Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1912-07-25
CHAPTER lH-(contInued.)

CHAPTER lII.-(contInued.)
ut was four years an nine months
exactly, Bob" drawled old Kirkby,
who well knew what was coming.
Eyes, / dare say you are right. !
was up at Evergreen at the time look.
ing after timber interests, when a
mule came wandering Into the camp.
saddle and pack still on his back"
81 knowed that there mule" said
Kirkby, "Pd sold it to a Teller named
Newbold, that had come out yere an
married Louise Rosser, old man Ros-
eer's daughter. an him dead, an bein'
an orphan an this Teller bein' a fine
young man from the east, not a bit of
a tenderfoot nuther, a mimi engt-
nee he called hisself."
We'll, l happened to be there, too,
you remember" continued Maitland,
~and they made up a party to go and
hunt up the man, thinking something
might have happened"
"You see," explained Kirkby, I'VE
was all mighty fond of Louise Rosser.
the hull camp was actin like a father
to her at the time, sc long 81 she
hadn't nobody else; we was all at the
weddin', too, some six months afore.
The gal married him on her own
hook, OF course nobody maxim her,
but somehow she didn't seem none
too happy, although. Newbold, who
vas a perfect gent, treated her white
as far as we knowed."
The old man stopped again and re-
sumed his pipe.
"Kirkby, you tell the story" said
Maitland.
mot me-" said Kirkby. 81 have
seer men shot afore for takin' words
out n other mems mouths an l amt
never done that yit."
you always were one of the most
silent men l aver saw" laughed
George. why, that day Pete yere got
shot accidental IN had his whole
breast tore out wen we was lumber
ing over on Black mountain, all you
said was, Wash him off, put some
axle grease on him an tie him up
That's So" answered Pete, AN
there must have been somethin' pow
erful soothin' in that axle grease, for
here l am safe an sound to this day"
ut takes an old man." assented
Kirkby, ito know when toakeep his
mouth shets I learned It at the muz-
ale Of a gun"
II never knew before" laughed
Maitland, how still a man you can
be. Well, to resume the story, having
nothing to do l went out with the
posse the sheriff gathered up"
Him not thinkin' there had been
any foul play" calculated the old man.
"No, certainly not"
"Well, what happened, Uncle Bob?"
inquired Enid.
Just you walt" said young Bob,
who had heard the story. This Is
an awful good story, Cousin Enid"
81 can't wait much longer" returned
the girl. Please 60 on"
1.-TWO days after we left the camp,
we came across an awful figure,
ragged, blood stained, wasted to a
skeleton. starved"
II have seed men in extreme cases
afore." interposed Kirkby, but never
none like him."
"Nor l." continued Maitland.
was 1t Newbold?" asked Enid.
Eyes"
"And what had happened to him?"
"He and his wife had been prospect
ang in these very mountains; she had
fallen over a cliff and broken herself
so terribly that Newbold had to shoot
her."
what" exclaimed Bradshaw. you
don't that he actually killed
herr"
That's what he DONE" answered
old Kirkby. ss
Poor man." murmured Enid.
But why?' asked Philips.
'They were five days away from q
WcttlSu4Cuts tACA0 WhbAt u uuMdu D6-
ing within a hundred and fifty miles
of them, not even an Indian" contin-
ued Maitland. "She was SO frightfully
broken and mangled, that he couldn't
carry her away"
But why couldn't he leave her and
60 for help?" asked Bradshaw.
THE wolves, the bears, or the vui-
lures would have got her. These
woods and mountains were full OF
them then and there are some OF them
left now I 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 Kfrkby r~eassuringIy, they
wouldn't come nigh us while this fire
is burnin' an they We been pretty
well hunted out 1 guess: sides there's
men we're who'd like nothin' better'n
DRAWN a bead pm 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 startad back To the settlement