Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-06-24
gasped an choked. The revolver
slipped from his fingers. He CROPPED
with his hands, as il searching the

saspeu an cnoked. me revOlVer
with his hands, as il searching the
air for i: staggered, caught himself,
>tottered,N pitched heavily to the moor.
The girl edged out Of the corner
past his body and threw herself upon
the form Of the old nan The Pearl
hunter eAsed down the hammer Of
his revolver, thrust it back into his
pocket, and stopped beside her. At
head and knelt stroking the still face
and crying softly. The Pearlhunter
opened the old mans coat and felt
over his heart. T
Hes alivc!"
The girl grasped his arm.
sHe is:. he answered to her eyes;
She laid Her face down close and
spoke his name;-the only name she
knew. There was no RESPONSE.
Help me lift him to the COUCH"
the man said.
For the second time that night his
arm had to come out Of the sling. 1T
came without a murmur. Thsy had
the old man on the couch. and the
girl had run for water, when the
by the younger man, dashed into The
cabin. All three worked over him.
The Pearihunter chafed one wrist, the
Sheriff the other, while the girl bath
ed his face, washed the blood out Of
his hair, and strovc to staunch its
flow by binding up his head in gold
cloths. ~.
Suddenly, without any warning
signs Of returning consciousness, the
old man plucked his hand away from
the P~earlhunter, and rubbed lit over
! his face. His eyes came open, but
they were not, the eyes. And
his face was free from twitching. The
girl stared down upon him in Won
DEP: The %Pearlhunter stopped low
and marveled at the startling trans
formation. Neither knew; o even
suspected, until the doctor explained
it. days later, that, the blows OF the
revolver butt had loosened the tiny
bit Of skull that had 50 long shack
led his brain-loosened it at the ex-
pense of a far worse hurt, but un-
doubtedly loosened it. They only
the vacant stare: that his face was
calm with the light Of reason.
He felt again over his face, seemed
astonished al the beard. His eyes
calmly gazed up at, the gipl, at the
! Pearlhunter, at the Sheriff with his
star. They came back to the girl
and studied her a long time.
you couldn't be Dotty?"
His voice was queer, hollow, quav-
ering. like some sound from another
world RID SO, long had it gone unused.
She threw her arms around hin,
and dropped her head on his breast.
He sat stroking her hair, finally rails.
ed her, Looked hard at her, rubbed
his eyes ana looked again.
! you must be Dotty. But you've
changed so since moIping."
The girl seemed unable to tell Aim
She strove for words, but none came.
the Pearlhunter drew nearer.
You've been-sck a long time
sir. he . said. Seven ear And
you're just getting well again."
! The puzzled eyes. suddenly waken-
ed into a world new and strange,
turned toward him.
i Il haven't the pleasure of your &C
,Quaintance." he said. with the stately
politeness Of a day long M MAY
IT ask" a.
"Fm-I'm--''
He hesitated, flushed. The girl
,Fcalm again. came to the rescue. y
i He's the Pearlhunter. Daddy. I1e''
been-good to me--since-you've beer
sick" =.
The old man reached out his hand
1t seemed heavy for him. The Pearl.
hunter grasped it. He was startled to
find it cold. He glanced hastily into
the old mans face. A pallor. was
spreading over it that was unmistak'
able-the momentary return to :on'
seriousness was but the CLEAN that. Al
thetend of a gray day. sometimes
flares out between sundown-and dark
He said nothing of it to the girl, who
was happily busy again with the wa
ter bandages. lt,
The Sheriff had left the couch ant
was squatted over the body Of the
fallen bhhdit. The Pearlhunter. hap
pened to glance that way. The Sher'
if beckoned to him. eure@
+"This.feller amt dead yet" he said
when the Pearlhunter had Joined
him. The young man stopped ovel
the sprawled robber. He was still
breathing.
HE don't deserve It," the Sheriff
went on "'but it's only common de
cency TO get him up"
He put his arm under the man and
raised him. while the Pearlhuntel
brought a damp cloth from the basir
by the couch. and wiped his face