Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1910-07-01
A Brave Girl
By HELEN INcLEHART
Copyright 1910. By American Press
Association.

ora Into that region. Olafson. going
there among others with his eighteen
year-old daughter Mary and his son
Peter. had the good fortune 20 strike
q very rich piece OF placer ground aud
was soon paDnIng out large quantities.
OF shining yellow gold dust. olafson
one day walked far up on ledge near
by his cabin aud. feeling about with
his pick. took out several nuggets OF
considerable value Thla added TO
what had been panned. made up mn
amount OF gold reaching into the thou
sands. Its owner took up board In
his cabin floor. deposited his treasure
beneath II aud put the board back
again.
A Mexican named Ramon was EN-.
pioyed by 0lafson as an assistant.
aud olafson trusted him implk'ity. and
Itamon knew well where the treasure
was hidden.
That's no place for gold" Rald
Ramon one day to oinfson. You'd
better take II TO hank"
Haven't time" said oiafson. "Do
you suppose I'D leave these rich dig.
gings 70 others to take what I've got
out 10 n bankf. by the time I got
back therc'd be nothing left for me-"
And so the olafson gold. with more
adding TO II every day. was left In Its
place under the door. but no one knew
where II was hidden except Olafson.
his children and this trusted man Ra.
mon.
Ono day olafson fell III. Ramon
volunteered 20 70 10 tho Mexican camp
below and bring a doctor. He came.
a swarthy man with an evil eye. and
gave Olafson some medicine. Mary
nursed her father. but despite her
care and the doctors pills be grew
steadily worse. She stood by him
night aud day without rest or sleep.
Finally one day when Ramon and the
doctor were both at the cabin she
left them TO watch the patient aud
threw herself on couch In another
room. There sho fell into n light
slumber.
but only for few minutes. She
wns recalled TO herself and her trouble
by whisperings and noises IN the sick
room. She got up and went softly to a
crack In the board partition and. look
ing through. saw the doctor giving her
father something from a bottle. while
Ramon was taking up the board In the
door above the treasure.
IL was evident that the doctor was
giving her father something either
that he might not be conscious OF
what was going on or TO kill him.
The Mexican was doubtless pal Of
Ramon's whom the latter had brought
there for the purpose Of assisting him
In his scheme TO get oiafson's gold.
There was little to fear. they sup
posed. from mere girl who was tired
out and asleep at that
Hut they reckoned falsely. Olafson's
repeating rife was hanging on the
wall loaded Taking II down and plac-
ing It's butt TO her shoulder. Mary
threw open the door aud held the Mex
leans covered. Ramon covered. but
tho doctor. not believing a chit OF q
girl would dare tire. rushed upon her
to dlsarm her. In the middle Of the
room he was met by bullet from
Mury's rifle and dropped dead.
Peter 0lafson. who was outside,
hearing shot, rushed In and saw
Mary. who had killed one Of the men,
pointing her rife at the other. SEEKING
cord. while Mary kept Ramon COW
cred. the youngster bound him so that
he was helpless,
This done. Mary ran to her father.
took up the dose that the doctor had
been trying to get down his throat
smelied II aud knew at once that II
was poison. II was the same that had
been given the patient from the 1rsI
and had been slowly killing him
Mary worked over him for hours be-
fore she brought him back to con
sciousness.
Peter as soon as II was dark climbed
the mountain 10 the rear OF the cabir
aud by a circultous route reached the
nearest white camp. twenty miles
away. Early the next day Mary saw
several Mexicans caraing up towart
the cabin. They were doubtless In the
scheme OF murder and robbery ant
coming TO Join their countrymen
Mary waited till the nearest Mexican
came within range, then flred a sho
over his head and let him know wha
he might expect II he came on. II,
retired, but all day different member
Of the party kept spying on her. an(
all day she kept giving them an occa
, sional shot 10 indicate that they wer,
under observation.
81 But wfth nightfall the strain grew
greater. The enemy might advanc,
!, under cover OF the darkness. For no
,, a moment did her finger leave the trig
] ger. Fancying noise at window
she put bullet there; then a sount
beyond the door induced her to send |
, shot through II. Aud so all night sh
, watched-she, girl with sick man
q expecting every minute to be over
. powered and murdered. II was loni
strain, and not I'LL the windows begal
n to tighten did she feel that there wa
n hope for her.
The sun had scarcely risen when sh
heard Gathering of hoofs without