Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1916-10-31


She came up the slope with an easy,
sprlnging step that told of youthful
buoyancy. From under the hem of her
neat gingham dress peeped the toes of
small, blue-beaded mOccasins. Having
reloaded her pistol, she raised her
head to look up at the rider. He was
hitting his hand to touch his hat with
perfunctory courtesy. Then he saw
her face-calm, proud, wildly beauti-
full.
He removed his hat, with a sudden
change in his manner that brought a
CLEAN into the girls blue-black eyes.
The glare of the midday sun exposed
the lines in his strong, plain face and
the pallor under its tropical tan. From
the white hairs that silvered his thick
rudy locks at the temples, his age
might have been put at thirty-fve or
forty. But this sign of middle age was
contradicted by the clear hazel eyes.
A trifie disconnected by the girls
cool scrutiny, he brusquely demanded:
What is the trouble here?'
She looked from his cavalry puttees
TO his army saddle and the butt of his
rifle. Il guess you needn't worry about
your scalp" she assured him, her rich
contralto voice as soft as it was sweet
~ hooking. "You came near getting a
hair brand, l see. But you're safe
enough now if you keep close"
The raillery brought slight flush in
to his sallow cheekg. Yet his gaze did
not finch before her look of disdain.
He asked another question: "Have
they taken the agency?"
mo. We saw this bunch I'D the
bank. Reggie cut loose at them before
Pere could stop him."
Pere? Ah-your father. The
other man fired at them first, you say?"
Can you blame him? He was along
when the agent was shot down, last
week. You may have heard of the
murder"
Eyes. Still n was wrong for him TO
Invite an attack, with woman in his
party"
"Oh. I'm only a quarterbreed, you
know" replied the girl with ironical
lightness. Besides, Reggie thought
the party was trying to head us off.
Don't worry. Charlie Redbear crawled
up the road half an hour ago. The
chances are we can hold out until he
fetches the police" A rifle shot pune
tuated the remark.
The rider looked over the coulee
bank across at the jagged crest of the
butte. IF they slip over there" he
said, 'this position will become unten-
able. The butte is the key to the stu
alton"
He looked at the girl, between con-
Germ and swiftly growing admiration of
her remarkable beauty. Her eyes were
like blue-black diamonds. An almost
imperceptible film of old-gold enriched
the cream and rose of her cheeks. Her
jet-black hair was of French fineness.
The curve of her rather large mouth
was perfect.
But the red lips were again parting
in disdainful smile. She replied with
out seeking to conceal her scorn: eff
you're afraid they'll take the butte,
you might get away by boiling down
the cOulee. Veil 10 what we can to
draw their fire."
"You will?" he said "Tnank you for
your suggestion. 1 believe I'll follow
it. Kindly step aside"
She stood motionless, her eyes gilt
tering with cold contempt of his cow
ardice. Unchecked by the look, he
leaned forward in the saddle. The
mare leaped away like a startled deer.
Once clear of the gulley she swerved
sharply and raced away down the cou-
lee. The flight was so unexpected, so
daring and so swift that the fugitive
had been borne good fifty yards down
along the foot of the near slope before
the Indians opened fire on him.
The girl had crept forward and
crouched in the entrance of the gulley
to peer after him.
1.-THE coward !" she cried. "The COW
ard i hope they get him !"
But before one of the many bullets
could find the leaping, receding mark,
mare and rider shot out of sight behind
a clump of willows. At once the firing
ceased.
The blond young man under the bush
glanced around at the girl and called
jeeringly: az say, Marie, how's that
for a bobtail visit? Took him for
gentleman"
Gentleman? That's the word" she
Knocked. Conduct becoming an officer
and gentleman"
"Oficer?' he repeated. you don't
mean TO say"
Eyes" she asserted. Hes an army
officer. 1 could see it sticking out all
over him."
The man stared at her in blank
amazement. but suddenly bethought
himself to roll over and send bullet
pinging up the coulee.
The girl continued TO peer down the
river bottom. After several moments
mare and rider dashed into view, rae
ing directly across the coulee. Though
the Indians at once opened fire, the
mare had skinned over the level and
up into a gulley in the far bank before
they could get the range.
Hopeful that one or more of the
enemy might expose themselves during
the excitement, the young man behind
the bush had not looked around. AS
the firing ceased, he called scofingly:
"How about the strategic retreat? Does
General Fabius make his getaway with
out caSualties?
lie bon Dieu be praised! He has
escaped" the girl Knocked in turn. I'VE
are saved. In a week or ten days he
will return to the rescue with three
troops of cavalry"
'If those sneaking coyotes have sent
a delegation around to climb the butte
from the UPSIDE, Wen get ours before