The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1920-05-06
two bullets, and I was obliged to drag

two bullets, and I was obliged to drag
his huge body to one side before I
could press my way in through the
door. The open doorway and window
afforded ample light, and a single
glance was sufficient to reveal most
of the story. The table had been
smashed as by the blow of an ak, and
pewter dishes were everywhere. The
bed in n corner had been stripped Of
it's coverlets, many of them slashed
by a knife, and the straw tick had
been ripped open in a dozen places.
Goals from the fireplace lay wide
spread, some Of them having eaten
deeply into the hard wood before they
ceased smoldering.
l saw all this, yet my Eyes rested
upon something else. A man lay, bent
double across an overturned bench. In
a posture which hid his face from
view. His body was there alone, al
. though a child's shoe lay on the
floor, and Il wOman's linsey dress
dangled from II hook against the wall.
I crept forward, my heart pounding
lIflNlIS, hAlI l No"Iu fun lShL VI Al19
face. He was a big fellow, not more
than thirty, with sandy hair and beard,
and a pugnaciouS jaw, his coarse
hickory shirt SlaShed into ribbons, q
bullet wound in the center of his fore
head, and one arm broken by a vicious
blow. His calloused hands yet gripped
the haft of an ak, just as he had died
fighting.
Tins voice spoke from the door
way.
"Injuns, I reckon2"
ayes, they have been here; the man
is dead. But there must AVE bee
others, a and child also-see
that shoe on the floor, and the dress
hanging over there. The poor devil
fought hard"
Kennedy stepped inside, staring
about him.
"DO you think it best to stop here?'
"Why not? faint likely them
devils will be hack agin. Thar sure
must be sOmethin' fer us ter eat in the
place, an the Lord lalo's we can't go
on as we are. Them gurls be mighty
nigh ready ter drop, an two g the
bosses has plum Civ out. I'm fer set
tim down fer IL few hours enyhOw-
say till it gifts middling dark"
Undoubtedly this was the sensible
view. We would be in far less danger
remaining there under cover than in
any attempt to continue our journey
by daylight. Together we carried the
body out, and deposited it in a thicket
behind the cabin, awaiting burial and
then dragged the dead dog also out of
sight. The disorder within was easily
remedied. and, after this had been at
tended to-. the girls were permitted to
enter. Eloise sank back on the bench,
her head supported against the wall,
the lashes of her half-closed eyes
showing dark against the whiteness
of her cheeks. She looked SO pitifully
tired, the very heart chOked in my
throat.
The rest of us found a small stock
of provisions, and Elsie, with Tim to
aid her, built a fire and prepared
breakfast. A half-filIed bottle of
whisky discovered in the cupboard,
helped to revive all of us slightly, and
gave Asa sufficient courage to seek
outside for a spring. Tim, compare.
lively unwearied. himself, and restless,
located a trapdOor in the floor, rather
ingeniOusly concealed, which disclosed
the existence Of a small cellar below.
Candle in hand he explored this, re-
turning with two guns. together with
a quantity of powder and ball, and in.
formation that there remained a half
keg Of the explosive hidden below.
"Must a bin amin ter blow up
stumps, l reckon" he commented, x
hibiting a sample. "Coarsest I ever
saw; cudn't hardly use tibet in no gun,
but it's powder alright"
To remove the debris out of our way,
I was gathering up the straw tick and
slit blankets, and piled them all to.
gether back on the bed. Clinging to
n Of the blankets, caught and held
by it's pin, va Il uCcu'iar emblem, and
/ stood for a moment with it in my
hand, %curiousiy examining the odd de
Sign, Eloi"e Enclosed her eyes,, and
started to her feet.
"What is that you hsve?" she asked.
"A pin of some kinda rather
strange design; l just found it here,
entangled in this blanket"
"Why,' she exclaimed in surprise. 81
have seen n exactly like it before
Kirby wore it in his tie"