Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-01-19

"Tney were five days away from a
settlement, there wasn't q human be-
ing within a hundred and fifty miles
of them. not even an Indian" contin-
ned Maitland. "She was so frightfully
broken and mangled that he couldn't
carry her away.
But why couldn't he leave her and
90 for help?" asked Bradshaw.
'SThe wolves, the bears, or the vul-
lures would have got her. These
woods and mountains were full OF
them then and there are some OF them
left now guess"
The two little girls crept closer to /
their big cousin, each casting anxious
glances beyond the fire light
"Oh, you're all right, little gals"
said Kirkby reassurtngly. they |
wouldn't come nigh US while this fire |
is burnin' an they We been pretty |
well hunted out guess; sides there's
| men yere who'd like nothin' better'n
| DRAWN a bead on a big bar"
And So" continued Maitland, when
she begged him to shoot her, to put
her out OF her misery, he did so and
then he started back to the settlement
to tell his story and stumbled on US
looking after him"
What happened them"
81 went back to the camp" said
Maitland I'VE loaded Newbold on a
mule and took him with us; he was
so crazy he didn't know what was
happening; he went over the shooting
again and again in his deltrium. It
was awful
did he die?"
81 don't think So" was the answer,
but really l know nothing further
about him. There were some good
women in that camp; we put him in
their hands and l left shortly after
wards
81 kin tell the rest" said old Kirk
by. KNOWN more about the noun
tains than most people hereabouts
led the men that didn't go back with
Bob an Newbold to the place were
he said his woman fell. an there we
found her, her body leastways."
But the wolves?" Queried the girl.
He'd drug her into a kind OF q
boiler and piled rocks over her. He'd
gone down into the canon, witch was
, something frightful, an then climbed
up to were she'd lodged. We had
plenty Of rope, havin' brought it along
a purpose, an we let ourselves down
! to the shelf where she was q lyin'
We wrapped her body up in blankets
an roped 1t an finally drug her up
on the old Injun trail, leastways sup
pose 1t was made afore there was any
Injuns, an brought her back to Ever
W. he nn1r tp oh
1t that was green was the swing doors
on the saloon. We got a parson out
from Denver an give her a Christian
burial"
rs that ALP asked Enid as the old
man paused again"
Nope"
"Oh, the mani" exclaimed the WON
- an with quick intuition.
"He recovered his senses so they
told US, an we'en We got back he'd
}, gone"
"Where?" was the instant question
d Old Kirkby stretched out his hands
q Don't ak me-" he said, he'd jes
/ gone. l amt never seed or heerd Of
s. him sence. Poor little Louise Rosser
1 she did have hard time"
3 YES" said Enid, but think tn.
u man had a harder time than she. He
l. loved herr"
st looked like it," answered Kirkby
D. "If you had seen him, his remorse
], his anguish, his horror" said Matt
d land, you wouldn't have had an!
g doubt about it. But 1t Is getting late
In the mountains everybody gets VI
q at daybreak. Your sleeping bags ar,
r. in the tents, ladies'; time to go t.
IT he'd"
e AS the party broke up, old Kirkb.
e rose slowly to his feet; he looke-
q. meaningly toward the young woman
n upon whom the spell of the TRACED
r, still fingered, he nodded toward tn
lie young brook, and then repeated hi
10 speaking glance at her. His meaning
te was patent, although no one else ha
seen the covert invitation.
O. Come Kirkby," said the girl Il
quick response, you shall be my es
ID cort. | want drink before turn II
No, never mind" she said, as Brac
re shaw and Philips both volunteered
is mot this time"
IL The old frontiersman and the youn
girl strolled off together They stol
st ped by the brink Of the rushing to-
ed rent a few yards away. The nois
OF that It made drowned the low tones {
lie their voices and kept the others. bus
er- preparing to retire, from hearing whs
ou they said.
&c That amt quite all the story, Mis-
Enid" said the old trapper meaningl
IA "There was another man."
W. What" exclaimed the girl.
or ooh. there wasn't nothin' wron
2" with Louise Rosser, witch she VIZ
ed Louise Newbold. but there was a
IFS other man; 1 suspected it afore, that
IL why she was sad. Wen we found ht
body knowed it."
ed Il don't understand"