The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1908-03-26

I tdiT ~ Wv INV pIoSDcCltI :
slcepin' mighty sound this mornin'.'
said Blake. as he returned to the wait
Ing family in the main room.
PoUy's heart took fright at once 4
hundred things might have happened
ID Gordon during the night-the meth
DDS Of the moonshiners were ~inscruta
bic.
Pap. | reckon ye'd better 20 in an
wake him. she suggested, for the
meat on the tables a gettin' cold"
With candle in hand Blake went
back 10 G0rdon's door, opened it and
pcored inside.
why. by the Twin" he exclaimed
this bed amt been teched.'
At this moment Polly's knees
Quaked, and her fingers clinched to-
gether impulsiyely And at this mo-
ment. too. she hated all her race. all
her Kind among the mountains, her
brothers and their co-partners, Ben
Martin and all the rest. She turned
her eyes toward the rafters and al
lowed a thought OF revenge TO take
shape in her brain.
We'll. he's not here, said Blake.
returning; so thar's no use to wait
for him. Let's eat
Polly minced her breakfast. hurried
~ MIXED the one-horned COW, cleaned
the kitchen things, then stole out over
the mountain toward the Horseshoe
cove on 5000. She knew well the
spot where the still stood. and she
knew the narrow detile through which
the cove was accessible. The trail
wound like a snake round over the
mountains, down l. % the valley, then
along up the creek between the cliffs.
Where the trail ascended. Polly
climbed feverishly, whore ii de
seconded, she ran. I'm this n the
three miles to the neck of the cove
were soon covered and she was speed
ing along the path to where it crossed
the Devils Sink Hole. This was a
narrow fissure whose mouth was not
over six feet wide. and whose great
est length was not owe 20 feet, yet it
opened away into the earth to a depth
of over 40 feet. A narrow bridge, just
the width of the trail. had spanned
the opening. and when Polly reached
the spot this morning she saw that the
bridge was no longer there. She ran
TO the edge of the hole and dropped
to her knees. 1t required some mo-
ments for her gaze to pierce the
gloom down there, but presently she
saw the prospector. with disheveled
hair and torn clothing, seated at the
bottom Of the tissure.
Silence reigned throughout the
wood and the low sound of Polly's
voice when she spoke seemed to echo
a mile away. But Gordon had caught
the call and he looked up.
All. is it you. Polly" he exclaimed.
Yes; an We didn't listen when |
warned ye last night, though | didn't
think about this place when | toldRye."
Il am a conceited sort of fellow,
Polly, and thought | could take care
of myself. But I've learned a lesson
this time sure"
do we know what was meant for
we when We fell into this hole?"
mo, Polly; couldn't guess"
why, 1t was meant for We to per-
ish to death down there, for nobody
ever comes this trail but them that
laid the trap for ye."
But you have come to help me
out, sweetheart
Polly's heart thrilled at this title Of
endearment and nee more an impulse
of hatred for her race welled up in
her bosom.
There's a grape vine back here |
thinks long enough
She sprang away from the hole and
SOC returned, bringing with her a
long, stout vine, n end of which she
lowered into the hole. When Gordon
could reach the lower end, the girl
made the other end fast TO the roots
of a stout shrub near by, and the pros
pector found it an easy matter to
climb out of the hole by means of the
vine and its branches. And when he
stood by the side of Polly on the trail
above he took her hand and looking
into her eyes,, said:
Little girl, you have saved my life
and when | tell her all about it, my
wife will love and praise YOU to the
skies"
A fash Of sudden fire leaped from
Polly's eyes. She jerked her hand
from Gordon's clasp and the next in
slant had given him a shove that sent
him Keeling backward toward the
DEVILS Sink Hole.
The prospector was unable TO re-
cover his balance, and was poised for
a single instant at the edge of the
opening ready to shoot downward
again, when a strong hand suddenly
reached out. caught him by the cloth
ing and pulled him back to safety
once more.
IF we've got a wife, ye skunk, 60
to her! An don't We be nosin' round
these hills again. dye hear that?"
The speaker was Ben Martin. Cor
don looked from Ben to the girl, then
turned and hurried along the trail that
led out of the cove. And long after
he was gone from view, silence
reigned between Ben and the girl. But
at last Polly took a step toward Ben
and the mountaineer. with a full heart