Year: 1877

"oulu w NtlN tlldi lllllS perhaps Sllt
mjgId come if | asked her.


'And did YOU ask her ?"


Il did not. \ young man, with q repul-
tatlon to sustain up there in the noun
tains, couldn't invite young lady to stay
a week with him, could he now ?" cried
Elam quantity, which set Us both laugh
| ing.


80 parried the question as easily as
| could, and she rode away In going
| slowly down the trail. she turned and
kissed her hand to me with Il gracious
sweetness. | assure YOU the struggle
within my own mind was great at that
moment, and | don't know whether
have forgiven myself vet for what hap
| pened atterWard."


"Wh hat did happen 2"


"Shc came back again. she cuhae buch
0gai}1, and I dr0re her u5cay That is.
made the best excuses could for not re
| admitting her, saying we should perhaps
have fighting and murdcr-;nd what not
in my fort that night, and it would be
no place or scene for Il delicately-b bred
woman. The pretty and modest girl,
who was to come from Wilamrt Valley
and hang up her pink garments on my
pegs, had rushed to my mind, you see
tjit never like to confess to this part of
the story, because got laughed ut. But
don't YOU think did right having my
reputation to keep up"


While we had our laugh out. Elam was
pushing his soft, fine light hair off his
brown with those slender fingers, that
looked as il no rough work had ever come
near them and what must they have
been before it did come He went on
thoughtfully.


''She finally rode away, not having been
invited to get off her horse, leaving me in
anything but pleasant frame Of mind.
From telling myself was 4 bear, turned
to the other subject my promised rob
berry and murder. Had she simply in
vented that little fable. or was it a true
bill? felt inclined to believe it the lat
ter Any way, deemed it well to he pre-
pared for all contingencies, barring and
bolting my fort against intruders, and sit
ting up late over the fire. This was Sun
day night. On the Tuesday morning three
or -four mounted men rode up, one of whom
was the traitor, my former naked and hun
CRY protegc. He no longer attempted to
conceal his true character from me, but
said he and his comrades We're intending
to clean out the Chinese camp, and he
Ushcd me to join them in the yHid | was
on my guard in answering him, simply
saving that would have nothing to do
with robbing the Chinese, that they were
my friends and customers, and thought
they had best be let alone. With that he
went oft. That same afternoon Edwards
came in, having recaptured some of the
horses. He was very tired, and asked
leave to stay with the horses at my place
till the next day. | said nothing to Ed
wards OF the gang just gone away. or
that (what | suspected) they had talked
Of making raid on the Chinese only to
throw me off my guard that it was my
fort on which the attack was to be, and |
hoped the fellows did not know Of the
arrival Of the horses, as they would he
an additional temptation for them"


Id not live in those wild, laWless
regions for the whole World," cried out
Mary.


dusk came on. | sent Edwards, dead
tired, TO bed made a great fire in the
tent, and sat by it facing the window.
My expected visitor came, the villain. He
made believe to have been drinking, and
put that forward as a plea for asking
shelter until the morning. The instant
lie was inside, | made the gate fast, driv-
ING the big wooden pins home with an
axe. caught a CLEAN from his eyes as
Was doing this which =


''But why not have made the gate fast
before he entered =


''Btcallsc he was safer inside than out.
y conviction had come over me that this
man was some desperate character His
comrades We're no doubt waiting near,
and his plan had been quietly to open the
gate to them =


II wanted none, ior we understood each
other my rifle ana l. This villain I'M
derstoOd us, too. don't think, either he
liked to see Edwards sleeping in the tent.
The lad was not good for much: but still
he was somebody. 1t would now be Il
contest of skill between the fellow and
me. He was waiting his opportunity, and
50 was !. Of all villainous-lookin men,
be was the worst. Tall. swarthy, black
bearded with 4 hard face that must have
been handsome once, and fierce black ewes
cleaning with evil. He sat on one side
the hearth, | on the other, our ewes fixed
on one another"


Eam paused. | wandered what was
coming.


"lou guess, | darcsay, that have Il
quick ear, for you know what my temper
amcnt is all sensitive consciousness. My
good hearing had been cultivated too, by
listening for the Indians. By-and-by |
detected Il very stealthy movement out
side the fort, and then a faint chirrlp,
such as a young squirrel might make Up
Sprang the man, but | covered him with
my rifle, cooked. He SAW the movement,
showed his teeth. and drew out il pistol
but not before | ordered him to throw
| down his arms, or die. He hesitatcd; he
saw that in my eye and aspect that made
him quail With the rifle cvelcd, and my
finger on the trigger he threw down his
arms pistol and knitc-With dreadful
oath. | had the best OF him, and he knew
it: for before he could have put his pistol
into form, or rushed on me with his knife,
the ball from my rifle would have been in
him. His language was awful land we
are not nice III that respect, you know in
Calltornla-the foam lay on his lips. He
demanded to be let out of the house, de
nouncing me Us robher and murderer
70 all his rawlings had but one answer
to be quiet, to obey me, and he should
live; dare to disobey me, and he should
die He sat there cowed, on the opposite
side Of the fire, nor daring to make even
a doubtful motion. Then | told him what
| kneW-that had heard what he was
and what he had meant to do. With that
he broke down utterly-or pretended at
it, hoWed like a child, declaring that now
he knew my pluck, and had been the
first man ever to get the better of him.
he loved me like a brother. All the same
love or no love, he had to sit where he
was, and in front of him, with my rifle
on my knees There was q long night
before us; he could have no liberty in it.
and the restraint was horrible to him
One moment he laughed uneasily; the
next cursed; the next, cried. 1t was a
strange experience, was it not To pass
away the time, | asked him to relate the
history Of his life. He said lie would but
| would first of all lust shake hands. fOl