Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1915-11-04

,sJ>>S - VI Il thlc
was the"laSt wagon''in that train which
Red kimball had attacked the morning
before. Impossible as it had seemed to
the highwaymen, Gledware must have
been warned Of the attack in time to
turn about and lash his horses out of
danger of discovery. At this spot Gled-
are had cut loose the horses, mount
ed II with his ~stepdaughter. leaving
the other to go at will. This. then,
was the mother of hat child whose
arm had lain in warn confidence about
his neck. On hands and knees Will
lock crept to the other mattress and
lifted the margin of the large white
cloth.
His hand moved stealthily. slowly.
Catching sight of something that faint
ly CLEANED at the collar of the dress,
he hesitated. His determination to IN
anime the c~ountenance was as firm as
ever, but his impulse to put it off as
long as possible was even stronger. He
bent down to look closer at the orna-
ment. 1t was a round brcastpin of
onyx and pearl set in a heavy rim of
gold. The warm wind, tempered by
approaching night to Il grateful balmi-
ness, stirred the cloth between his fin
gers. lie stared as If lost in profound
meditation. That pin rcscmbled one
his mother used to Wear. and some
how the soothing touch of the wind
reminded him of her hand on his fore
head. He might have gone back homo
if she had not died long ago.
He searched the wagon for a spade.
1t was found in the box fastened to
the end Of the wagon, and with the
dug Il grave near the mountain side.
When the sand vas smoothed over the
place he carried thither quantities of
heavy stones and broken blocks of
granite to preserve the body from wild
beasts.
1t was dark when the heap of stones
had been arranged in the form of Il
low pyramid; but, though he had not
tasted food for tWenty-four hours, he
fingered beside the grave, his head bent
rs if still struggling with those un-
WOnted memories of the long ago. At
last, as If forced by a mysterious pow
er against which he could no longer
resist, he sank upon his knees.
20 God" he prayed aloud, take care
Of the little girl
He waited. but no more words would
come.
1t came over him with disconcerting
Suddenness that he had lost a great
deal OF time and that every moment
spent in the covered wage was
traught with imminent danger. 1t was
not in his mind that the band Of high
waymen might discover his hiding
place. knowing them as he did, he
was sure they would o come SO far
from their hauntS or from the Santa
Fe trail In pursuit Of him. But the
Indians roamed the Panhandle, as
much at home there as in their reser-
vations, and here they we're much
more dangerous. Had no savage eve
discerned that wagon during the bril-
liant August day?
- ""o q oAoiulClllS l1llSS. WILBUR
told himself that had such been the
case his scalp lock would not still
adorn his own person. For all that,
he was eager to be gone. Instead Of
eating in the wagon he wrapped up
some 0 in Il bread cloth, placed this
with a few other articles in a tarpau-
lin, among them powder and shot, and,
having lifted the key of water to one
shoulder and the rope bound tarpaulin
to the other, he left the wagon with a
loaded gun in his hand.
Twilight had faded to starlight, and
the mountain range stood blackly de
fined against the glittering stars. 1t
was easy TO find his way, for on the
level sands there We're nc impediments,
and when the mountain was reached
a low divide offered him easy passage
up the ascent. For the most part the
slopes were gradual. and in sleeper
places lodges Of granite, somewhat like
giant stairs, assisted him to the high
est ridge. From this vantage point he
could see the level plain stretching
away on the farther side.
A second ridge was not so high as
the outer wall, and he paused here,
feeling more secure.
The fugitive was not interested in
the dimly defined shapes about him.
His attention had been attracted by a
crevice in the smooth rock ledge at
his feet. This ledge, barren of vcgeta-
ton and as level as a slab of rough
marble. showed a long black line like
Il crack in a stone pavement. At the
mans feet the crevice was perhaps
two feet wide.
Presently he set the key and the
tarpaulin ball Oh the ground. not to
rest his shoulders, but in order to sink
on his knees beside the c~revice. He
put his face down over it, listening,
peering, but making no discovery.
Then he unwound the lariat from about
his waist, tied it to the o p that had
been a halter and, having fastened a
stone to one end, lowered it into the
black space. The length of the lariat
slipped through his fingers and the
rope was following when suddenly the