Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-04-08

ICuliv HlUTueFeu Dy me I'D III OF SUI
den jealousy, and had disappeared
with the baby! The husband had re-
turned unexpectedly to find her dying,
so ne said. but too far gone to call
for help and with barely sufficient
strength to tell him who did 1t and
howl Then the paper went on WITH
the tnle Of my counting her and har
turning me down for Bennett. 1t tc'd
how had gone off alone up into the
the hills, turning into bear that no.
body. man or child. could approach.
1t said I had brooded there al this
time till the mania got upperr~st nnd
30 came down to wreak my vengeance.
They never even did me the credit of
Ealing me crazy. was fend incar-
nate. a beast without soul and a lot
Of things like that-and, remember, I
had never harmed liv,rg thing In all
my life. However, that wasn't what
hurt. What turned me into a dull,
dead, suffering thing was the knowl-
edge that she was gone. For hours
couldn't get beyond that fnct. Then
came the realization that Bennett had
iione It, for reasoned that he had
dragged 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! Bat there
was nothing to do. l had sworn to
guard the little one, so l couldn't take
vengeance on him. couldn't go back
and prove my innocence. for that
would give the child to him.
"What night I spent! The next day
saw had been indicted by the grand
Jury and was wanted man. FROM a
distance watched my self become an
outlaw; watched the county put price
upon my head, which Bennett dou-
hled; watched public opinion rise to
such heat that posses began to scour
the mountains. What noted In partic-
ular was statement in the paper that
the Borrowing husband takes his be
reavemcnt with the quiet courage
which marks brave MN! 1t hap
pencd that the Mexican woman
couldn't read and talked little. Still. I
knew they'd find me soon-it couldn't
be otherwisc-so | made another run
for IT, swearing an oath. however, be-
fore left that I'd come back and have
that gamblers heart.
at was lucky | went, for they un.
covered my sign the next day. and the
country where I'd hidden h'nZed Hike q
field Of dry grass. They We're close on
my heels, and they closed In from ev-
cry quarter. But, pshaw l know the
woods like an Indian. and the wild
things were my friends again. which
would have made it play X I'd been
alone but n girl child Of three was
harder to manage So l covered and
skull;od day after day like n 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 lenfy glen
with my pursucrs so close behind that
for weeks l never slept, ard my love
for the child increased daily till 1t be-
came almost an insanity.
1--WE had close sQueeZes many times
but l 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 q
wilderness and feeling that I'd surely
lose them there. And did. But ir
doing 1t / nearly lost Merridy. YOU
see, the constant travel and hardship
was too much for prattling baby, and
she fell sick from the heat. the dus
and thirst.
. 81 was bound for the nearest rancl
: or camp where n woman could b,
found; but. as luck would have It,
went through without trying. ! ha(
gone farther from men and things
however, than thought. and this re
turn pursuit was million times wors,
than the other, for l couldn't go fas
enough to shake Death, who ran witt
his hand on my cantle or rode on n,
horses rump. 1t was then | fount
Aluna. She was With hunting part,
OF Pab- Utes. who knew nothing Of NJ
nor of the white mans affairs an,
cared less, and when I saw the litt
squaw | rode my horse up beside hel
laid the sick child in her arms. the
tunb!ed out Of the saddle. They ha'
harder job to pull me through thai
they did to save Merridy.
/ 1.-THE little one was playing aroun
several days before got back my res
= son. Meanwhile the party had move
r. north. taking US with them. and as
II happened, just missing a posse VIII
p were returning from the desert.
II when l was able to get about toll
Aliuna that ! must be going. hut as
y told her | watched her fnce and sa,
,r the sign | wanted. The white girl hn
n clutched ut her like she had at me, al
she couldn't give her up. 80 made
@ decker with her old man. 1t took n
- the money had to buy that squav
but | knew the kiddie must have
IA woman's care, and the three of L
a. started out soon after alone and brok
"a "Since then we three have never res
n ed. l left them once in Idaho and wer
IA back to Mesa. riding all the way, mos
a ~ by night. but Bennett IVES gon
,r He'd run down mighty fast after Me
% rldy died till he had killing In b
ar place. Instead OF stopping to face
I out the yellow In him rose to the su
"a fsce. and he left before sunup, az | hH
n left. making a clean getaway. too, IL
Id there was no such hullabnloo raise
I'd about killing man as there was abe,
or the other. So my trip was all II
f. nothing.
H. 81 figured It wouldn't be right