The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1914-09-11
}. MONTAGUE
The Life Of a Willful Boy
Who Set Upon Himself the
Responsibility Of Avenging
His Fathers Murder F.: :


into dry sobs.
20 Lord. send somebody quick" she
wept. "Send somebody quick, for I've
got ter co."
1t seemed hours to the distracted girl
that she waited alone in the little re-
mote hollow with only the dead wo-
man keeping her company. and with
the message for David crying out to
be told. it was in reality only a short
time before she caught sight of Mrs.
Snyder, and her sister-in-law, Jane Nc
Curdy. approaching along the path.
With Il cry, Mary rushed out Of the
house to meet them.
"She's dead!" she screamed. "She's
dead-an' l was all erlone-an' I got
ter tell Dave-I got ter go before hits
too late" and, without pausing, she
fed wildly by them and disappeared
down the hollow, her hair blown about
her face, and her light skirts soaked
by the steady drizzle of the morning,
and whipped about her by the high
wind.
The two women looked after her in
surprise.
'Po' little thing! She's skeered most
ter DEATH" they said. "Ann Cooper
certainly ought ter er had better sense
than ter er left her ull erlone that er-
way"
And then, turning, they went on to
their duty in the c~abin-their duty,
with the completion of which the his
tory Of the Lamfires of the Messy Run
hollow fell shut, like the closing Of a
book.
At an early hour, which vas no
longer true night yet was scarcely
dawn, for only the faintest gray tinge
of light struck across the darkness,
George Hedrick, in the little attic room
over his store, was awakened from
the first sound sleep which the raging
of the storm and the wind had permit
ted him all night, by a sudden agonized
pounding OF his outside door. He
started broad awake, and again the
sound came. Springing from his bed.
and crying out "All right"! he dragged
on a few clothes hastily, and lighting
his lamp descended to the store.
The pounding was wildly continuous
now, as though some II were beside
himself for admission.
Eyes! yes! I'm er COMM" he cried
fitting the key to the lock and flinging
open the door. At it's opening the fig
ure Of Il woman scudded in and stop
ped in the middle Of the room.
1t was Judith Cree, and as she stood
in the dim lamplight she faced Hedrick
with horror in her eyes, one land
gripping the edge of the counter hard.
George" she cried, ooh, GEORGE"
and could get no further.
Hedrick's hand trembled and he set
the lamp down quickly.
HAS Dave done hit" he said.
II don't know, l don't know-an' I'm
most crazy" she answered in a low,
stunned voice.
against The counter, her dress wet and
d%isheveled. her faded hair slipping
down upon her shoulders, and her ter
riied wild eyes fixed upon the store
keeper.
"Oh, George" she cried again in the
same appalled, tone. Il sent him
ter do hit. He come home an'-an' he
didn't seem like he was goin' ter, an
l stirred him up all l knowed how, an
he went inter Their house an got his
pistol, an went off jest es Their storm
was comm up. l sent him, George!
I made him go! l don't know what
devils been in me, but hit seems jest
like I'd been dead SOS l couldn't feel
nOthin' fer ten years, an yesterday /
jest come erlive all at onct, an l didn't
think ther was anythin' I keered fer
'cept ter hev Kip Ryerson paid off, till
seed Dave goin' erway inter ther
dark" Her voice fell away into 81
lence, but still her eyes held the man.
II seed him 60" she went on again,
a blind dismay in her face. II seed
him go, an at first I was glad, but
then l got ter studyin' on ther way he
looked when he went off, an l been ey
seem his face that erway all night, an
thinkin' how he was when he was er
little feller-an' then seem him over
an over ergin, goin' erway down ther
hill in Their dark, an KNOWN all ther
time that hit was me made him go
me, his own mother! Oh, l don't know
what's been Their matter with me,
George, but hit don't seem like hit
could er been me that keered more fer
my hate than l did fer my chile"
She nut her shaking hands up to her
face, but she did not weep, and her
fearless dismayed eyes still looked over
her fingers into the ~storekeeper's face
with a wide md frightened gaze.
"Oh, George" she cried, won't Yer
please ter find him an make him come
back? Id go myself. but l know !
couldn't do nothin' with him now-not
after what l said-an' l do b'licve he'd
do more fer you than fer any other
nan in Their Draft. o God" she cried,
her voice falling to a whisper. II been
err terrible wicked woman" She PAUSED
a moment and then rushed on again;
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