The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1907-06-01
Tracks IN the Snow.

= saT#NaEELl
copyright, 1907, by G. D.. Daniels.l
One morning in November. while rab-
bit hunting near my fathers farm l
came Oh q mans tracks in the snow.
The tracks had been made in the night
and led to an old barn. 1t was plain
that the party who had made them
knew Of the old barn and had it In
mind when he left the highway.
| went into the barn. Presently
/ heard tho snore Of n sleeping man,
and a minute later l found him cover
ed up in the hay. His face was ex-
posed, and 1 saw his sandy hair, and
then | knew who it was. Six months
previously our nearest neighbor on the
west had enlisted and gone to the front
in the civil war. He was not much
thought Of as q man, being considered
shiftless and without ambition. 1t
wa the large bounty that had induced
him to enlist. If the man had no
standing in the community, his wife
had. She was an energetic little wo-
man, far too good for such a man, and
was universally respected. She lived
quite alone after his enlistment, and
the full crop, such as 1t was, was gath
cred for her by the neighbors. They
had also seer that she had q store Of
winter fuel. I uncovered the man
without awakening him and found that
he was sure enough Dan Scott. l was
about to arouse him when 1T struck
me as a curious thing that he should
~ %l,D old 1oro fpcfoO1 Of
going to his own house. | covered
him up again and left the place and a
quarter Of an hour later was knocking
on his door.
"Well John, what Is it?" asked tho
CHEEKY little woman as / entered.
Glow long since you have heard
from MI. Scott?" I queried in reply,
hardly knowing how to get around to
my subject.
"Why 1 showed your mother the last
letter. That was three weeks ago."
"Did he say anything about coming
homer
Goodness, no! He couldn't get q
furlough us soon as this IL 1 was dy-
ing! Have you heard any news? Has
there been another battle? Has Dan
been killed."
Then 1 told her Of my discovery. She
turned pale and shut her lips and trem-
bled Il bit. Not Il word did she reply
until she had got on her things to go
out. Then she said:
Come. John. We are going to the
barn."
Not u word was spoken between us
on the way. We found the husband
still asleep, and as she stood and sur
veyed him she flushed with anger.
Then she gave him Il smart kick, and
he opened his eyes and sat up.
olive come home, Jennie" he said.
"Yes?"
II was SO homesick to sec you that !
just had to come. I believe | should
have died If l hadn't come"
"Then you got n furlough?" she ask
ed in a hard, metallic voice, her blue
eyes looking right through him.
"A-a sort Of a furlough-that Is, d
good many Of the boys were coming
home. You see, it's got SO late that
there won't be any more battles this
fall. and there was no use hanging
around the camp. 1 hope you amt mad
about it, Jennie"
"You came away without leave, did
your
"There were others too"
ITO come away without leave makes
you a deserter. You will DC hunted
down and taken buck. The papers will
say you deserted. We shall be dis
graced. Not a decent person for ter
miles around will speak to us"
ooh, come, now" protested Scott as
he reached his feet and brushed away
at the hay clinging to him. "You see
you don't understand. I was homesick
and it was no use for me to stay there
when there was no fighting to be done
It was midnight when I got along here
and 10 I didn't go to the house. Lett
go now. I'm hungry for breakfast
Hello, John! Glad to see you. Com,
over tonight, and I'll tell you some wa,
stories. Why don't you kiss me, Jennie
and tell me you are glad to see met"
Mrs. Scott was a gentle little woman
but her face grew as hard as steel.
saw her bite her lips until they wer
stained with blood. The look she CAV
the man was SO full Of contempt IN,
disgust that he fairly wrlthed under II
She held him for a long minute an,
then reached out and took the shotgun
away from me. I had been leaning u
against a beam and saying neve
word. She looked to see If the gu,
was loaded and then turned to her hus
band with:
There is no house for deserters t
90 to. There Is not a family in til
state that would give one Of them
breakfast. You cannot sit under til
same roof with me. You are goin
back to the army"
"But, Jennie
"You IRE going now"
"Say, now, but you can't mean it?"
She stepped back and brought til
gun to her shoulder, and on my life
believe she. would have shot him dea
In his tricks IL he had not moved. n
must have believed so, too, for after
few seconds he turned away and too
his trail to the highway. We bot
stood md watched him, and he neve
looked back. Five minutes after b
was out Of sight the woman hande
JNmn haOlrs %hn <v,,v onsa u,,lo<lv, rofd .Gs5s