Evening journal., 1910-03-25
A Brave Girl
BY HELEN INGLEHART
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.


the daughter OF Swedish miner who
prospected in the Picacho Blanco coun-
try, Arizona.
There was great rush of prospect
ors into that region. Olafson. going
there among others with his eighteen
year-old daughter Mary and his son
Peter. had the good fortune TO strike
n very rich piece OF placer ground and
was soon panning out large quantities
Of shining yellow gold dust. Olafson
one day walked far up on ledge near
by his cabin and. feeling about with
his pick. took out several nuggets of
considerable value. This. added to
what had been panned. made up an
amount OF gold reaching into the thou
sands. Its owner took up a board in
his cabin door. deposited his treasure
beneath it and put the board back
again.
A Mexican named Ramon was en-
ployed by Olafson as an assistant.
and Olafson trusted him implicitly. and
Ramon knew we'll where the treasure
was hidden.
That's no place for gold." said
Ramon one day to Olafson. you'd
better take it to a bank
Haven't time" said Olafson. "Do
you suppose I'd leave these rich dig
gings to others TO take what I've got
out to a bank? BY the time got
back there'd be nothing left FOR me-"
And so the Olafson gold. with more
adding TO It every day. was left IN its
place under the floor. but no one knew
where It was hidden except Olafson.
his children and this trusted man Ra-
mon.
One day Olafson fell i'll. Ramon
volunteered TO so to the Mexican camp
below and bring n 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 he grew
steadily worse. She stood by him
night and 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 and
threw herself on a couch In another
room. There she fell into a light
slumber.
But only for a few minutes. She
was recalled to herself and her trouble
by whisperings and noises In the sick
room. She got up and went softly 10 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
floor above the treasure.
II was evident that the doctor was
giving her father something either
that he might not be conscious OF
what was going on or 70 kill him.
The Mexican was doubtless a pal Of
Ramon's whom the latter had brought
there for the purpose Of assisting him
In his scheme to get Olafson's gold
There was little to fear. they sup
posed. from mere girl who was tired
out and asleep at that.
But they reckoned falsely. Olafson's
repeating rife was hanging on the
wall loaded Taking It down and plac-
ing its butt to her shoulder. Mary
threw open the door and held the Mex
leans covered. Ramon covered, but
girl would dare fire. rushed upon her
to dlsarm her. In the middle Of the
room he was met by bullet from
Mary's rife and dropped dead.
Peter OIafson. who was outside.
hearing a shot. rushed in and saw
Mary. who had killed one Of the men.
pointing her rife at the other. Selling
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.
smelled 1t and knew at once that Il
was poison. 1t was the same that had
been given the patient from the first
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 it was dark climbed
the mountain in the rear Of the cabin
and by a circuitous route reached the
nearest white camp. twenty miles
away. Early the next day Mary saw
several Mexicans coming up toward
/, the cabin. They were doubtless IN the
scheme OF murder and robbery and
coming to join their countrymen
. Mary waited till the nearest Mexican
came within range. then fired a shoi
over his head and let him know whaf
be might expect II he came on. H'
retired. but all day different members
OF the party kept spying on her. ant
all day she kept giving them an occa
sional shot to indicate that they wer'
under observation.
But with nightfall the strain grew
greater. The enemy might advanc'
under cover OF the. darkness. For no
n moment did her finger leave the triG
ger. Fancying a noise at a window
she put a bullet there; then a soun'
; beyond the door induced her to send I
shot through It. And so all night sh
\ watched-she. girl with a sick man
expecting every minute to be over
powered and murdered. 1t was a lon
strain. and not till the windows begai
to Tighten did she feel that there wa
hope for her.
The sun had scarcely risen when sh
heard a clattering Of hoofs without
Did they indicate the approach Of enc
mics? Mary. rife in hand. glance