Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1912-07-04

.That win have greater weight with
me than buried door. ! pledge you
my word.
And accept 1t 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 distrust
strangers. Perhaps that very expert
ence has brought me self reliance and
an unusual confidence In my own judg-
ment Am overbold?"
Far from it; yet may be when /
say you are my ideal Of womanhOod.
The quick flush mounted to her hair.
her hands clasping.
.Oh. but did not expect that. What
poor ideal you must have? No north
ern school ever held me up as a
model. l hardly know what spirit
possesses me to make me forget the
real purpose of my visit came In all
seriousness told you was alone
here. but for the negroes. Believing
you perfectly helpless. confined here
in the cellar. Colonel Donald rode
away to collect some of his men. who
are widely scattered just now. intend.
ing to convey you under guard tonight
to .lohnston's headquarters. Calvert
Dunn. with two Of the negroes. de
parted even earlier with Lieutenant
Navarre's body
They intend holding me, then, as a
prisoner OF warp
She hesitated. as If doubtful Of her
reply. her eyes lifting suddenly to my
own. then failing as quickly to the
stone floor of the cellar.
you fear 10 tell me the truth?"
NO. 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 If be ever fell into their hands.
We have not known much about law
In this region. Lieutenant King. and
men have learned 10 wreak their own
vengeance. | cannot picture TO you
what the bitterness OF a mountain
ACuO Sue pISSSeu uSt uduuS
to her eyes as if to shut out the mem.
DRY. yet went steadily on. her soft
voice trembling with emotion. Ill
have seen so much of it; from my
very babvhood have lived amid
scenes of violence-burned homes. wo.
men and children suffering and destt
tute. men shot down from ambush
and outrages unspeakable. War is
terrible. but mountain feud turns
human beings into fiends." 81
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 it be? Wea know
nothing of such conditions in the
north. What caused all this fightingy"
Ill heard the story" speaking now
almost wearily. Way back. they say
hundTed years ago. when the first
between the Danielses and the Don.
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
ownhOme to the ground. He sought ear
nestly to compromise. to make peace
The others laughed. thought him
coward. and finally burned his home
for the second time. twenty of them.
at midnight. Bill Daniels at their
head. They left hi ! seriously wound.
ed and drove his wife and children into
the night and storm. His wife and one
child died from exposure. He lay for
weeks in this house delirious with
fever. and twice those tends sought
him even then. When be recovered he
was another man-living for no other
purpose than to clear this region of
that scum. He was five years at it.
night and day. tireless as 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 back-come
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 ciasped tightly together.
do know? oh. God. yes: have
been part of 1t. 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 one OF Dam
iels' followers and would deal with me
accordingly? How about Colonei Don
ald?"
HE believes you guilty of killing
Lieutenant Navarro. but merely in an
effort to escape. Otherwise he thinks
you have told the truth and fayors
turning you over to the military au.
thorities."
They expect to return 2"
Eyes. tonight. with u squad OF Colo.
~~v Il A-<-- a. a.