The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1912-07-06

And accept It without reserve |
give you my hand In token of the
compact. You think me an odd girl.
no doubt When other children learn
to walk ] was learning to ride and
to use firearms: aye. and to dfstrust
strangers. Perhaps that very expert
ence has brought me self reliance and
an unusual confidence in my own judy
ment Am I overbold7"
Far from 1t; yet I may be when 1
say you are my ideal of womanhood."
The quick flush mounted to her hair.
her hands clasping.
"0h. but I did not expect that What
q poor ideal you must have7 No north
ern school ever held me up as a
model. hardly know what spirit
possesses me to make me forget the
real purpose of my visit I came in all
seriousness l told you l was alone
here. but for the negroes. Believing
you perfectly helpless, confined here
In the cellar. Colonel Donald rode
away to collect some of bis men. who
are widely scattered just now. intend.
ing to convey you under guard tonight
to Johnston's headquarters. Calvert
Dunn. with two of the negroes. de-
parted eve earlier with Lieutenant
Navarre's body"
They intend holding me. then. as a
prisoner of warp
She hesitated. as II doubtful Of her
reply. her eyes lifting suddenly to my
own. then falling al quickly to the
stone floor Of the cellar.
you fear to tell me the TRUTH"
mo. not that, but | do not feel quite
certain of the final outcome. Both
Calvert Dunn and his father hold you
merely as an emissary of Daniels
and would treat you as they would
him II be ever fell into their hands
We have not known much about la
in this region. Lieutenant King. and
men have learned to wreak their own
vengeance. | cannot picture to you
what the bitterness of a mountain
feud means" She pressed her hands
to her eyes as II to shut out the mem.
DRY. yet went steadily on. her soft
voice trembling with emotion. I'll
have seen SO much of It; from my
very babyhood | have lived amid
scenes of violence-burned homes. wo-
men and children suffering and desti
tute, men shot down from ambush
and outrages unspeakable. War is
terrible. but a mountain feud turns
human beings into iends."
her words. the deep intensity of her
~utterance. told how clearly she recalled
1t all. She stopped. breathing heavily.
one hand reaching out to the door for
support.
but why should 1t be? We know
nothing Of such conditions In the
north What caused all this fghtingf"
IL heard the story" speaking now
almost YEARLY. Way back. they say
a hundred years ago.. when the first
settlers came. some controversy arose
aids. Blood was shed. and little by lit
tie every relative was drawn into the
controversy. The Danielses were the
more numerous. the more ignorant.
the more vindictive. Colonel Donald
saw them kill his father and burn his
wnhome 10 the ground. He sought ear
nestly TO compromise. 10 make peace
The others laughed. thought him a
coward. and finally burned his home
for the second time. twenty Of them.
at midnight, Bill Daniels at their
head They left hi j seriously wound
nd oaA Aravo hto wifa md abIl1rap into
the night and storm. His wife and n
child died from exposure. He lay for
weeks in this house delirious with
fever. and twice those tends sought
him even then. When he recovered he
was another man-living for no other
purpose than to clear this region of
that He was five years at IT.
night and day. tireless as a blood
hound. Bill Daniels was tried for MUIR
der and convicted. he escaped from
Jail two years ago and since then.
until the war broke out. we have had
peace. Now he has come BACKBONE
back with the Yankee army behind
him-and-and it is murder again"
You know this to he all true?"
The cellar was almost dark now.
but | could see her straighten up. her
hands clasped tightly together.
do / know? oh. God. yes: | have
been part of it | have seen men shot
down. have covered in darkness
and rain while flames destroyed the
house / called home. All my childhood
was a passion OF fear"
You say Calvert Dunn and his
followers hold me to be n of Dan
iels' followers and would deal with me
accordingly? How about Colonel Don
aid?"
He believes you guilty of killing
Lieutenant Navarro. but merely In an
effort TO escape. Otherwise he thinks
you have told the truth and favors
turning you over to the military au-
thorities."
"They expect to returnT'
Eyes. tonight, with a squad of Colo