Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1920-01-30

dawned suddenly upon uS-tncre 70
our right lay q dead mule, harnessed
for work, but with throat cut; while
directly in front of the cabin door was
a dog. an ugly, massive brute, his
mouth open, prone on his back, with
stiffened legs pointing to the sky. |
dropped my rein, and strobe forward.
"Wait where you are" called back.
s"There have been savages here; let
me see first what has happened in
side"
The dog had been shot. stricken by
two bullets. and was obliged to drag
his huge body to one side before l
could press my way in through the
door. The open doorway and window
afforded ample light, and 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 one corner had been stripped of
its coverlets, many of them slashed
by knife, and sthe straw tick had
been ripped open in dozen places.
Goals ffom the fireplace lay wide
sprea, some of them having eaten
deep1 Afhe hard wood before they
cease, dering.
+ sa h this, yet my eyes rested
upon sol, thing else A man lay, bent
double 6ss an overturned bench, in
postum which hid his face from
view. His body was there alone. al
omclgK a childs shoe lay on the
and a woman's linsey dress
led from hook against the wall
ept forward, my heart pounding
v, until / could gain sight of his
He was big fellow, not more
rty, with sandy hair and beard,
pugnacious jaw, his coarse
shirt slashed into ribbons, a
\pund in the center Of his fore
hen lid one arm broken by vicious
Yblow AHis calloused hands yet gripped
the Eaft of an ak, just as he had died
Tins Voice spoke from the door
way
| fInjuns, reckon?"
eyes, they have been here; the man
| is dead. But there must have been
others, a woman 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 hereT'
I"Why not? 'Tain't likely them
devils will be back agin. Thar sure
! must be somethin' fer us ter eat in the
place, an the Lord kno's we can't go
on as we are. Them gurls be mighty
| nigh ready ter drop, an two O. the
bosses has plum Civ out. I'm fer set
tim down fer a 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 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 small stock
of provisions, and Elsie, with Tim to
aid her, built a fire and prepared
breakfast. A half-filled 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 trapdocr 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 half
keg of the explosive hidden below.
Must a bin amin ter blow ur
stumps, i reckon" he commented, ex-
hibiting a sample. "Coarsest ever
saw; cudn't hardly use tibet in no gun
but it's powder alright"
To remove the debris out of our way
1 was gathering up the straw tick and
slit blankets, and piled them all to-
gether back on the bed. Clinging to
one of the blankets, caught and held
by it's pin, was peculiar emblem, and
stood for a moment with it in my
hand, curiously examining the odd de-
sign. Eloise Enclosed her eyes, and
started to her feet.
what is that you havew she asked
"a pin of some kinda rather
strange design; just found it here
entangied in this blanket"
"Why," she exclaimed in surprise, y
have seen one exactly like it before
Kirby wore it In his tie"