The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1909-03-17

hammer. Mrs. Dan Bennett had been
foully murdered by me In fit Of sud
den jealousy. and / had disappeared
with the baby. The husband had re-
turned unexpectedly 10 find her dying.
SO he said. but too far gone to call
for help and with barely sufficient
strength to tell him who did 1t and
how! Then the paper went on witt
the tale of my counting her and be:
how | had gone off alone up into he
the hills. turning into bear thst no
body. man or child. could app zach
1t said | had brooded there X'i this
time till the mania got upperE st and
so came down to wreak my vengeance
They never even did me the credit of
calling me crazy was fend incar-
nate. beast without sou and a lot
of things like that-and, .emember,
had never harmed liv,ry thing in all
my life. However. ths' wasn't what
hurt. What turned Lee 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 1t. for reasoned that he had
drs gged q 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 I couldn't take
vengeance on him. I couldn't go back
and prove my innocence. for thar
would give the child TO him
"What night spent! The next day
saw had been indicted by the grand
jury and was wanted man. From a
distance | watched myself become IN
outlaw: watched the county put Il 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 sorrowing husband takes his be-
reavement with the quiet courage
which marks a brave man. 1t hap
couldn't read and talked little. Still.
knew they'd find me soon-it couldn't
be otherwise-so | made another run
for it, swearing an oath. however. be-
fore | left that I'd come back and have
that gamblers heart
ut was lucky | went. for they I'M
covered my sign the next day. and the
country where I'd hidden blazed like
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 it play if I'd been
alone. but girl child of three was
harder to manage. So I covered and
skulked day after day like thief or
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 I never slept, and my love
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 I had hit for the
state line. knowing that Nevada was
wilderness and feeling that I'd surely
lose them there. And I 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. !
went through without trying. had
gone farther from men and things.
however. than l 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 bunting party
nor Of the white mans affairs and
cared less, and when saw the little
squaw I rode my horse up beside her.
laid the sick child in her arms. then
tumbled out of the saddle. They had
a harder Job to pull me through than
they did to save Merridy.
"The little one was playing around
several days before | got back my rea-
son. Meanwhile the party had moved
north, taking us with them. and. as 1t
happened. just missing a posse who
were returning from the desert
when / was able to get about told
Alluna that | must be going. but as
told her watched her face and saw
the sign wanted. The white girl had
clutched at her like she had at me. and
she couldn't give her up. so made
decker with her old man. 1t took all
the money l had to buy that squaw.
but / knew the kiddie must have
womans care, and the three Of US
started out soon after alone and broke
Since then we three have never rest.