Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1920-03-05

seemed to stare at rue out of the black
ness. They must be dead! Why, l had
seen Kennedy fall, the needless feet
crunching his face, and Asa Hall
tossed into the air and shot at as he
fell. ElOise! Eloise! I covered my
eyes with the free hand, conscious that
/ was crying like child-Eloise. My
God, ElOise! / wonder if l tainted; I
knew SO little after that; so little, ex-
cept that l suffered helplessly. If l
did not faint, then I must have been
upon the verge of insanity, for there
was time-God knows how long
when all was blank.
Some slight. scarcely distinguishable
noise aroused me. Yes, it was actually
a sound, as though someone moved in
the room-moved stealthily. as though
upon hands and knees, seeking pas
sage in the darkness. I imagined
could distinguish breathing. Who, what
could it be? A man; proving wild
animal which had scented blood? But
for my dry, parched lips I would have
cried Out-yet even with the vain
endeavOr, doubt silenced me. Who
could be there--who? Some sneaking
cowardly thief; some despoiler of the
dead? Some Indian returned through
the night to take his toll of scalpS
hoping to thus proclaim himself a
mighty warrior? More likely enemy
than friend. 1t was better that 1 lie
and suffer than appeal to such a fiend
for mercy.
The slight sound shifted to the right
Of where / lay, no longer reminding
me of the slow progress of moving
body, but rather as though someone
were attempting blindly to scrape to-
gether ashes in the fireplace. pressed
my one free hand beneath my neck.
and thus, by an effort, lifted myself
so as to see more clearly. beyond the
shoulder of the dead Indian. The first
tiny, Pickering spark of fire had caught
the dry wood, and was swiftly bursting
into flame. In another moment this
had illumined that STOPPING figure. and
rested in blaze of light upon the
lowered face. bringing out the features
as though they were framed against
the black wall beyond-a woman's
face, the face of Eloise!
| gave vent to one startled, inarticu-
late cry, and she sprang to her feet.
the mantling flames girding her as
though she were a statue. In that first
frightened glance she failed to see
me: her whole posture told of fear, of
indeciSiOn.
"Who was it spoke? Who called? Is
someone alive here?"
The trembling words sounded
strange. unnatural. ! could barely
whisper, yet | did my best.
"It is Steven, Eloise-come to me-"
"Steven! Steven Knox-alive! Oh,
my God; you have answered my
prayer!"
She found me. needless of all the
horror in between, as though guided
by some instinct, and dropped on her
knees beside me. l felt a tear fall on
my cheek, and then the warm, eager
pressure of her lips to mine. l could
not speak; I could only hold her close
with my one hand.
"YOu are suffering" she cried.
"What can I do? Is it this Indians
body?'
'Yes," I breathed, the effort of
speaking an agony. ''He lies directly
across my chest, dead weight"
It taxed her strength to the utmost,
but, OH the immediate relief! With
the drawing of full breath / felt
return of manhood. revival of life.
Another body pinned my limbs to the
floor, hl This was more easily dis
posed of. Then managed to lift my.
self, but with the first attempt her
arm was about my shoulders.
mo; not alone-let rae help you. Do
you really think you can stand? Why,
you are hurt, dear; this is knife
wound in your side. 1t looks ugly, but
is not deep and bleeds no longer Are
there other injuries?"
"My head rings, and this left arm
appears paralyzed, from blows, no
doubt; there are spots on my body
which feel like burns. No, I am not in
bad shape. Now let me stand alone;
that's better. Good God, what a
scene!''
The fire, by this time blazing bright
ly, gave us full view of the entire
dismantled interior. The cabin was a
complete wreck, the roof practically
all gone and the upper logs of the side
walls either fallen within or dangling
in threat. Clearly enough it had been
the sudden plunge of heavy timbers
and the dislodgment of those upper
logs, which accounted for this havoc
of death. There were dead there
pierced by bullets and Drained by rifle
stocks, but the many had met their
fate under the avalanche of logs, and
amid the burning glare of exploding
powder.
Only between arched timbers and
sections of fallen roof could we move
at all, and beneath the network Of
this ENHANCEMENT the majority of the