The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-10-28
lI1TN BRECKENRIDGE ELLIS
Copyright, 1918, by the 5obhs- Merrill
 Company.

company sure thing. I never thought Of this sove without Lahoma in it. How did she get acquainted with Anna bel-and with my brother"
 Tt come about. son. I see at once that the bunch of lem was from the big world. I come home and told Bill, 'Them's the people to tow Lahoma out into life1 says I. So they invited her to spend the winter with them, the Sel- Timers did and show her city. doings."
 .eYes. but how did it come about7'
 Nothing more natural. goes over to their tent and I tells them of the curiosities and good points of these mountains and gets 'em to come on sort of picnic 50 explore. So here they comes, and they gets scattered, what with Bill and Lahoma and me taking different ways. They liked 5LahOna first time they see her, as a matter of course. And so that Miss Sellimer she gets separated from all the rest, and I shows her a dandy hiding place where nobody couldn't find her, and l shows her what a good joke it would be to pretend to be lost. So I leaves her there to go to tell her crowd she dares 'em to find her. Are you listening?'
 Of course"
 
 waiting to be searched for of a sudden a great big Injun in a blanket and feathers and red paint jumps down be- side her and grabs her and picks her up, and about as quick as she knew anything she was gagged and bound and being bore along through the air. I reckon it was a terrible moment for her. Now, there is crevice in the top of the mountain that nobody don't never explore because it's just crack in the rock that ain't to be climbed out of without a ladder. So the Injun caE,- ries her, there and lets her down with rope that it seems he must of had handy Somewhere, and he puts out and there she is in ho1ler in the mountain, not able to moveA or cry out no more than if she'd been captured by Tegu- lar highwayman."
 Wilfred stared at Willock in com p1ete beWilde erment. Wil1ock chuckled.
 There was a terrible time,'' remark ed Bill
 Dark was a-caming on before the party got plumb scared,'' WiIlock con- tinued, .fbut they brushed and combed that mountain looking for the poor lost lady, and as I tells lem she's a-hiding a-purpose they think it a pore sort of | joke till midnight catches lem mighty =SGI1OQS. IL HlQSL OI =O0C1 dW4QA LOT pore Miss Seuime,4 all bound and gagged in that horrible way, but it takes heroic treatment to get some cures, and so Iahoma went with 'en1 to spend the winter
 l "But the. Indian"--s
 Needn't think about him no more. son; we got no more use for that Injun. i We'll, on the next day Lahoma is look ing every where, being urged on by me, 1 and, To and behold, when she comes to ] that crevice-looked like she couldn't u l be induced to go there of her own will. l but it was brung about inal1y-what i does she see but tomahawk lying !, right at the edge what must have been 1 dropped there recent or the crowd would have saw it the day before. It 1 come to her that Miss Sellimer is a prisoner down below. She looks, but 1 it's too dark to see nothing. Not tell ing nobody for fear of starting up false I hopes, she gets light and lowers it 1 and there is that miserable young wo- l man, bound and gagged and her pretty I dress all tore, Lahoma jumps tos her feet to raise the cry, when she dis l covers a ladder under a powder which l the Injun must have put there mean ing to descend to his victim when the ] coast was clear. Down she skins and
 
 | pore young ladyi Lahoma comes up 1 the ladder and meets me, and car 1 ries her out just like feather. Well, i can't you imagine the rest? l reckon l If Miss Sellimer lives a thousand years i she'll never forget the awfulQess of that big Injun and the angel sweetness of the little gal that saved her. Why, 1 if 4Lahoma had asked for the rings off her fingers she could have had 'em.'' | Wilfred rose and went to stare at the | darkness from the small square win dow. Not a word was spoken for some time. At last the silence was broken by the Indian-"Egh! grunted Red Feather.
 "Just SOP remarked Wilfred, with exceeding dryness.
 l What are you thinking, Wilfred ?" demanded Brick |Willock.
 'tPd have thought Lahoma would recognize the ladder
 ssSo she done, but couldn't the Injun 1 have stole my ladder and carried it to that powder? Just as soon as Miss Sellimer was well enough to travel nothing couldn't hold her in these parts, and that's why your brother had to leave before seeing you-he'ss setting to Miss SellI- CT, and if Lahoma don't l git him away from her reckon he's 1 a gonervs
 Bill Atkins spoke vaguely. Tt wasn't none of my doings.''
 I Wilfred looked steadily at WilIock 'eWhat about your whiskers?' ?''
 "Oh, as to them, it was like old times. You takes cloth and cuts it out-painted red Pshaw! What are we talking of? Bill, let's show him her letter. What do you say?''
 'I reckon it wouldn't hurt.'' Bill>con- | ceded who'll read it?"
 "Let Wilfred do the deed,'' willock, suggested.
 wiIfred drew the only stool in the