The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-07-30


!. away, and finally rested upon another
1lttla 'kneeling group few yards far
theredown stream "A look Of fresh In
telligence swept into her face
rs that him?Y she questioned, trem-
blingiy. Isis he dead?"
'.He wasn't when we first got here,
but nightly near gone, I'm afraid.
I've aeen aworking over you ever
since.
She shook herself free and sat weak
ly up, her lips tight compressed, her
eyes apparently blind to all save that
motionless body she could barely dis
tinguish. +Eet me tell you, that fel-
lows q man, Just the same; the
gamest, nerviest man ever saw.
reckon he, got hit too. though henePer
said nothing about it. That's his
style"
The deeply interested lieutenant re-
moved his watchful eyes from of his
charge iustilong enough to glance in
quiringly ACROSS his shoulder Has
the man any signs Of a wound, ser.
geant?" he asked, loudly.
"a mighty ugly slug in the shoulder,
sir; has BLEED scandulous, but guess
It's the very luck that's goin' to save
him; seems now to be comm out all
right"
The officers brows knitted sayagely.
ut begins to look as II this might be
some of our business. What hap
pened? Indians?"
"Yes.'
How far away"
Il don't know. They caught us in
a canyon somewhere out yonder, may
be three or four days ago; there was
lot killed, some OF them soldiers. Ny
dad was shot, and then that night he
he got me out up the rocks, and he
he was carrying me in his arms when
II tainted. saw there was blood
on his shirt, and 1t was dripping down
on the grass as he walked. That's
about all / know"
who is the man? What's his
name?"
The girl looked squarely into the
lieutenant's eyes, and, for some rea-
son which she could never clearly ex-
plain even to herself, lied calmly. 81
don't know; / never asked"
Sergeant Carson rose stifly from
his knees beside the extended figure
and strobe heavily across toward
where they were sitting, lifting his
hand in soldierly salute, his heels
clicking as he brought them sharply
together in military precision.
THE fellow is getting his eyes open,
sir" he reported, land is breathing
more regular. Purity weak ylt, but
he'll come round in time" He stared
curIously down at the girl now sitting
mp unsupported, while a sudden look
OF surprised recognition swept across
his face.
Great guns!" he exclaimed, eagerly,
but know you. You're old man Gil
lis gal from Bethune, amt ye?"
eyes," she acknowledged simply,
"but he's dead"
Never mind, little girl" the lieu
tenant said, with boylsh sympathy. 81
knev ellis, and, now the, sergeant has
spoken, remember you quite we'll.
Thought all the time your face was IA
miIiar, but couldn't quite decide where
l had seen you before. So poor old
Gillls has gone, and you are left all
alone in the world Well, he was an
old soldier, could not have hoped to
live much longer anyway, and would
rather 60 fighting at the end. We'll
take you back with us to Bethune, and
the ladies of the garrison will look
after you"
The recumbent figure lying few
yards away half lifted itself upon one
elbow, and Hampton's face, white and
haggard, stared uncertainty across the
open space. For an instant his gaze
dwelt upon the crossed sabers shield
ing the gilded "7" on the front Of the
lieutenant's scouting hat, then settled
upon the face of the girl. With one
hand pressed against the grass he
pushed himself slowly up until he sat
fronting them, his teeth cllnched tight,
his gray eyes cleaning feverlshly in
their sunken sockets.
"I'll be damned II you Will" he said,
hoarsely. She's my girl now"
CHAPTER v.