The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1912-05-16
CHAPTER IiI.-(Continued.)


at was four years an nine months
exactly. Bob" drawled Old Kirkby
who we'll knew what was coming.
Yes, dare say you are right.
WAS up at Evergreen at the time look
ing after timber interests, when {
mule came wandering into the camp
saddle and pack still on his back"
~ knowed that there mule" sale
Kirkby, I'D sold 1t to a Teller nance
Newbold, that had come out yere an
married Louise Rosser, old man Ros
ser's daughter, an him dead. an bein
an orphan an this Teller bein' a fine
young man from the east, not bit OF
a tenderfoot nuther,, a mimi engi
neer he called hisseif."
We'll, | 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 father
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
was 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.
Not me-" said Kirkby. Il have
seen men shot afore for talun' words
out n other mems mouths an amt
never done that yit."
{, You always were one az the most
silent men l ever saw" laughed
George. "Why, that day Pete yere got
shot accidental an 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 am safe an sound to this day"
1T takes an old man." assented
xlirkby, Ito know when 10 keep his
mouth shet. | learned 1t at the muz-
xle of gun"
81 never knew before" laughed
Maitland, how still man you can
be. Well. to resume the story. having
nothing to do went out with the
posse the sheriff gathered up"
Him not thinkin' there had been
any foul play" calculated the old man.
mo. certainly not"
"Well, what happened, Uncle Bob?"
inquired Enid.
Just you wait" said young Bob,
who had heard the story This is
an awful good story, Cousin Enid"
Il can't wait much longer" returned
the girl please go on"
Two days after we left the camp,
we cameN across an awful figure,
ragged, blood stained. wasted to a
skeleton, starved"
81 have seed men IN extreme cases
afore," interposed Kirkby, but never
none like him"
Nor l." continued Maitland.
WAS it Newbold?" asked Enid.
"Yes."
"And what had happened Go him."
"Iie and his wife had been prospect
ing in these very mountains; she had
fallen over a cliff and broken herself
so terribly that Newbo had to shoot
her"
What" exclaimed Bradshaw. "You
don't mean that he actually killed
herr"
That's what he DONE" answered
old kirkby.
Poor man." murmured Enid.
But why?" asked Philips.
They were five days away from n
settlement, there wasn't n human be-
ing within a hundred and fifty miles
OF them. not even an Indian" contin-
ued Maitland. She was SD frightfully
broken and mangIed that be couldn't
carry her away"
But why couldn't ne leave her and
go for help" asked Bradshaw.
The wolves. the bears. or tho vul-
lures would have got her. These
woods and mountains were full OF
them then and there are some OF them
beft now ! guess"
The two little girls crept closer TO
their big cousin, each casting anxious
chances beyond the fire light
"Oh. you're all right. little gals"
said Kirkby reassurfngly. 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 n big bar"
And So" continued Maitland. when
she begged him to shoot her. TO put
her out OF her misery, ne did so and
then he started back to the settlement