The Okeene Leader. (Okeene, Okla.), Vol. 7, No. 39, Ed. 1 Friday, April 25, 1913 Page: 2 of 4
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1 he Okeene Leader
RAGLAND
ami Pul'lialic-r
ON K HOI,I,AW I’KW V HA K
QuOirvit at Hit-
L(T1(1 <
'.it OltriMie, OUUli'iiKt
« mail mat lu ,
Washington News Letter.
Washing ton April A neat
little trick by which the Rep
ublican state organization ol
Oklahoma lias boon enabled to
select Republican posl.n»asl»• rs
in the state, dr pito the fact that
a Democratic administration i*-
in power ha - In'oii discovered by
Representative Davenport, lie
lias set ml sin li a “holler" that
I ’on!.muster Genera1 Ihlilesun
Iris hi - li I"iit'ci'd i o la ke heed
■ s 111< 11 iii i 111 class pest mas ter-
w IS Is ■ Hall r I la- civil SCI’.
VI.s1, 1 lin e u i ilai y less I liati
«t'")00 -• yeai have been appointed
on trio recomnieudatioii ol dis-
trict inspectors; Mr. Daveu
port points out that 11111/ ninety
percent of there ii spcctors are
lie publicans and cooperating
with lim •'tali organizations all
i ver the land, a-, well as in Oklu-
lioma, many Pepublicans have
been h iiri(• *d since Wilson took
ollic* Mr. 1 ),i enpnrt demand*
" "i j»> ■ i m .-M- rs of this cl iss
'' 1 ii ii they are
1 1 - -ng ressuie
• u s' ■ | i|s certain
h. ■> i'f i >■ it. tolloWed.
inr i in|, ijl(. Mexican
ninae restitution of
ii I Ut it t acres of land
1 t: iv.i > t aWca a way I roil) -I.
VV Noble : a - vi , ai years ago.
A. 10, Noble and .1 VV. Steen of
Cliectoah are in Washington con
faring with officials of the slate
department. Mr Noble has been
pressing the claim against, Mex»
ico for sometime and hopes to
obtain action during the demo,
crutic administration.
'Through the instrumentality
of Senator Owen, II ,1 Drawn ol
Olckhom: (’ey and li T Williams
ot A H us have been given positions
in Washington. Mr Brown amL
he a member of tlie Senate Of*
lice Building staff and Mr VV11
hams will act as document clerk
to the Secretary of the United
States Senate. 'These appoint
moots exhaust Senator Owen’s
Senate patronage.
Senator Gore lias reintroduced
llie amendment to the genera1
Indian appropriation bill provid-
ing $o00,000 for the schools of
the eastern section of the state,
affected by the supreme court
decision ot last, year. He will
make a hard tight to have it re=
tuined in the bill
side < f the paper must written
on; each page should be num*
berod;the same, age and ud*
dress ol the writer, and the name
,uid location of Lht school which
he or she is attending must be
plainly writt• n at the top of the
ilrst page. The announcement
of the competition has been sent
to the superintendents ol schools
in the rural districts. No fur-
ther information can he obtained
from the Office of Public Roads
This announcement should be
pitting to ev ryonc, and all child
roll will thus start on a basis of
equality.
Molly
McDonald
A Tale of the Frontier
BY RANDALL PARRISH
A Famed Author
SYNOPSIS. tlflMIfl,
CHAPTER I—Major McDonald, com-
ni'ni'llriff nn army post near Fort Do'lffo,
J»n a nmn to Intercept tils daught- r,
Molly. W’ltn 1h Loaded for the post. An
Indian outbreak ia threatened.
CHAPTER II "nrick” Hamlin, a ser-
g'ant. who had just urrlved wlilt nirs
fag, s to McDonald, volunteers for th*
mission and starts alone.
< IfAPTER III- Molly arrives at Fort
Hlpley two days ahead of schedule. HI":
decides to push on (o Fort Dodge h.V
Hinge i,i eompnny with “Sutler Bill" May-
am. Gonzulea, a gambler, is nlso a pas
senger.
«HAPTKR TV Hamlin meets the singe
VHIh stories of depredations committed
j’Y the Indians. It Is d,s Ided to return
to Ripley. The driver deserts the stage
when radians appear.
CHAPTER V The Indians aro twice
F^PUlsed In attack on the Htage by Ham-
In, Moylan and Gonzales. Tho latter
Is killed.
CHAPTER VI Moylan Is killed In
next attack. Indiums retire, and Main
lln and Molly watt for the nett move.
CHAPTER VIT They plan to attempt
escape la the darkness by way of a
sully.
CHAPTER VIII—Molly Is wounded and
itarnllri carries her, slipping past the
watching' Indians In the dnrlcness.
CHAPTER IX They cross a river and
Just get into hhling when they hear tho
Indians renew their attack on tlfco stage.
CHATTER X—The
their escape and start
the wrong direction.
Indians discover
pursuit, hut go In
Owing to the efforts of Repres-
entative “Alfalfa Bill” Murray
to oust VV. B. Bentley of Yukon
state agent in charge of the
government’s farm co operative
demonstration work, and place
O. G Harper of Buffalo in the
, job, Secretary Houston of the
Department of Agriculture, re*
mains firm in his position that
the government will withdraw
bom the work in the state at the
end of the present fiscal year in
J une,
I f Sectrary Houston persists
m his determination the fanners
of the state w: 11 lose much in
tho way ot advanced instruction
iu agriculture.
Although Murray’s fight is
said to be the primary reason
for Houston s, decision, it is de-
clared ihi' Seen tary believes
there has been little cooper*
alien from state agricultural in-
stitutions in the government
work,
Senator Owen, Chairman of
llie Senate banking and currency
commute is busily engaged with
legislation designed to reform
the currency system of the
country. Senator Owen has
made many conferences with
I’resident Wilson and Secretary
McAdoo on the subject. Mem-
bers ot Congress believe that
the currency problem will br
taken up as soon as the tariff 'is
disposed ol at this session.
A gold medal In the school boy
oi girl between the ages of 1q
and 15 who writes tec best com-
position, not to exceed tfOO words,
oil the repair and maintenance of
vaith roads, is to be awarded by
Logan Waller Page, Director,
Office of Public Roads, United
-'states Department of /wnc,,i
Washington D (’ All
composition must be ' submitted .
"Mr, luge before May loth,
avHdeT 'he ,m>dal "'ill oe
-lia -v .S,J0U Hie leaf ter as
;he compos, urns can be graded
Hie comDo-SiUm, may be based
nn knowledge gamed from books
or other sources l■,,, „ .
, .. , , ’ t not no q uo=
tations should be made.
Any child between the ages
,rwmon,.,l. attendin'; » cou„i“
School, may compete, only one
(TTAPTEU XI Ifamlln Is mudi ex-
~, af flndlnfi: a lutvorsnck marked
, A. Ill- explains to Molly tlint In- was
i ,, * on fed era to service and dismissed
lrl "gprni'e under charges of cowardice.
At tile dose of the war In- enlisted In
the regular service. He says the haver-
sack was llu- property of one Papt. I.e-
keyre, who he suspects of 'bailiff resp.'m-
slulo for Ills dlsffnm- ar«l for whom be
has been huntlriff ever since. Troops ap-
pear on tho scene.
blio sat with har.ds clasped togeth-
ot, her eyes shadowed by long lashes.
1 should have thought there would
have been some, soldiers there—his
own men.”
"There were,*' dryly, “but the army
just now is recruited out of pretty
tough materi al. To be in the ranks is
almost a confession of good-for-noth-
ingness. ^ ou are an officer's daugh-
ter and understand this to be true.”
“Yes," fc-Jie answered doubtfully. “I
have been brought up thinking so;
only, of course, there are exceptions.’’
No doubt, and 1 hope I ant already
counted one.”
"You know you, are. My father
trusted you, and so do I."
1 have wondetfed 1 sometimes,” he
said mnsingly, wajtclring her lace bare-
b visiule in the dawn, .“whether those
of josir class actually cousidered us
as being really human, as anything
more valuable thnfn mere- food for pow-
der. I came into the regsular army at
(lie close of the war from the volun-
teer service. I was accusttomed to dis-
cipline and all that, ana' knew my
place. But I never suspected then
that a private rsoldk-r was considered
a dog. Yet tha t was the first lesson
I was compelled to learn. It. has been
pretty hard sometimes to Hold in, for
there was a time when l hud some iV-
cial standing and could resent an in -
sult.”
She ’was looking straight at him,
surprised at the bitterness in his
voice.
“A'hey carry it altogether too far,”
sb,a said. "9 have often thought that
y -mostly the young office!.*, the \Ve§t
Pointers—and yet you know that the
majority of enlisted men are—well,
dragged from the slums.. My father
says it lias been impossible to recruit
a good class since the war closed, lhat
tho right kind had all the. am\y they
wan bod.”
“Which is true enough, but there
are -good men nevertheless, and »ivery
commander knows it. A little co.isid-
eratn treatment would make them bet-
ter mtill.”
^he shook her head questioning]} ’.
"I do not know,” shre admitted. T
suppose there are two viewpoints. You
were in the volunteers, you said. Why
did you enlist in the regulars?”
Largely because I liked soldiering,
or thought I did. 1 knew there would
he plenty of fighting out here, and. I
believed, advancement”
t ^ ou mean to a commission?”
les. You set, I did not understand
men the impos sibility, the great guir
nxed. I dream. ?d that good fortune
Ik?. ..g,Ve mc ' ,omethln* to do worth
while.”
‘And fate has been unkind?”
n a way, y fs,” nnd jle laughed
rather grimly. “I had mj chauce-
tvnee, honorab te mention, , and all
• hat, but that ended It. There Is no
bridge across the chasm. An enlisted
man is not held tit tor any higher po-
sition; If that was not sufficient to
bar me, the fact that I had fought for
the South would.”
"You were in the Confederate army?
You must have been very young.”
"Oh, no; little more than a boy, of
oourse, but ho were (he majority of
my comrades. I was in my senior
college year when the war broke out.
Hut, Miss McDonald, this will never
do! See how light It is growing.
There, they have begun firing already.
We nitisi grt bin#, out of sight behind
the bund-dunes ”
CHAPTER X.
The Ripening of Acquaintance.
They needed to retire but a few
steps to be entirely concealed, yet so
situated as to command a view uctobb
the muddy stream. T he sun had not
risen above the horizon, but the gray
dawn gave misty revealment of the
sluggish-flowing river, the brown slope
opposite, and the darker shadow of
lilulTs beyond. The popping of those
distant, guns had ceased by the time
they attained 'heir new position, and
they could distinguish the Indians—
mere black dots nguinst the brown
stop, advancing in a semicircle to-
ward tlio silent stage. Evidently they
were puzzled, fearful of some trickery,
for occasionally a gun would crack
viciously, the brown smoke plainly
visible, the advancing savages halting
to observe the effect. Then a bright
colored blanket was waved aloft as
though in signal, and tho entire body,
converging toward the deserted coach,
leaped forward with a wild yell, which
echoed faintly across the water.
The girl lild her face In the sand,
with a half-stilled sob, but the Ser-
geant watched grimly, his eyes barely
above the ridge. What would they do
when they discovered the dead bodies?
-when tlu-y realized that others had
eluded their vigilance during the
night? Would they be able to trace
them, or would his ruse succeed? Ot
course their savage cunning would
track them as far as the river—there
was no way in which lie could have
successfully concealed the trail made
down the gully, or the marks left on
the sandy bank. Hut would they imag-
ine he had dared to cross the broad
stream, burdemy} with the girl, con-
fronting almost certain death in the
quicksand? Would they not believe
rather that he had waded along the
water’s edge headed west, hoping thus
to escape to the bluffs, where some
hiding-place might be found? Even it
they suspected a crossing, would any
warriors among them be reckless
enough to follow? Would they not be
mofe apt to believq that both fugitives
hud been sucked down into the trench
eious stream? Almost breathless Ham-
lin watched, these thoughts coursing
through his mind, realizing the dead
ly trap in which they were caught, it
the Indians suspected the truth and
essayed the passage. Behind them
was sand, ridge after ridge, as far at
the eye could discern, and every step
they took in flight would leave its
plain trail. And now the test was at
hand.
He saw them erod'd about the coach
leaping and yelling with fury; watched
theiri jerk open the door, and drat
forth the two dead bodies/ dancing
about them, like so many demons
brandishing their guns. A moment
they were bunched thus, their wile
yelling shrill with triumph; then sorn<
among them broke away, bending low
as they circled in against tjie bluff
They know already that there had
been others in the stage, others whe
had escaped. Ttfefy were seeking th<
trail. Suddenly one straightened uj
gesticulating, and the others rushed
toward him—they had found the
“sign!” They were silent now, those
main trailers, two of them on hands
and knees. Only back where tin
bodies lay some remained yelling am
dancing furiously. Then they nlso, it
response to a shout and the wave of t
- -
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x ••
&
IP
m
k -
f-
& V
.f'-
t&b
/
He Saw the Crc;wd About the Concf
Leaping and Yelling With Fury.
, V
blanketed arm. scattered, running
west toward the &ully. There was uc'
hesitancy now; some savage instinct
seemed to 'ell tkem -where the fugi
u'ves bad gone. They dragged the dead
wu, xior from the ditch, scrdajming sav
Pgjjv' at the discovery. A dozen
gcramlNed for the river bank, others
ran for the pony herd, while one .n
two remai'u‘'d beside the dead warrior
Even at tl.'ot distance Hamlin could,
distinguish h’ouian Nose, and tell wh it
were his orde ^ by every gest ire of
ly opposite studying the marks we
left on the Band of the bunk. Yes,
they look across here, but tho chief 1h
sure we have gone the other way; Ir-
is waving his hand up the river now,
and talking. Now he is ge-tiing on his
horse; there are ten or twelve of
them. One fellow is pointing across
here, but no one agrees with him.
"Now Iloinan Nose is giving orders.
Hear that yell! They’re off now, rid-
ing up stream, lashing their ponies in-
to a run. All of them? No; quite a
bunch are going back to the com h. I
don’t believe they are going to hang
around here long, though, for they are
driving iu all their ponies."
"Hut won't those others come back
when they discover wo have not gone
up the river?”
"1 wish 1 could answer that," he re-
plied earnestly. "But it all depends
on what those devils know of the
whereabouts of troops. They are North-
ern Indians, and must have broken
through the scouting details Bent out
from Wallace and Dodge. Home or the
boys are bound to be after them, and
there is more chance for them to get
back safely along the mountains than
in the other direction. 1 don’t sup-
pose an Indian iu the bunch was ever
south of the Arkansas. Wait! Those
fellows are going to move now; going
for good, too- they are taking the
dead Indians with them.”
They were little more than black
dots at that distance, yet the sun was
up by tills time and his keen vision
could distinguish every movement.
“Creep up here, and you can see
also,” he said quietly: "They are fur
enough away now so that it is safe."
There was a moment of breathless
quiet, tlie two fugitives peering cau-
tiously over the sand ridge. To the
girl it was a confusion of figures rush-
ing back and forth about tlie smoking
ruins of the stage; occasionally a faint
yell echoed across the river, and sire
could distinguish a savage on his
pony gesticulating as he rode back
and forth. But the Sergeant compre-
hended the scene. His eyes met hers
and read her bewilderment.
“They are going all right, and in a
hurry. It’s plain enough they are
afraid to stay there any longer. See,
they are lashing bodies on to the
ponies. Ah, that is what I wanted to
be sure about—that fellow is lu ; ding
west on the trail; now the others are
moving.”
"Then you aro sure Roman Nose
will not return? That—that wo are
safe?”
“Yes; I wouldn’t hesitate to go back
as soon as the last of them disappear
over the ridge,” pointing up the river.
“They knew they had to go that way;
Roman Nose and his band hoped we’d
taken that direction, and hurried ou
ahead to catch us if he could. They
are afraid to stay about, here any long
er. Look how they are lashing those
ponies; there, tine last of them are
leaving.”
They lay there in the sand, already
becoming warm under the rays of the
sun, trying to assure themselves that
all danger of discovery had vanished.
There was no movement on the oppo-
site shore, only the blue spiral of
smoke curling up against the bluff,
marking where the stage had stood-.
About this, outlined upon the brown
grass, appeared darker patches rep-
resenting dead ponies and the bodies
of Moylan and Gonzales, where they
had been tumbled, scalped and other-
wise mutilated. Down by the river a
wound' d pony tried to follow tho dis-
appearing cavalcade, but fell, giving
vent to one scream of agony. Then all
w-as silent, motionless, the last strag-
gler clubbing his horse pitilessly as he
vanished over the ridge.
Hamlin sat up, bi« eyes smiling.
“We are the lucky ones, Miss Mc-
Donald,” lie said, his manner uncon-
sciously more formal now that thp
dange* had passed and a swift realiza-
tion of who his companion was 'recur
ring to his mind. “Something must
have frightened them.” He shaded his
eyes, staring at the bluffs opposite.
“But, there is nothing In sight from
here. Well, the best thing we can do
s to eat breakfast. May I have the
haversack, and see what it is stocked
with?”
“Certainly not. There is so little
I can do, I do not propose yielding
any prerogative.” And she drew her
head through the strap, lettirtg the
leather bag fall to the sand. "I am
afraid there is no cloth here. Would
you dare light a fire?”
“Hardly, even if we had fuel,” he
answered, watching her with interest.
She glanced up into his face, her
cheeks reddening.
W by don't you want me to do
this?”
"How do you know I object? Indeed,
it is quite pleasant to be waited upon.
Only, you see, it is very unusual for
an officer’s daughter to take such good
care of an enlisted man.” #
"But I am not thinking of that at
all. You—this is different.”
"For the moment, perhaps," just a
slight bitterness in his tone, “and I
should enjoy it while I can.”
She stopped iu her work, sitting
straight before hint. Her eyes were
indignant, yet she stifled the first
words that leaped to her lips. His
soft hat lay on the sand and the sun
revealed his tanned face, bringing cut.
its strength.
"You—shouldn’t say that,” she fal-
tered. "Surely you do not believe I
will ever become ungrateful.”
"No; and yet gratitude is not alto-
gether satisfactory.” He hesitated.
“It is hard to explain just what I mean
to you, for you do not realize the life
we lead out here—the loneliness of it.
position but I have boon a trooper
out hf" ow a long while, stationed
at little isolated frontier posts, riding
the great plains, doing the little rout-
in'? duties of soldiering. I haven’t
spoken to a decent woman on terms of
social equality for two years; I’ve
looked at a few from a distance and
taken orders from them. But they
have glanced through me as though 1
were something inanimate instead of
a man. I saved an officer's life once
down there.” and he pointed into the
southeast, “and his wife thanked me
us though it were a disagreeable duty.
I reckon you don't understand, but I
don't tike tho word gratitude.”
“But I do understand,” and Bhe
stretched out her hand to him across
the opened haversack. “I’m not so
dull, and it must be awful to feel
alone like that. I told you I—1 liked
you, and—I do. Npw renumber that,
please, and be good. From now on I
"I was not so terribly afraid last
■night; I hurdly had time to reallis
what was being done, did you?”
“Well, yes; it was risky business.
Awfully treacherous bottom and 1 was
trusting to good luck.” i
The Bergeant ate heartily, speaking
occasionally bo as to divert her mind, |
but for the most part, busily thinking
and endeavoring to decide his next
move. He sat facing the river, con-
tinually lifting his head to scan the
opposite shore. There was probably
a scouting detail somewhere near at
hand, either approaching from the
east, alarmed by the report of the
fleeing stage crew, or else a detach-
ment tracking Roman Nose's war-
riors across those plains extending
Into the north. The latter contin-
gency was the more probable, Judg-
ing from the Indians’ flight, and hi*
own knowledge of the small reserve
force left at Dodge. Besides, ride as
am not ' Mr McDonnld’s daughter, they might those two fleeing cowards
just
not even Miss McDonald—I'm
Molly McDonald."
Tho gray eyes laughed.
"You aro assuming a great risk.”
“I don’t believe it," her forehead
■m
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xN N'- v
“] Would Be a Fool to Hope; I Have
Been in the Army Too Long.”
wrinkling a little, but her eyes bright.
“Y’ou and 1 can be friends—can’t
we?"
"We'll try, out here, at least. Even
if the dream doesn’t last long, it will
be pleasant to .remember.”
“Y'ou do not think it will last,
then?”
He shook bis head.
"I would be a fool to hope; I have
been in the army too long.”
They were still for a minute, the
girl’s fingers toying with tlie llap of
the haversack, her eyes gazing across
the river. He thought they were
misty.
"I am sorry you ore so prejudiced,”
she said at last slowly,'"for I.am not
like that at all. I am not going to be
ashamed of a friend because he—lie
is iu the ranks. I shall be only the
more proud. What is your full name?”
lie passed his hand over his hair,
and laughed.
“Thjjy call me ‘Brick’ Hamlin—a
subtle reference to this crown of
glory.”
“But it isn’t red,” she insisted
swiftly. “Only it shows a little bright
with the sun on it, and 1 am not going
to call you that. 1 don’t like nick-
names. What did they call you before
you went into the army? When—
when you did know good women?”
The sergeant bent, his head, and
then lifted bis gray eyes to the girl’s
face.
“i had almost forgotten,” lie con-
fessed, “but rfl tell you—David Carter
Hamlin; there, you have all of It—
my mother called mo Dave—could
you, once?”
"Could I?” laughingly. "Why, of
course; now, Dave, we will have
breakfast.”
“And I am quite ready for it—
Molly.”
The girl's cheeks reddened, but
their eyes mot, and both laughed.
CHAPTER XL
A Remembrance of the Past.
Moylan must have had Miss McDon-
ald in mind when he had Btocked up
with food at Fort Dodge, and had
therefore chosen ail the delicacies to
be found at that frontier post. These
were not extensive, consisting largely
of canned goods, which, nevertheless,
made a brave show, and were clearly
enough not the ordinary fare of the
border. Hamlin had to smile at the
array, but Molly handled each article
almost with reverence, tears dimming
her eyes in memory.
“He—he* bought these for me,” she
said softly, and looking across re-
proachfully at the sergeant, "It was
the best lie could do.”
“I was not laughing at poor Moylan;
only, I fear, lie had a wrong concep-
of yesterday could hardly have yet
reached that shelter of safety and
might not confess the truth of their
desertion even when they did arrive.
A pursuing force was the only real
hope for escaping the necessity of a
hard tramp back over the trail. Well,
the girl looked fit, and he glanced to-
ward her appreciatively.
In spite of the sad experiences
the past night she was a pleasant
spectacle, her eyes bright with ex-
' cltement, her cheeks flushed under
thu morning buh which flecked her
dark, disordered hair with odd color,
ilers was a winsome face, with smil-
ing lips, and frank good nature in its
contour. He was surprised to note
how fresh and well she looked.
“Are you tired?”
“Not vqyy. It seems more as though
I had dreamed all this than actually
passed thr^igh the experience. Per-
haps when l do realize, the reaction
will set in. But now I am strong, and
—and not at all frightened.”
“Nor hungry?”
“It i3 hard to eat, but I am often
that way.” Her hand strayed to the
emptied haversack, and she turned It
carelessly over, where it lay beside
her on the sand. "Why, this Is an
old Confederate sack, isn’t it? I hadn’t
noticed before; see, ‘C. S. A.’ 1b on
the flap.”
"So it is; perhaps Moylan served in
the south.”
"1 think not. 1 am sure this was
never his, for he bought it at Dodge,
i remember he told me he would have
to find something to carry our lunch
in.” She pushed the flap farther back,
then held it up to the sunlight. “There
are some other letters, but they are
hardly decipherable, I cannot read
tlie first line at all, but the second is
somewhat plainer—‘Fourth Texas In-
fantry.’ ”
Hamlin reached out his hand swift-
ly, and grasped the haversack, forget-
ting everything else in suddenly
aroused interest. The girl, surprised,
stared up into his face, as he closely
studied the faded inscription, his face
expressing unconcealed amazement.
“Good God!” he ejaculated breath-
lessly. “It was Gene’s. What can this
mean?”
“You—you knew the soldier?”
"Knew him? Yes,” speaking almost
unconsciously, his incredulous eyes
still on the inscription, as though fear-
iul it might vanish. "That man was
<‘ither my best friend, or my worst
enemy; under heaven, I know not
which. Why, it is like a miracle, the
finding of this bag out here in the des-^
'-rt. It is the clue I have been search-
ing after for nearly five years.” He
si-emed to pull himself together with
an effort, realizing her presence. “Ex-
cuse me, Miss McDonald, but this
*hing knocked me silly. I hardly knew
what I was saying.”
"It means much to you? To your
life?”
"Everything, if I can only trace it
bad:, and thus discover the present
whereabouts of the original owner.”
"Was that your regiment, then—the
Fourth Texas Infantry?”
He bowed his head, now looking
frankly at her.
\\ ould you mind telling me your
rank?”
"I became Captain of ‘B’ Company
alter the fight at Chancellorsvllle; we
served in Virginia under Massa
Robert, and lost every commissioned
officer in that affair.” He hesitated
to go on, but she prompted him by a
question:
"And then what? What was It
that happened? Don’t be afraid to
toll me.”
Nothing until the day we fought at
Fisher s Hill,” he*said slowly. “Theff
I w as dismissed from the service—
for cowardice.”
( owardice!” repeating the word in
quick protest. “Why, how could that
be? Surely your courage had been
sufficiently tested before?”
Cowardice, and disobedienae of or-
ders,” he repeated dully, “after I had
been under fire almost night and day
/
tion of a girl’s needs ou the trail. But i fhe afteF 1 had H8en
I reckon our combined appetites are nient.” ^ commauded tho r®^1”
f you had no defence ?”
Na; at least, none I could use;
this man might have saved me, but
he did not, and I never knew why.”
“Who was he?”
“My senior captain,
equal to it.” 1
“I do not feel as though I could
Bwallow a mouthful.”
"Under orders you will try. We
have a hard day before us, young lady,
and some tramping to do afoot "t
wtai 1 Ww *v that h°™Tl im-V .rt'A,
f-d loose last niirht W . V y 8 staff’ he brought me the
afterwards
his arm. The .Sergeant grasped tlifji
girl's hand, his o vn eyes barely . omefK'en a mau 111 fbe ranks may possess
lg j the desires of a human being. 1—well,
I’m hungry for the companionship
the sand ridge, Fis lips whis
back. j
“No, don't move; H'H tell yoff
thing. The stage hatf been gutt- ,1 ,,n^,
set on fire.,F»o* tiny a be coming witH
the ponies. v Most of them are direct-
ed loose last night has drifted to; in-
to the bluffs, probably, where the
grass is greeD. He would be of some
help just now. Try this, Miss McDon-
ald, for lack of something better. I
yearn for ham and coffee, but hardly
dare build «n fire yet. The smoke
would be seen for miles away.”
“If we were across the river
icould use the stage tire.”
we
on
w— — — or-
ders yerbally I was afterwards ac-
cused of disobeying. I was temporarl-
command of the regiment that
day with rank as major. There was
a mistake somewhere, and we were
horribly cut up, and a number taken
prisoners. It was my word against
his. and—and he lied.”
She took the haversack from him,
nery-
a good woman. Don't misunderstand, i trip,” noting the expression
“Yes, but there is a wide river flow-1 ^ SCarcely legible ^BCrl^
01 / ‘E.. L. F.’ Are those the lettera?”
Miss McDonald. I am not presuming, face. “It will be easy^onough to or- " xwo?’v,they 8t?ni foru ^ene Le
nor taking advantage of IV accident ; back by daylight, now that I know Lroe in ^0^*“ ******
uch has paced us in this ppeculipr inhere the danger spots are.” “you i{new hIrn |
fTo be Continued.}
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Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Ragland, J. H. The Okeene Leader. (Okeene, Okla.), Vol. 7, No. 39, Ed. 1 Friday, April 25, 1913, newspaper, April 25, 1913; Okeene, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1172202/m1/2/: accessed April 25, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.