Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1911-09-08

the body Of the dead brute off me,
and lifting myself by aid of the wall
against which my head rested, looked
about. Two broken chairs overturned
upon the floor, and the shapeless,
huddled body Of my late assailant,
alone spoke OF the violence OF that
deadly struggle; but the cabin was
yet full Of smoke, and could per-
ceive the figure Of the girl leaning
against the frame of the open door,
the revolver still grasped in her hand.
Her posture was that of frightened
deer as her terror.filled eyes sought
the dark interior.
1T is safely over" / said weakly,
for my breath yet came to me in
gcsps. 1.-THE brute Is dead"
could scarcely mark her coming
across the narrow streak of moon
light, moving toward me as a fright
ened bird might, startled at every
thing, and passing as far from the
lifeless mass on the floor as the small
space would allow. As she bent
anxiously over me her face was so in
shadow that | could distinguish moth.
ing of its features.
What is 1t? Are you indeed severe
ly hurt?"
mot seriously. / think, yet l have
lost some blood, and am in great pain.
There is brandy in the inner pocket
of my jacket, but l am unable to
s,. To aah
Would you endeavor to draw the flask
out?"
/ felt her bend over me, her soft
breath coming almost in sobs upon my
face as with trembling fingers she
undid the buttons of my troopers
jacket and extracted the small flat
flask I had been thoughtful enough
to store away there.
The fiery liquid seemed to put new
blood into my veins, and with 1t there
returned all my old-time audacity.
with that intense hopefulness in which
/ had been trained by years of war
and self-reliance.
II trust you realize" l said, that
1 am neither thoughtless nor migrate.
full Years of war service make one
careless of life, but l know 1t was
your shot that saved me. You are
brave girl
Her overtaxed nerves gave way at
my words, and | knew she was crying
softly. The sobbing was in her voice
as she strove to speak.
"Oh, no, l am not; you do not
guess how great a coward I am.
scarcely knew what was doing when
I fired. That horrid thing-what was
it,"
"a huge mastiff, l imagine; one of
the largest of his breed. But what
ever it may have been. the beast
is dead, and we have nothing more
to fear from him"
Yet | tremble So" she confessed,
almost Historically. Every shadow
frightens me-"
| realized that no amount of con-
versation would quiet her nerves so
effectively as some positive action; be-
sides, | felt the hot blood constantly I
trickling down my arm, and realized |
that something needed to be done at |
once to stanch its flow, before weak |
ness should render me equally useless !
DO you think you could build I
fire on the hearth yonder?" | asked |
Il am afraid | am hardly capable of |
helping you as yet; but we must |
have light in this gloomy old hole, |
or 1t is bound to craze us both Take |
those broken chairs if you find moth
ing better"
She instantly did as I babe her, |
moving here and there about the room |
until she gathered together the ma
terials necessary, but keeping care.
fully away from where the dead dog |
lay, until in brief space of time the |
welcome flame leaped up in the wide |
black chimney, and cast its red glare |
all over the little room The activity |
did her good, the light flooding the |
gloomy apartment yielded renewed |
courage, and there was a cheerier |
sound in her voice as she came back |
to me.
The great ugly brute," she ex-
claimed, looking at the form in the |
centre of the floor.
He was certainly heavy enough |
to have been a bear l replied, |
clinching my teeth in pain, "and suf-
ficientIy savage"
l viewed her now for the first !
time clearly. and the memory will re- |
main with me till | die How dis. |
tinctly that entire picture stands forth |
with the mist of all these years be, |
tween The low-ceiled room. devoid |
of all furniture save of the rudest and !
n - |