6 A TRUE HELPMATE. She was not fair, and yet she stood A shining mark of womanhood. She was not talented, forsooth. She'd been a toiler from her youth. Upon the wondrous stage of life -the played lie part of farmer's wife. And. IM- It said, with loving art She always acted Well her part. Her education was not such As comes from keeping close In touch With art and music, latest books; Ltut ah! the fond maternal looks She lavished on her girls and boys Than college gifts were Hwecter joys; And. be it said of her, she e'er IJore brave her martyrdom of care. Her life was lowly as the sod, And yet she hand in hand with Ood Walked through this vale of tears and woe. And now that winter sleet and snow l.les drifted o'er her ♦rrave, I'd write This epitaph for marble white: ■"Through sun and storm adown Life'* road She always shouldered half the load." —liny Far re II Greene, in Farm Journal. ti " j? J A Daughter | of the Sioux t By GEN. CHARLES KING. CooyritfUt, 1902, t>y The Ili.l.art Company. CHAPTEIt VIII.—CONTINUED. "What captain?" yelled Kennedy, all ablaze at the instant. "Spake tip, ye shiver in' loon!" "Hlake! He got way ahead of us "Then it's to him you should be runnin*, not home, ye cur! Turn about now! Turn about or I'll " And in a fury Pat had seized the •other's rein, and, spurring savagely at Kilmainc- both horses instantly waking, as though responsive to the wrath and fervor of their little mas ter—he fairly whirled the big troop er around and, despite fearsome pro tests, bore him onward toward the ridge, swift questioning as they rode. How came they to send a raw rookie on such a quest? Why, the rookie gasped in explanation that he was on stable guard, and the captain took the first, six men in sight. How hap % ' // JT; 1 • ft "- -AND KNEIOMNG, DROVE SHOT AFT 1011 SHOT AT THE SCURRYING i'AIR." pened it that the captain got so far ahead of him? There was no keepin' up with the captain, lie was on his big, raw-boned race horse, cliasin' three Indians that was flrin', and had hit Meisner, but there was still three of tlie troop to follow him, jind the captain ordered "come ahead," until all of a sudden, as they filed round a little knoll the three Indians they'd been chasm' turned about and let 'cm have it, mid down went another horse, and Corporal Feency was killed sure, and he, poor young rookie, saw Indians in every direction, "comin' straight at 'em," and what else could lie do l»ul gallop for home and help? All this, told vvilh much gasping <>n his part, and heard with much blas phemy by Kennedy, brought the strangely assorted pair at a swift gallop over the springy turf back along the line of that panicky, yet most natural retreat. Twice would the big fellow have broken away and again spurred for home, hut the lit tic gamecoi k held him savagely to his work, and so, together, at last they neared the curtaining ridge. "Now, damn you!" howled Kennedy, "Whip out your carbine and play you're a man till we see what's in front! an' it ye play false, the first shot from this barker," with a slap at the butt of his Springfield, "goes through your heart." And this was what they saw as. to gether, they rounded the hillock and came in view oft lie low ground lie beyond. Half wny down the long, gradual Hope, in a shallow little dip, possildv an old iiull'iilo wallow, two or three horses were sprii\vl<*d and a tiny tongue of flume and blue smoke, spitting over the broad, brown Imck*, • old that siiuic one, ut lea i, wa- on the alert and defensive. Out on the prairie, :hmi yards beyond, a >■ potted Indian pony. In >«t- up, wa , rolling mi the turf, evidently sorely wounded, Itehiml this rolling parapet crouched a fen tin red warrior, and further still away, sweeping and circling on their Will' Millie steeds, three mot e savage liiliu were darting at k|>CCl|, ,M tlit- . miin« re inforccmcnls, and wliilfi two seemed frantically signalling toward t In* northwest, the thiril whirled his horse and sped madly away in thut direction. "Millions, he damned!" yelled Ken nedy. "There's only three. Come on, ye sent!" And dovv> they went, full tilt, at the Sioux, yet heading to cover and reach the beleaguered party in the hollow. Some one of the besieged waved a hat on high. Two more ear bines barked their defiance at the feathered foe, and then came a pretty exhibit of savage daring and devotion. Disdainful of tin* coining troopers anil of the swift tire blazing at them from the pit, the two mounted warriors lashed their ponies to mad gallop and bore down straight for their im periled brother, crouching behind the stricken "pinto." Never swerving, never halting, hardly checking speed, but bending low ovar and behind their chargers' necks, the two young braves swept onward, and with wild whoop of triumph, challenge and hatred, gathered tip and slung behind the rider of the heavier pony the agile and bedizened form on the turf; then circled away, de fiant, taunting, gleeful, yes and even more:— With raging eyes Kennedy sprang from saddle and, kneeling, drove shot after shot at the scurrying pair. Two of the troopers at tin; hol low fullowed suit. Kven the big, blubbering lad so lately crazed with fear, nnslung his weapon and fired tlirice into empty space, and a shout of wrath and renewed challenge to "come back and light it out" rang out after the Sfoux, for to the amaze of the lately besieged, to the impo tent fury of the Irishman, in unmis takable, yet mostly unquotable, Eng lish, the crippled warrior was yelling mingled threat and imprecation. "Who was it Kennedy*.'- and where did you ever see him before?" a mo ment later, demanded ('apt. lllake, almost before he could grasp the Irishman's hands and shower his thanks, and even while stanching the flow of blood from a furrow along bis sun-burnt cheek. "What's that he said about eating your heart?" And "Kennedy, his head cleared now through the rapture of battle, mind ed him of bis promise to Field, and lied like a hern. "Sure, how should I know, sorr? They're all of the same spit." "Hut be called you by name. I heard him plainly. So did Meisner, here," protested Hlakc. "Hello, what have you there, corporal?" he added, as young Feency, the "surely killed," came running back, bearing in his hand a gaily ornamented pouch of buckskin, with long fringes and heavy crusting of brilliant beads. "Picked it up by that pony yonder, sir," answered the corporal, with a salute. "Heg pardon, sir, but will the captain take my horse? His is hit too bad to carry him." Two, indeed of Blake's horses were crippled, and it was high time to be going. Mechanically he took the pouch and tied it to his waist belt. "Thank God no man is hurt!" lie said. "Hut —now back to Frayne! Watch those ridges and be ready if n feather shows, and spread out a lit tle —don't ride in a bunch." Hut there was bigger game miles to the west, demanding all the attention of the gathered Sioux. There were none to spare to send so far, and though three warriors-—one of them raging and clamoring for further at tempt despite his wounds—hovered about the retiring party, Hlakc and his fellows within another hour were in sight of the sheltering walls of Frayne; and, after a last, long-range swapping of shots, with Hlakc and Meisner footing it most of the way, led their crippled mounts in safety toward that Rubicon of the west— the swift flowing Platte. They were still three miles out when Hlake found leisure to examine the contents of that beaded pouch, and the first thing drawn from its depths was about the last a Christian would think to find in the wallet of a Sioux— a dainty lit lie billet,scented with wood violet- an envelope of delicate tex ture, containing a missive on paper to mat-eh, and the envelope was ad dressed in a strange, angular, char acteristic baud that Hlake recognized at once, to a man of whom, by that name at least, lie had never heard before: "Mil. IIAI.I'II MOKEAU, "En Ville." ('IIAI'TEU IX. Sorely puzzled as Hlake had been by the discovery, he had been able on the long homeward march— walking until in sight of Frayne and safety, then galloping ahead on the corporal's horse —to think it out, as he said, in several ways. Miss Flower had frequently ridden up the valley and visited the Indian village across the l'latte. Miss Flower might easily have dropped that note, and some squaw, picking it up, had surrendered it to the first red man who demanded 11, such being the do mestic discipline of the savage. The Indian kepi it, as lie would any other treasure trove for which he had no use, in hopes of reward for its re turn, said Hlake. It was queer, of course, that the Indian in whose pouch it was found should have been o fluent a speaker of English, yet many a Sioux knew enough of our tongue to swear volubly and talk ten words uf vengeance to come. There were several ways, as Hlake rea soned, by which that letter might have .t into the hands of tin- en emy. Hut at any rate, with •■very thing aid, ii wa- a woman's letter, lie had no liiflit to read it, lie would fir I eoiitlilc iu his wife, and, if she saiil so, in Mr-. IJay. Then what the\ decided should decide liiui. Hut now CIIIIIC U in VV problem. |)e spite the long morning uf peril and chine and » \citement, there was still uiui li in i • uh< id. l.'U men wcru in CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, AUGUST 6. 1903 I saddle; liis troop was afield; the foe was in force on the road to the north; tin- battle, may ha p, was on at the very moment, and Frnyne and home was no plaee for him when duty called at the distant front. Only, tlu-re was Nan, silent, trem ulous, to he sure, and with such a w arid of piteous dread and pleading in her beautiful eyes. It was hard to have to tell her he must go again and at once, hard to have to bid her itelp him in his hurried preparations, when slie longed to throw herself in his arms and be comforted, lie tried to smile as lie entered the gate, and thereby cracked the brittle, sun dried court plaster with which a ser geant had patched his cheek at the stables. The would-be gladsome grin started the blood again, and it trickled down and splashed on his breast where poor Kan longed to pillow her bonny head, and the sight of it, despite her years of frontier training, made her sick and faint, lie caught her in his left arm, laughing gayly, and drew her to the other side. "Got the mate to that scoop of Itilly's," he cried, holding forth his other hand to Mrs. Kay. " 'Tisn't so deep, perhaps, but 'twill serve, 'twill do, and I'll crow over hint to-night. Come in with us, Mrs. Hay. 1- I've something to show you." "One minute," said that wise young matron. "Let me tell the children where to find me. Sandy and Hilly are on post at the telescope. They wouldn't leave it even for luncheon." With that she vanished, and husband and wife were alone. "You must go, Gerald," she sobbed —"I know it, but —isn't there some way?— Won't ('apt. Dade send more men with you?" "If he did, Nan, they'd only ham per me with horses that drag behind, lie brave, little woman. Webb has swept the way clear by this time. Come, I need your help." And the door closed on the soldier and his young wife. They never saw that Nanette Flower, in saddle, was riding swiftly tip the row, and, for the first time since her coming to Frnyne, without an escort. Dade re appeared upon his front gallery in time to greet her, but Esther, after one quick glance, had darted again within. Dade saw unerringly that Miss Flower was in 110 placid frame of mind. Her cheeks were pale; her mouth had that livid look that robbed her face of all beauty; but her eyes were full and flashing with excite ment. "What news, captain?" she hailed, and the joyous, silvery ring had gone from her voice. "They tell me ( apt. I'lako is back—two horses crippled, two men hit, including himself." "His own share is a scratch he wouldn't think of mentioning outside the family, Miss Flower," answered Dade, with grim civility. lie had his reasons for disapproving of the young woman; yet they were not such as warranted him in showing her the least discourtesy, lie walked to his gate and met her at the curb beyond and stood stroking the arch ing neck of her spirited horse— "Harney" again. "Did they—were there any Indians —killed?" she asked, with anxiety scarcely veiled. "Oil, they downed one of tliem," answered the captain, eyeing her closely the while and speaking with much precision, "a fellow who cursed them freely in fluent English." Yes, she was surely turning paler. "A hold, bad customer, from all ac counts. Blake thought he must be of Lame Wolf's fellows, because he— seemed to know Kennedy so well and to hate him. Kennedy has only just come down from Fort lieecher, where Wolf's people have been at mischief." "Hut what became of him? What did they do with him?" interrupted the girl, her lips quivering in spite of herself. "Oh—left him, I suppose," an swered the veteran, with deliberate design. "What else eould they do? There was 110 time for ceremony. His fellow savages, you know, can attend to that." For a moment she sat there rigid, her black eyes staring straight into the imperturbable face of the old soldier. No one had ever accused Dade of cruelty or unkindness to man or woman, especially to woman; yet here he stood before this suffer ing girl and, with obvious intent, pic lured to her mind's eye a warrior stricken and left tinhuried or iiucared for on the field. Whatever his rea sons, he stabbed and meant to stab, and for just one moment, she seemed almost to droop and reel in saddle; then, with splendid rally, straight ened up again, her eyes Hashing, her lip curling in scorn, and with one brief, emphatic phrase ended the in terview and, whirling Harney about, smote him sharply with her whip, and darted away: "True!" she said. "Ci\ilized war fare;" "If that girl isn't more than half savage," said Dade, to himself, as llarney tore away out of the gar rison on the road to the ford, "I am more than half Sioux. Oh, for jicws of Hay!" Hay indeed! It was now nearly four o'clock. Telegrams had been coming niul going over the Laramie wire. "The Chief," as they culled their general, with onl.V one of bis stall' in attendance, had reached < lieyemie on time, anil, quitting 'be train, declining dinner at the hotel and having but a word or two with the "I'latrorui ( iub" the little bevy of oilier from I'ort Hiimscll wlioim* custom it w.i to >»•«* tin' westbound train through almost mery day- had started straightway for Laramie be hind the swift" t team owned by 1 lie i|uurteriit4Mtcr'M department, I while ali"ile i in r<*' iv, awaited him I i,t the 1 liiigwnter, nearly mi miles out. Di i,, lei. 'ily through IU« starlit nijflit. he should reach the old frontier fort by ilawn at the latest, and what news Mould Dade have to send hint there? Not n word had he uttered to either the officers who re spectfully greeted, or reporters who eagerly importuned, hint as to the situation at l-'rayne; but men who had served with him in Arizona and on the Yellowstone many a year be fore, knew well that grave tidings had reached him. Dade had in fact, supplemented Webb's parting dis patch with another, saying that Itlake's little party, returning, had just been sighted through the tele scope nine miles out, with two men afoot. Hut not until the general reached Lodge Pole creek did the message meet him, saying that Webb's advance guard could hear the distant attack on Hay. Not until he reached the Clingwater in the early night could he hope to hear the re sult. It was nightfall when the awful suspense of the garrison at Frayne was even measurably lifted. Blake, with three troopers at his back, had then been gone an hour, and was lost in the gloaming before Dr. Tracy's orderly, with a face that plainly told the nervous tension of his two hours' ride, left his reeking, heaving horse at the stables and climbed the steep path to the flag-staff, the shortest way to the quarters of the command ing otlicer. Despite the gathering darkness, lie hail been seen by a dozen eager watchers and was del uged with questions by trembling, tearful women and by grave, anxious men. "There's been a fight; that's all I know," lie said. "I was with the pack mules and the ambulances and didn t get to see it. .All I saw was dead ponies way out beyond Ten Mile ridge. Where's the major?—l mean the captain?" No! the orderly didn't know who was killed or wounded, or that anybody was killed and wounded. All he knew was that Dr. Tracy came galloping back and ordered the ambulances to scoot for the front and him to spur every bit of the way back to Frayne with the note for (apt. Dade. All this was told as he eagerly pushed his way along the board walk; soldiers' wives hanging 011 his words and almost on him; officers' wives and daughters calling from the galleries or running to the gates, and Dnde heard the hubbub almost as quickly as did Esther, who hurried to the door. By the light of the hall lamp lite commander read the pen ciled superscription of the gummed envelope and the word "Immediate" at the corner. The same light fell 011 a dozen anxious, pleading faces beyond the steps. His hand shook ill spite of himself, and he knew he could not open and read it in their presence. "One moment," he said, his heart going out to them in syni pathy as well as dread. "You shall hear in one moment," and turned aside into the little army parlor. But he could not turn from his wife and child. They followed and stood studying bis pale face as be read the fateful words that told so little, yet so much: "Reached Ray just In time. Sharp af fair. Or. Waller will have to come at once as Tracy goes 011 with us to rescue stage people al Dry Fork. Better send Infantry escort and all hospital attend ants that can be possibly spared; also chaplain. Sergeants Burroughs and Wing. Corporal Foot and Troopers Denny; Flood, Kerrigan and Preusser killed. Many wounded—Lieut. Field seriously. "WEBB." ITo Be Continued.] A MATERNAL COLLIE. Iti'imit'kul>lc IntelliK'fiM-o Displayed li> a Scottish .Slicpheril'M Clever l)«x'. Giles, the shepherd of Folly farm, was brushing the white ruff of his SI,OOO collie. "The collie," he told the Philadelphia iieeord, "is the most in teresting of dogs. Permit me to tell you ;t true collie story. There was a Scottish shepherd, whose dog gave birth to a litter of pups. All but one of them died and the mother devoted herself so thoroughly to tins sole re maining child that her master's work was ijiiite ucglected the sheep were not looked after at all. The man, en raged at this state of affairs, took the pup and drowned it in a bucket before its mother's eyes. Then he went off to the town for the day. In the evening, on his return, the drowned pup was missing. The shep herd said to his collie, pointing to the bucket: "What did you do with your pup, Bess?" The collie gave a low, mournful howl and set oil', look ing backward often to signify to her master that he should follow. She led him to a knoll and paused, moaning, beside a spot where the earth had a fresh look. The shepherd turned tip the soil, und there beneath it the drowned puppy lay. Its mother had taken it out of the bucket and given it a decent burial." Only One Wily. "11l these days," lie sighed, "it is ililliciilt to convince a girl of your sincere admiration." "How so?'' she asked. "Why, if you tell her she is pretty, she thinks you mean to infer that she is stupid; if you tell her she is clever she its'iiiui's that you mean she is dfciigrcciilde, ami if you tell her she is amiable she concludes that you do not think her pretty." "Still," she said thoughtfully, "there is a way to convince her on all points. One is reasonably certain ill what a Ilia 11 thinks when he " "Yes, u'», of course," he interrup ted, its If tool her hand and put to Iter the momentous question, "lint,*' he added after a vet .- busy Interval. "If tlint's the only way of glvini; a girl 11 compliment that hasn't a slim? to it, 11 fellow has gt»| to lm somewhat llllJ' rui ioii- anil illiberal to liet'p out o| trouble." ( hiciigo Post. BEAR TAKES REVENGE. Keeper l'milnhrd limit Koine Time Alto mill I* TUKNII to IIo«|,IImI m« ii lti'«iilt. William F. Winehcrnionn, an animal trainer, hail a tight the other day with Tony, the largest anil most in telligent of the Winchcrmattn troup of performing bears, al New York. \s a result,' Winchernianu is in a serious addition at the New York hospital. I! 3 may get well, but the surgcottM were making 110 guarantees to that j effect. The trainer had been away eight weeks and had ordered the bear out of his cage to take a bath. The bear obeyed, but after the bath, when the. trainer's back was turned for a nio | mcnt, the bear attacked him, knocked him down, tearing the calf of his leg, ; chewed both arms badly, and was biting into one leg when felled by a blow front a club wielded by fin as | sistant who came in response to the trainer's cries. The trainer punished the bear severely some time ago, and I it is believed the animal treasured up the grudge and got his revenge at the first opportunity. Modern Convenience*. The Abilene Democrat tells of a man who •topped over night in a small town near there and registered at the hotel pointed out to him by the conductor as the best in town. In the morning he wanted to take a bath arid consulted the proprietor about it. The pro prietor shouted back to the rear: "Here, Tom, tiiis here gent wants to take a bath. Bring the fixio's." Tom soon appeared, car rying a cake of yellow soap, a towel and a pick. "What's the pick tor?" asked the f;uest. "Why," said the proprietor; "you'll lave to dam up the creek.' —Kansas City Star. Friend—"What's the matter, old man? Doesn't she return your love?" Jilted One —"That's just the trouble. She returned it and told me to give it to some other girl."— Princeton Tiger. Mrs. F. Oel is another one of the million women who have been restored to health by Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable Compound* Overshadowing - indeed is the success of Lydia I'. Pinkliam's Vege table Compound compared with it, all other medicines for women are experiments. Why lias it the greatest record for absolute cures of any female medicine in the world ? Why has it lived and thrived and done its glorious worlc among 1 women for a quarter of a century ? Simply because of its sterling 1 worth. The reason that no other medicine has eve.' reached its success is be cause there is no other medicine so successful in curing woman's ills. Re member these important facts when a druggist tries to sell you something which he says is just as good. A Young New York Lady T< lis of a Wonderful Cure: t"L)r:.Yn Mrs. Pixkiiam: —My trouble was itli the ovaries; I am tall, and the doctor ii