Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1912-07-06

NY WO10
And l accept It without reserve.
give you my hand I'm 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 frearms: aye. and to distrust
strangers. Perhaps that very expert
enee has; brought me self reliance and
an unusual confidence in my own Judg-
ment Am overbold? 2"
Far from it; yet ! may be when.
say you are my ideal Of -womanhood-"
The quick flush mounted to her hair.
her hands clasptng-
= "Oh. but l: did not expect that. What
a.poor ideal you must have7 Nosnorth-
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 came in all
seriousness l 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 Johnston's headquarters. Calvert
Dunn. with two of the negroes. de
parted even earlier with Lieutenant
Navarre's body"
They intend holding me, them, as
prisoner of WARP 49,
She hesitated. las If doubtful OF her
reply. her eyes lifting suddenly to my
own. then falling. as quickly to the
stone floor of the cellar.
s"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 emfssary OF Daniels
and would treat you as they would
him II he ever fell into their hands
We have not known much about law
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 If to shut out the mem
Org, yet went steadily on. her soft
voice trembling with emotion IL
have seen SO much Of it; from my
very babyheod 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 tends"
Her words. the deep Intensity of her
utterance. told how clearly she recalled
it all She stopped. breathing heavily.
one hand thing out to the door for
support. -
But why should it be? We know
nothing of such conditions in the
north What caused all this fighting?"
IL heard the story" speaking now
almost wearily. Way back. they say
a hundred years ago. when the first
settlers came, some controversy arose
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
own home TO the ground. He sought ear
nestly to compromise. to 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 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
him even then When he recovered he
was another man-living for no other
purpose than to clear this region of
that scum. He was Eve 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 1t Is murder again."
You know this to he all true?'
The cellar was almost dark now.
but l could see her straighten up. her
hands clasped tightly together.
do i know? oh. God. yes; / have
been part OF 1t. / have seen men shot
down. I have covered in darkness
and rain while flames destroyed the
house 1 called home ALI my childhood
was a passion of fear
You say Calvert Dunn and his
followers hold me to be one of Dam
fels' 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 an.
thorfties-"
They expect to returnr
yes. tonight, with squad OF Colo
mel Donald's men"