUNDERSTANDING l ever go
back to them seemed dim and dis
tant. Would Cocheforet, the forest
and the mountain, the gray chateau
and its mistress seem one day as dim!
And If one bit of life could fade so
quickly at the unrolling of another,
and seem in moment pale and color
less, would all life some day and some
where and all the things we-But
faugh! was growing foolish.
sprang up and kicked the wood togeth-
er and taking up the gun began to pace
to and fro under the cliff. Strange
that a little moonlight, a few stars, a
breath Of solitude should carry a man
back to childhood and childish things!
$.
1t was three in the afternoon of the
next day and the sun lay hot on the
oak groves and the air was full Of