The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1908-09-08


! IL hours, the first eight of which were
spent mostly in looking back over his
shoulders. But no none had appeared
in sight, and gradually the hunted
/ look was leaving his face. Two hours
! ahead were the hills, and once in their
| Businesses he could defy the most des-
| perate of pursuits.
The prairie was rolling here, with
| struggling punches of sage grass and
| now and then a stunted tree or clus-
| ter of bushes, the outposts of the hill
/ forests beyond. AS he came to the top
! OF one of the rolling elevations Tim
brell checked his horse with savage
oath, throwing "a curved hand over his
| eyes to shield them from the alkali
| glare. A halfmile across the prairie
was a solitary horse, with down-bend-
| ing head Evidently it was tethered,
and just as evidently its rider was
there somewhere behind the screening
sage bush.
Timbrell threw a speculative glance
backward. No one was in sight, but
down below the horizon was some
| thing he had left Better go ahead
at whatever hazard. Beyond the pos
sible ambush were the Businesses or
the hill forest.
Shielding himself behind his horse
and still walking, he moved forward
slowly, his rifle held in readiness for
instant use. One-half the distance,
two-thirds, three-fourths, and there
was no sign of hostile demonstration,
only the horse standing with down
| bent head. Then he saw that the
horse was not tethered, and that be-
low the head was an extended form,
half-hidden by the bunch grass
Not until he was within a dozen
yards did he discover that the form
was woman, and that a small bundle
was lying by her side, and more, that
one arm of the woman was reach
ing feebly toward the bride rein as
though striving to remount and pro-
coed on her journey Timbrell uttered
another imprecation, suppressed some
what; but the rifle was lowered
The woman heard his approach and
her face turned eagerly.
Thank God! somebody's comet"
she cried feebly. Help me on my
horse now, quick. I'm dyin', an amt
no strength to get up by myself. l
must take my baby back to Peco be-
fore l give up"
"Oh, l reckon We amt so bad's
that" grunted Timbrell deprecating-
ly. He had little knowledge of women
and less of babies. The scowl on his
face made him hideous. But the
woman did not notice that He was a
human being in desolation when she
thought she was dying alone and leav-
Ing her little one helpless. Already
the indications of the end were glaz-
ing her eyes. Timbrell had lived
with death and knew the signs. With
man he would have said so brutally;
but woman was an unknown ele-
ment in his experience, and he tenn
porized, embarrassed:
"Ye're plumb worn out" he said,
grufIly. "All We needs restin' up I'll
start a fire an cook some grub, an
then We en- start for Peco freshened
up"
mo, no." the woman protested,
raising herself to an elbow by SUI
preme effort. 81 must start at once,
before it's too late. My baby's only
four months old. an must have some
body to look out for him"
Got friends to Peco?"
NO; but some woman'll be willin'
to take him. II went out to the hill |
woods to look for my husband. No
body'd tell me bout him, except he !
was gone. Will want real bad man,
an know he'd never leave me of his |
own self. IL" Her elbow gave way
and she sank back upon the ground, |
gasping.
Did We find him?" gently.
A convulsive shudder went through
the woman's frame. "He's-dead,"
she said, drearily. Il found they'd |
gone after him, an'-an' it's on tree
out yonder-he's dead. I'd like to be
dead, too, only for the baby" Again
she tried to rise, but sank back. z
I'm afraid it's too late now" she
moaned. I'm gettin' weaker. You'll
have to take-the-baby-f or-me-to
-Peco-" She stopped, and he bent
over her quickly. The woman was
beyond any more trouble, but the
baby was lying on the ground throw
ings its little arms into the air, it's
blue eyes fixed inquiringly upon the
blue of the sky above. Timbrell rose
to his feet and gazed down at them.
Peco was the place he had left, toward
which he had gazed back over his
shoulder.
Well, I'll be -" he said, earn
estly.
After few minutes he went to
the woman's horse and looked it over
approvingly. 1t was a superb animal.
and as he threw himself into the saddle
the contortions on his face were made
by a grin instead of a scowl. But as
he reached out to grasp the bride
of his own horse the face of the
woman on the ground came beneath
his gaze, and with angry Impotence
he slid from the saddle and began to
dig a hole with his knife. A man
would not have mattered, but he could
not leave a woman lying on the