Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1909-07-03

twsxnmnmsuassa1ass slz,
and vpa1 sAp whelS ssaFS, w'lh bs
tyoa daaciag md lpaplnG petaFe NO.
1t took same houra Tor " 20 s1ep J"
even after that. md for yelrs re-
colled every word Of the Id lie
ma ~ II had been branded on me with
hot irons They called 1t shocking
crime the most brutal murder Cali
fornia had ever known, ana I'D the
headlines was my name In letters thar
struck mo between the eyes ike
hammer. Mrs. Dan Bennett had been
foully murdered by Inc in OF OF sud
den jealousy. and ! had disappeared
with the baby. The husband had re-
turned unexpectedly to find her dying,
so Le said. but too far gone to call
for help and with barely sufficient
strength to tell him who did 1t anc
how! Then the paper went on wit:
the tale of my counting her and tf.'
Turning me down for Bennett. 1t t''C
how | had gone off alone up Into the
the hills. turning into bear tbs' no
body. man or child, could app zach
II said had brooded there al this
time till the mania got upperu"st aud
so came down TO wrcak my vengeance.
They never even did me the credit Of
calling me crazy. | was fend incar-
nate. beast without SOY aud lot
of things like that-and, remember,
had never harmed living thing In all
nv life. However. that wasn't what
hurt. What turned ne into "A dull,
dead suffering thing was the knowl-
edge that she was gone. For hours |
couldn't get beyond that fact. Then
came the realization that Bennett had
done II, for | reasoned that he had
dragged a hint Of the truth from her
by very force Of the fear he held her
inland slain her. God! The awful
rage that came over me! But there
was nothing to do. | had sworn to
guard the little one, so couldn't take
vengeance on him. couldn't go back
and prove my innocence. for that
would give the child to him.
"What night spent! The next day
I saw I had been indicted by the, grand
Jury and was wanted man. From q
distance watched myself become an
outlaw: watched the county put price
upon my head, which Bennett dou-
bled; watched public opinion rise to
such heat that posses began to scour
the mountains. What noted in partic-
ular was a statement in the paper that
the Borrowing husband takes his be-
reavement with the quiet courage
which marks q brave man! 1t hap
pencd that the Mexican woman
couldn't read and talked little. Still.
knew they'd find me soon-it couldn't
be otherwise-so | made another run
for 1t, swearing an oath, however, be-
fore left that I'd come back and have
that gamblers heart.
at was lucky I went. for they un-
covered my sign the next day. and the !
country where I'd hidden blazed like a
field Of dry grass. They were close on
my heels. and they closed In from ev-
cry quarter. But. pshaw. know the
woods like an Indian, and the wild |
things were my friends again, which |
would have made 1t play IL I'd been
alone. but girl child Of three was
harder to manage So covered and
skulked day after day like a thief OF
the murderer they thought me. work
ing always farther into the hidden
places, travelling by night with the lit
tie one asleep on my bosom. by day
playing with her In some leafy glen,
with my pursuers so close behind that
for weeks never slept. and my love
for the child increased daily till It be-
came almost an insanity.
1--WE had close squeezes many times,
but finally won. In spite Of the fact
that they tracked us clear to the edge
of the desert. for had hit for the
state line. knowing that Nevada was
wilderness and feeling that Id surely
lose them there. And | did. But in
doing it nearly lost Merridy. You
see, the constant travel and hardship
was too much for prattling baby. and
she fell sick from the heat. the dust
and thirst.
II was bound for the nearest ranch
Or camp where woman could be
found; but. as luck would have 1t, l
went through without trying. had
gone farther from men and things,
however, than thought. and this re.
turn pursuit was million times worse
than the other, for couldn't go fast
enough to shake Death, who ran with
his hand on my cantle or rode on my
horses rump. 1t was then found
Alluna. She was with a hunting party
If Pah- Utes who knew nothing Of me
nor of the white mans affairs and
Jared less, and when saw the little
'quaw | rode my horse up beside her,
aid the sick child In her arms, then
out Of the saddle. They had
/ harder job to pull me through than
hey did to save Merridy.
'The little one was playing around y.
several days before ! got back my real
ION. Meanwhile the party had moved
forth, taking us with them. and. as 1t :
just missing posse who
we're returning from the desert.
when was able to get about told J.
alluna that must be going. but as | ct
old her | watched her face and saw