Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1912-05-23

"See. you have given mo a Malay kris!"
friend here has said is true and more
than true. Watch now and you will
see blood drip from the point of this
blade-every drop OF blood it ever
drew OF man or animal. Look now
watch 1t closely"
We looked and again, as | am liv-
ing man and an honest one, l hope, |
saw, as the others did, running from
the point of the steel blade. q little
trickling stream OF red blood! 1t drop
ped In stream. l say. and fell ON
the white blanket upon which Orme
was sitting. 1t stained the blanket
entirely red. At this sight the entire
group broke apart, only few remain
ing to witness the rest of the scene
l do not attempt to explain this H.
fusion or whatever it was. | do not
know how long 1t lasted. but present
ly, as l may testify, | saw Orme rise
and kick at the wetted blood stained
blanket He lifted it, heavy with drip
ping blood | saw the blood fall from
its corners upon the ground.
"Ah," he remarked calmly. Its get
ting dry now. Here is your knife, my
good fellow"
l looked about me. almost disposed
to rub my eyes, as were perhaps the
others of our party. The same great
plains were there, the same wide
shimmering stream, ripping in the
sunlight, the same groups OF animals
grazing on the bluff. the same senti.
nels outlined against the sky. Over
all shone the binding light OF the
western midday sun. Yet as Orme
as white rs 1t had been before. Au-
berry looked at his knife blade as
though he would have preferred to
throw it awav. but he sheathed it and
1t fitted the sheath as before.
Orme smiled at us all pleasantly.
do you believe In the Indian tele-
graph now?' he inquired.
! have told you many things OF this
strange man. Gordon Orme. and
shall need to tell yet others Some
times my friends smile at me even yet
over these things But since that day
| have not doubted the tales old An
berry told me OF our own Indians
Since then, too, | have better under
stood Gordon Orme and his strange
personality. the like OF which | never
knew in any land.
How long it was | hardly knew, for
] had sunk into sort of dull apathy
in which one day was much like an
other But at last we gathered our
crippled party together and broke
camp. our wounded men In the wag-
ons. and so slowly passed on west,
ward up the trail. We supposed,
what later proved to be true. that the
Sioux had raided in the valley on both
sides OF us and that the scattered por,
tons Of the army had all they could
do. while the freight trains were held
back until the road was clear.
| wearied OF the monotony Of wagon
travel and without council with any
finally, weak as | was. called for my
horse and rode on slowly with the
walking teams. had gone for some
ulNldH't DeIOiP HtdIu uODIS On me
sand behind me.
Guess who II is" called voice
Don't turn yOur head"
II can't turn" / answered. but !
know who II is"
She rode up alongside. where | could
see her. and fair enough she was t.
look upon. and glad enough ! was to
look She was thinner now with this
prairie life. and browner and the ends
Of her hair We're still following. like
that If outdoors men She still was
booted and goyed after the fashion ~
civilization, and still elsewise CARRIED
IN the aboriginal costume which she
filed and honored eraciouSly The
metal cylinders on her ieggins ratified
as she rode
You ought not TO ride" 81. std
You are pale"
You are beautiful" said |: and
ride because Won arp beautifnl
Her eye we're ouSy with her g,cyes