The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-02-18
ACROSS THE STATE.

tween the hills to the seacoast. Three
other lines come down from north TO
south by the river valleys and the jag
ged shore. Along these, hUddled N the
corners of the hills and the sea line,
lie the cities and the larger towns.
In the extreme southwestern corner
Of the state the railroads do not come,
the vacant spaces grow between the
country roads and the cities dwindle
down the half-deseTted crossroads ham
lets. Here the surface of the map is
covered with the tortUous wrinkles
Of the hills. It is a beautiful but use
less place.
A cool night in late September was
beginning 10 set in along a road at
the eastern edge OF these hills. The
shriil whistle ora sIuqll boy, a lonely
and penetrating sound, went Qua across
the great, dim uncertain upland plain
about him, which the blue twilight had
already enshrouded.
The boy was advancing up the road
carrying a half-hlled pail OF milk. He
was a child of perhaps 10 years, exceed
ingly fraiI and thin, with a drawn.
waxen face. and sick, cOlOrless lips and
ears On his head he wore a thick
plush cap and coarse, heavy shoes upon
his feet. A faded coat, too long in the
arms, dropped from his shoulders, and
long, loose OveTalls of gray jeans broke
and wrinkled about his slender ankles
Suddenly the whistle stopped; the boy
had seen an apparitiOn. The figure of
a man rose silently from behind a stone
wall and waved to him to stop. The
child stood transfixed; his face blanched
with terror as the figure clambered over
the wall and shambled down into the
road
The stranger was Of middle height,
loosely knit and thin, with a cunning
brutal face. He had a bullet-shaped
head, with fine, soft, reddish-brown
hair; a round. stubby beard shot with
gray, and small, beady eyes set close
together. He was clothed in an old
black, grotesquely fitting cutaway coat,
with coarse trousers tucked into his
bOos tops. A worn vlsored cloth cap
was on his head. In his right hand he
carried an old Misunderstanding shot
gun.
Hello" said the apparitiOn hOaTsely.
s'HeHOt| piped the frightened child.
What you got there?"
Milk >,
set it down
The boy did as he was told. and the
man. stepping forward, snatChed the
pail from the ground and put It quickly
to his lips. He drank eagerly like a
DESPERATELY thirsty beast, with unpleas-
ant noises in his throat and mouth.
Then he set down the pail, painting;
the boy had started to run away.
The man called to him, pointing with
his gun, Come back heTe!'
The boy obeyed. whimpeTing. You
amt got no right to take my milk" he
said.
Come here repeated the man.
"Dewey'n kill me when 7 go back
without it." complained the boy.
shut up" said the man. striking him
with the barrel of his gun. The boy
shTank silently, Ike one used to blows
He resumed his drinking. the boy
staring feaTfulIy al him. Finally. ap-
pearing to be satisfied he turned his
attention to the child.
who are you2" he asked.
Pm the state boy Up 10 Henry Dew
ey's"
What's your nance
Sam"
Been sick?" said the stranger, tax
ing hold of his pipestem arm.
"Oh, I dunno" said the boy YEARLY.
I feel kinder mean. Dewey he amt
treated me very. good"
The man gTunted Unsympathetically.
Had your supper" ne asked.
No"
wei, drink this" he said, indicating
the milk that was left.
mo, I don't want to; DeweylI just
kill me when 1 get back" the boy re-
heated.
You drink it, commanded the man.
The boy taking up the clumsy pail.
slipped lightly at the milk over its edge,
then started TO set it down.
Drink some more" said the man;
''Voun need II"
The boy this time took a long and
hearty draught. Now, can I gO?" he
Ventured when he had finished
The man not answering at once, he
took up the pail and shuffied a few
steps forward to try him.
mo. you don't" called the other.
Come back here; you're goin' with
me-
what fcr?'
Never mind what for. Throw that
pail over the wall. Now, come along. -
He started out toward the east.
Nov. don't you try any funny bust
ness" he instructed him If you do,
you'll wish you hadn't"
The two went along together. the boy
shrinking to the fartherest side
Of the road from his cOmpaniOn. his
poor little intellect stricken with Won
dering and fear.
The had advanced but a short dis
lance when the man suddenly stopped
The sound of a wagon and the disiOint-
ed mOnOtOnes of mems voices fiOated
up the still road. The man silently
pointed the boy to the stone wall, and
both disappeared behind it.
eff you move, I'll kill you" whispered
the man into the Child's ear.
The wagon came on, rafting and
grating on the stony road, and the
gruff voices of its occupants grew
louder.
II tell you we're goin' to get him,
said one. He's in there somewhere
What makes you think SOP"
Think so? I know SO. Didn't Hen
LOOMS wife see him here only Tues
day afternoon, and get scarf most tC
death by him? And didn't Ben Niles
boys find where he's been havin' fire
over in Bemis' swamp? Oh, he's there
fast enough
well, If he is. you can have nay
chance at him. I amt anxious to get
too clus 20 that gun Of his'n."
That s500's worth irwin for. any
how" said the other voice. growing
more faint. Besides, there'Il-be
-enough-there-t0m
The words were no longer distin-
guishable The dark head Of the man
reared itself cautiously from behind
the wall and listened till they were
out of sight. Then he got up quickly
pulled the boy over the wall with him
and started along the road again.
srXUTaF that's eroius tn baDuer 70