The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-04-19

less night settled down. In the trees
it was pitchy dark. Private Bill pune
tured his bare foot badly on a thorn.
The Captain fell into green brier
thicket, scratching himself distressing
ly, and tearing one trousers leg into
shreds. In extricating himself the Aid
de Camp lost his cap. Private Bill
Wept. The Aid de Camp gulped inces-
sanity. The Captains wide eyes peered
through the blackness with frenzy too
| great for tears. He gave a last agon-
lied whistle.
Out on the quiet night ,echoing and
dying away through the trees, an
Swered sound that might have been
the very cry of melancholy itself But
is was sweeter to six listening ears
than would have been the ten thou
sand harps tuned to angelic harmo-
Mes
'Awnk- ee-e, awnk-ee-e! awnk-ee-
awnk-ee- awnk- ee-ee-e,"
1t was near, but across the creek.
| They dashed toward it, and came to q
clearing leading to q foot bridge They
scrambled UP the opposite bank to-
ward light through the trees. Then
they paused abruptly. Another voice
was coming out on the night, voice
of mingled rage and hopelessness-
hOpelessness at the inadequacy of HUI
Hidt AduSudSt 10 express human emo
tions. Yet listening there in the dark.
even the broad-minded and aspiring
Captain stirred uneasily, while on Pri-
vate Bill, who was a Junior Endeavor-
er, the very hair rose stiffly.
"A bushel of the finest peaches in the
territory i-lil!I!!i!!!!!H,-Y ornerv
brutes! -,!!t!!!!!i!uH.-I hope it'll kill
observation-disclosures"
Unconsciously they drew nearer. The
light came from a small cottage sur
rounded by shrubbery. A woman stood
in the door holding a lamp. It's light
streamed over a path in which stood
three figures-a man, a horse and a
donkey.
Three pairs of terrified eyes sought
one another in the dark. Three mouths
gaped vacuously. Then an appalling
thing happened. The light shifted, cut
ting the darkness beyond the fence. and
fell full on Private Bill. Before he
could stir the woman glimpsed him.
Hi you, you boy, there" she called
out
"Ye-yes. s-sir-yes. m-mam,' quav-
cred thepetrified Private
The man moved TO the gate, leading
the steeds after him. What devil
ments this now? What We want? What
We doin' round here this time o.
night?" He spied two other huddled
forms. Come out of that he thun-
dered. "Fixin' to steal my peaches.
hey? I'll fix ye! Come here. Don't ye
run er I'll use my gun on ye.
We've just come for our horses,
the Captain finally managed to articu-
late: we've don't steal peaches"
''Ye don't. hey? Come fer your
horses," He glared. BE these brutes
yourn?" He glared again. at every
one successfully. Every one felt him
self addressed Three tremulous and
successive yes, sirs" rewarded the
query.
We'll. I'm glad ye've come" said
the man ominously. "Ye're jest who
I'm lookin' fer. This devil here fyank-
ing William) has ct up N knocked
down at least a bushel of my finest
peaches-nary ones left on my chicest
tree 1 was savin' fer the fair" His
wrath choked him. He paused for con
troll. The Captain innocently felt that
some response was awaited.
Yes. s-sir, he-he-likes peaches,
he trembled politely.
The mans eyes distended He made
a threatening movement toward the
gate.
HE does hey?" he yelled. wei
I'll peach him fer ye. " this h