Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-12-17

W ItAt are .Ou VII. udduN
come back
Squaw Charley, bringing Marylyn in.
found the elder girl kneeing behind
the partition. her arms thrown out to
grasp the vacant bunk
He put his load down gently; then,
unbidden. rushed through the door for
Braunon.
When Captain Oliver arrived with
Fraser, Il surgeon and a detachment of
| mounted men Dallas was seated in the
doorway, rocking Marylyn against her
breast. She looked up dry eyed as he
hurried to her.
''What'd they do it for?" she asked
him brokenly. How could they hurt
you. dad? oh, the land wasn't worth
1t, the land wasn't worth it!''
Something to quicken life in Mary
Ign was the first thought Then food
and drink were given the girls. Mean
while the troopers We're sent out IN
| der Fraser to range the bend and beat
| the couee.
Oliver stayed. But to his questions
Dallas, her reason tottering like her
steps. could only return others that
We're heartrending:
Hell come back, won't he? They
wouldn't kill him? oh, you don't think
| he's dead?"
! Wen find him." said the captain
He was pitiful in his regret This trag
edy was striking home to him as even
J the Jameson failure had not. His
| Il III.
| than ever.
Mr.. Bond said we'd have good luck
here she went on despairingly. "But
there was danger by night, wasn't
! there? There was danger
shes knocked silly" Oliver muir.
INJURED TO the surgeon. THE child
doesn't know what she's saying"
You're right. Clean blunted," was
the answer. But I'll straighten 'em
both out by noon"
A long halloO summoned the captain
to the door. A group of men were
| gathered in the swale between the
shack and Shanty Town. Fraser was
among them. Oliver signaled, and the
young officer wheeled and came gallop
ing in.
What is it,"
'Old mans gun, discharged, out
there in the grass
"YeS?"
"And two sets of footprints coming
and going across that bit of low
ground. One set looks about two days
old and was made by boots; other is
newer and made by moccasins."
"Ah"
There's something strange about
these last. Coming this way the marks
are so light you can hardly see 'em
going back they're sunk way down."
Carried load, ehG'
1T looks like it." Oliver mounted
and they rode off to the Swale.
Noon was past when the captain call
ed at the shack again. He found the
surgeon gone, but his promise full
filed. Food and medicine had gone
far TO revive his patients physically
Tears had mercifully combined will
returning strength to right their minds
This time the elder girl met Olive
with no incoherence. but with brave
quiet. All her self command had re
turned. She asked him in and show
ed a tender forethought for Marylyl
by sending her out into the sunshin,
and the garden before she listened (,
what he had to tell. When he wa
done she began her story with tn
finding Of the pole.
"Redskinsr' he exclaimed
|
she said.
"You are sure? I wish your fathe
had asked my advice. 1 feel as if
had come short in my duty"
"Please don't,N she entreated. "Yo,
see, we thought we could tend to it
long IS we knew who it was "a
He turned astonished eyes upon hel
KNEW he exclaimed. well, 70
heavens sake out with it them
''Matthews-he wanted the land"
"The interpreter! But last night
. tracks were made by mocassin!
, There's one Indian free
She let him go no further. ITS nc
Charley she declared. Matthew
) meant US to think it was Indian,
MoccaSlnS are easy 10 get.
, That's true" He frowned. "H'n
l Well, shall inquire into his wher,
t abouts during the last two days" An
: the captain fell to studying the figure
: on the Navajos.
Outside Lieutenant Fraser was pas
ing the shack. He rode on to the corr
field. where he flung himself off b
horse.
'Marylyn, Marylyn" he said tren
blingly. "You poor girl! I'm so sorr
What can say? It's my fault"
She lifted scared face to his. an
it's mine," she answered. IF I'd tol
Dallas about you we'd never "a gor
to Clarks''-
THANK goodness you did! But
your father had known about me-if
could have come to the house. 1 mu
after this. Well tell your sister abot
us now. Come on
She shrank back in sudden frigh
NO, no. Don't you see? Shed thir
1t was awful / didn't say somethir
yesterday"
why didn't you, Marylyn?.
| Sha lnnlxad Soyyr, s.Vor 1o,,fs l-,, n