The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-09-21
WHISPERING FOOTSTEPS
  BY CHARLES ALBERT HALLE
CHAPTER VII.

OdtAFlEfS VII.
 The Story That Struck Home.
 The three men see me in Harrison City buying an outfit. They follow me to Rioville. and there Reedy Gibbs makes up to me, to rope me. as they say. When I scare his pony down hill and make him lose me. he joins the other two, and they trail me through the forest and across the desert. They're watching me from the cottonwoods beside the Ganado cliffs when they see me fall down on the sand and dig my arms into IT, And then they come and take my chart.
 "An' I swear to yo'." winds up Reedy Gibbs, that I meant yo' no ha'am, am nuther did Jimmy Roach. Buddy, all we wanted was to help tn cap git back tn mine his partner stole from him, an share it with him. fo' that was what he held out to us. What he done was a devils deed, an ag'in' our will Don yo' believe me. boy?'
 I couldn't answer. was all in a tremble over the story Gibbs had told, me being blind and so helpless, and thinking of that field Sinsmith want ing to win my own dear little girl. Oh, I could piece together the story
 
 miner what I knew, and that was what Sinsmith hadn't told him. I could see now why Morehead had l hid himself in our country. All tha, | had happened between Sinsmith and him was a mystery to me. But More hard loved his daughter, and he wouldn't see her meet that wretch l again. He was waiting, perhaps, fol Sinsmith to get drunk to death or shot in the mining country, But that devil found him out at last. l could picture the workings o1 Sinsmith's evil heart when he finds out that I'd married Emma Morehard That's why he showed his hate, SC when he met me by the Winding Woods, back there in Missouri Ano when he ran away from me, he met Morehard in the woods and killed | him.
 And I couldn't help but wonder al | the wretch's cunning, seeing how Washburn and I had the wide coun- | try searched for him. and yet he stay ed hid there all the while. and watch | ed me on my walking tours witr Morehard's pedograph.
 Buddy" said Reedy Gibbs again | Gods curse has bin on me an l Jimmy Roach fo' tn hand we had 1T l Sinsmith's deal. When he has yor, i chart, he said he'll take us to tn ! mine. 'Stid O that. he leas us to tn | lava beds. O the Big Smoke Valley By night he lights out with tn ponie l an tn packs. He figures we'll stay, | an die in tn lava flats. an tell n, l tale.
 Jimmy, my pal, goes mad, as yo l was gettin' when we foun' yo' in tn i Ganado. Crazy mad with thirst wa | IiTp1r Doc NI, ,0p- tn Big Smoke with the bullet he sho in his haid. As fo me, I live like , | coyote, an tn Ganados can't kill me But they's one black score fo' me [, | settle. | sBut boy. I want to square myse1 1 with yo' befo' I go. What kin I do buddy, to make 1t right?"
 The old jack miner waited patientl, l for my reply. Now change ha, come in my thoughts toward him, To felt he'd acted fairly decent at that But my heart was bitter toward al he world just then, and I said in savage way: eff you want to squar yourself with me, Reedy Gibbs, g tell your partner, Sinsmith, that tn | blind mans waiting for him here"
 Gibbs gave a low groan at that and heard him mutter, sort of broker 1 hearted: 9Th boy don trust me. He talked to himself for a minute, an
 then. without another word. h
 mounted his pony and rode o1 | through the woods
 l was left to my thought again, an
 the days that passed were a blac
 torture. I couldn't drive that story c wrongs and evil deeds from my mint
 and I cursed the jack mine in tn
 Ganados for the suffering it ha 1 brought on me and those I loved.
 And then of a sudden a wonderfu
 thing happened to me. I made
 great discovery-one that promised S
 much that I thought Heaven mus
 have sent it to me. I wanted {
 Ghout, but I bit my lips to keep fro1
 speaking. I watched and waited
 though my blood was rushing and m
 heart beat wild. But I kept the thin
 a secret, even from Hosey, the halt
 breed, the only friend I had.