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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 19, 1895)
12 TJtTE OatAIIA DAILY JEE ; TUTJIRSDAY. DECEMBER 19 , 181)5. ) ! HI3gESS3E13Sra2I33SL { 33SES SH IN THE TULES. By BRET Author of "The Luck of Itoarlns Onlnp , " "Two Men of Handy Bar , " Etc. y&f m ? 3Rmmrsrj 1S95 , hr Dret Hnrle. ) Tic had never teen a steamboat In his life. Horn and reared In one of the west ern territories , far from a navigable river , he had known only the "dug out" or cano across the scant as a moans of conveyance streams whose fordahle waters made even ll.oso tcircsly a necessity. The long , narrow drawn by swaying row , hooded wagon , oxen , familiarly known as a "pral- rlo schooner , " In which he jour neyed across the plains to California In 53 , did not help his conception by thnt nautical figure. And when at last he dropped upon the land ot promise through ono of the flouthcrn mountain passes , ho halted nil unconsciously upon the low banks of a grtat yellow river amidst a tangled brake of strange , reed-like grasses that were unknown to him. The river broadening as tt do- touched through many channels Into a lordly bay sccme < l to him the ultimate thule of his Journeylngs. Unyoking his luxuriant -meadows oxen on the edge of the which blended with scarcely any line of Oemarcatlon Into the great stream Itself , ho found the prospect "good" according to his llghtu and prairie experience ? , and convert ing his halted wagon Into a temporary cabin , ho resolved lo rest litre and set " llttlo dlniculty In ro doing. tle. There was The cultivated clearings he had passed were few and far between ; the land would und occupation , his be his by discovery habits of loneliness and belt-reliance made him Independent of neighbors. He took hIs Jlrst meal In his new solitude under a spread ing willow , but so near his natural boumlaiy thnt the waters gurgled and oozed In the reeds but a few feet from him. The sun souk , deepening thu gold of the river until It m.ght have been the stream of Taclotus Itself. Hut Martin Morsa had no Imagina tion ; ho was not oven a gold seeker ; no had simply obeyed the roving Instincts of hither. The the fron'icr man In coming land wan virgin and unoccup ed ; It was His , These questions stilled ho ho was alone. smoked his plpo with less concern over his 3.000 miles' transference of habitation than the man of cities who has moved Into the next street. When the sun sank ho rolled hlimclf In his blankets In the wagon bed and went quietly to sleep. by something Hut he was presently awakened thing which at first he could not determine sensation. It to be a nolss or an Intangible through the silence or deep throbbing was a seemed even to be that the night ; a pulsation he communicated to the rude bed whereon Itso f lay. As It came nrarer It saparatsd Into a labored monotonous panting , continu ous , hut distinct from an equally monotonous but fainter beating of the waters , as If the whole .track of the river were being coursed and trodden by a multitude of swiftly tramp ling fctt. A strange foMlng took possession of him. half of fear , half of curtoua expecta tion. It was coming nearer. He rose , leaped hurriedly from the wagon and ran to tnc bank. The night was dark. At first he saw nothing bsfore him but the Btrel black sky plcrcfd with far-spaced , Irregular scattered stars. Then there seemed to be approaching him from the left another and more sym- motrcal : constellation ; a few red and blu ? stars high above the river , with thref com pact lines of larger planetary lights flashing toward him and apparently on his own level. H was almost upon him ; he Involuntarily drew back as the strange phenomenon swept abreast of whore he- stood and resolved Itself Into a dark , yet airy bulk , whose vagueness , topped by enormous towers , was yet Illu minated by those-open squares of light that h ? had taken for stare- but which he saw now jvere brilliantly lit windows. Their vivid fays shot ( hrough the reeds and sent broad bands across the meadow , the stationary . But all wagon and the slumbering-oxen. this was nothing to the imur life they dls- closed through lifted curtains and open blinds which was the crowning revelation of this strange- and wonderful spectacle. Elegantly dressed men and women moved through bril liantly lit and elaborately gilt saloons ; In one a banquet seenvid to bo spread , servd by whlted Jackettc-J servants ; In another were playing cards around marble topped men iiipu i i _ , . hiok laOlES in HUUinUl ltu * > blfc . .wo.- ' * . . * . . again , from the mirrors and glistening glasses und decanters of a gcrgsous wfrsshment saloon ; In smaller openings there was the shy disclosure of dainty white curtains and velvet lounges of more Intimate apartments , Martin Morse- stood enthralled and mystified. It was as If , some Invisible Asmo-Jeus had revealed to this simple frontier man a world Of which he had never dreamed. It was the world a world cf which he knew nothing In his simple rustic habits and profound western Isolation sweeping by him with the rush of nn unknown planet. In anothsr momsnt It Was gone ; a shower of sparks tihot up from one of the towers and fell all around him and then vanished even as he remembered the set piece of "Fourth of July" fireworks had Vanlshsd In his own rural town , when he was a boy. The darkness fell with It , too. nut such was his utter absorption and utter breathless preoccupation that only a cold chill recalled him to himself , and he found ho was standingmidleg deep In the surge cast over the low banks by this passage of th first steamboat ho had ever st-enl Ho waited for It the next night , when It appeared a llttlo later from the opposite di rection , on. Its return trip. Ho watched It the next night and the next. Hereafter he n-ever missed It coming or going whatever the hard and weary preoccupations of his new and lonely llf ? . He felt he could not have slept without seeing It go by. Oddly enough his Interest and desire did not go further ; even had ho the time and money to spend In a passage on a boat and thus actively realize the great world of which he had only these rare glimpses , a certain proud rustic shynets kept him from It. It was not his world , he could not affront the snubs that Ills Ignorance and Inexperience would have provoked , and he was dimly conscious , as so many of us are In our Ignorance , that In mingling with tt he would simply lose the easy privileges of alien criticism , For there was muclf that ho did not understand and tome things that grated upon hla lonely In dependence. Ono night , a lighter one. than those pre vious , ho lingered a little longer In the moon light to watch the phosphorescent wake of the retreating boat. Suddenly It struck him that there was a certain Irregular splash Ing In the water quite different from the reg ular , diagonally crossing surges ( hat the boat swept upon the hsnk. Looking at It moro Intently ho fa\v a black object turning In the water Hko a porpolso and then the unmistakable uplifting of a black arm In on unskillful swimmer's overhand stroke. It was a struggling man. Hut It was quickly evident that the current was too strong and the turbulence of the shallow water too great for his efforts. Without a moment's hesita tion , clad as ho was In only his chlrt and ( routers , Morse strode Into the reeds and the next moment , without a call of warning , was swimming towards the now wildly strug gling flguro. Hut from some unknown reason as Morse approached htm nearer , the man ut tered fornu Incoherent protest and desperately turned away , throwing off Morse's extended arm. Attributing this only to the vagus con. vulslons of a drowning man Morse , a skilled Bwimmer , managed to clutch his shoulder and propelled him at arm's length , still struggling apparently with as. much reluct ance aa Incapacity , towards the bjnh. As their feet touched the reeds and slimy bottom tom , the man's resistance ceased and he lapsed quite listlessly In Morse's arms. Half lifting , half dragging his burden , ho suc ceeded at last In gaining the strip of meadow mid deposited the unconscious man beneath the willow tree. Then he ran to his wagon for whisky. But to his surprise on his return the man way already sitting up and wringing the voter from his clothes. He then saw for the first time , by the- clear moonlight , that the Birang-sr was elegantly dressed und of striking appearance , and was clearly a | nrt of that bright and fascinating world Morse had been contemplating In his solitude. He eagerly took the proffered tin cup and drank the whisky. Then ho rota to his feet , stag gered a few steps forward and glanced curiously around him , at the still motion- lets wagcn , the few felled trees and evidence of "clearing" and even at the rude cabin of Ice * and canvas just beginning to rise from the ground a few parrs distant , and talil Impatiently : "Where the devil am I ? " Hone heiiuttd. He wai unablt lo came the locality of his dwelling place. He answered briefly : "On the right bank of the Sacramento. " The stranger turned upon him a look of 'mp.c."ln nt > ,1 , unmlnK' ' < ! < > with resentment. Oh ! he said with Ironical gravity , "and I suppose that this water you picked me out of was the Sacramento river. Thank you ! " .l.h 8low weslern Patience explained - plained that he had only w.ntled there three weeks ago , and the place , had no name. "What's your nearest town then ? " Thar ain't any. Thar'o a blacksmith's shop and grocery at the cross roads twenty miles further on , but it'a got no name as I ye heard on. " . .tT.he. " ' " "IT81' ' ' ' look of suspicion passed , well , he said In an Imperative fashion , which , however , seemed as much the ro- fult of habit as the occasion , "I want a horse , and pretty d d quick , too' . " "Hnln't got any. " "No hornc ? How did you get to this d < 1 place ? " Morse pointed to his slumbering oxin. The stranger again stared curiously at him. After a pause he said with a half pitying , half humorous smile ! "Pike aren't you ? " Whether Morse did or did not know that this current California slang for a denizen of tire bucolic west Implied a certain con tempt , ho replied simply : "I'm from Pike county , Mlzzourl. " "Well , " said the stranger , resuming his impatient manner , "you must beg or steal a horse from your neighbors. " Thar ain't any neighbors nearer than fifteen miles. " "Thsn send fifteen miles , d n 111 Stop ! " Ho opened his still clinging shirt and drew mt u bslt pouch which he throw to Morse. 'There ! there's $2flO In that. " Now I want a horse. Sabe ? " "Thar ain't anyone to send , " said Morse quietly. "Do you. mean to say you are all alone here ? " "Yes. " "And you fished me out all by yourself ? " "Yes. " The stranger again examined him curiously. Thru he suddenly stretchej out lils hand and grasped his companion's. "All right ! If you can't send , I reckon I can manage to walk over there tomorrow. " "I was goln' on to say , " said Morse simply , "that If you'll lie by tonight I'll start over at sun up aftcc pultln * out the cattle and fetch you back a horse- afore noon. " "That's enough. " Ho. however , remained looking curiously at Morse. "Did you never hear , " ho said , with a singular smile , "that It was about the meanest kind of luck that ecu Id happen to you to save a drowning man ? " "No , " raid Morse , simply. "I reckon It bucolic virgin. And this reserved and * hy frontier man found himself that night sleepless - less , and hovering with an abashed timidity ncl consciousness around the wagon that ftheltered hl guest , as If he had been & very Corydon watching the moonlit couch of some slumbering Amaryllis. He was off by daylight after having placed rude breakfast by the ride of the still sleep ing guest and before midday h had returned with a horse. When he handed the stranger his pouch less the amount he had paid for tti-e horse , the man Mid curtly : "What's that for ? " "Your change. I paid only $30 for the horse. " The stranger regarded him with his peculiar smile. Then replacing the pouch In his belt he shook Morse's hand again and mounted the horse , . "So your nimo'a Martin Morse ! Well- goodbye , Morseyl' 5 Morse hesitated. A blush rose to his dark cheek. "You didn't tell me your name , " he paid "In case " "In case I'm wanted ? Well , you can cal me Captain Jack. " Ho smiled and nodded his head , put spurs to his mustang and can tered away. Morse did not do much work that day , fall Ing Into abstracted moods and living over his experiences of ths previous night until he fancied he could almost sec his strange guest again. The narrow ptrlp of meadow was haunted by him. There was the tree under which he had first placed him , and that was whtre he had seen him sitting up In his dripping but well fitting clothes. In the rough garments he had worn and returned lingered a new scent of some delicate soap , overpowering the strong alkali flavor of his own. He was early by the river sld ? , having a vague hope , ho knew not why , that ho should ngaln see- him nml recognize him among the passenger ? . He was wading out among the reeds In the faint light of the rising moon , recalling the exact spot where he had first seen the stranger , when hu was suddenly startled by the rolling over In'tho water of some black object that had caught against the bank but had been dislodged by his movements. To hla horror It bore n faint res-smblince to his first vision of the -pricedlng - night. Uut a second glance at the helplessly floating hair and bloated outline showed him that It was a dead man , and of a typ ? and bu'ltl far different from his former companion. There was a bruise upon his matted forehead and an enormous wcund In his throat , already ' ' washed bloodless , white and waxen. 'An Inexplicable fear came upon him , not at the sight of the corps ? , for he had been In Indian massacres and had rescued bodies mutilated beyond recognition but frbm some moral dread that strangely enough quickened and deepened with the far off pant of the ad- ' var.clns steamboat. Scarc'ly knowing why , he dragged the body hurriedly ashore , con cealing It In the reeds , as If he was disposing of the evidence of his own crime. Then , to his preposterous terror , he noticed that the panting of the steamboat and the beat of Its paddles were "slowing" as thevagus bulk oime In sight , until a huge wava from the suddenly arrested whscls sent a surge like an enormous heart beat pulsating through - \ . \J t . v FREE WITH A BULLET IN HIS HEART. orter be the meanest If you didn't. " "That depends upon the man you save , " said the stranger with the same ambiguous smile , "and whether the saving him Is only putting things off. Look here , " he added , with an abrupt return to his Imp3ratv2 ! style , "can't you give me some dry clothes ? ' Morse brought him a pair qf overalls and a "hickory shirt , " well worn , but smelling strongly cf a recent wash with coarse soap The stranger put them on while his com panlon busied Mmself In collecting a plU o p'.lcks and dry leaves. "What's that for ? " said the stranger , sud denly. "A fire to dry your clothes. " The stranger calmly kicked the pile aside. "Not any fire tonight If I know It , " he said , brusquely. . Before Morsj could resent his quickly changing moods he continued In anothr tcne , dropping to nn easy reclining position beneath the tree : "Now , tell me al about yourself and what you're doing here. " Thus commanded Mors ? patiently repeated his story from the- time ho had left his back woods cibln to Ms selection of the river bunk for a "location. " He pointed out the rich quality of this alluvial bottom and I'.s adaptability for the- raising of stock which ho hope.l soon to acquire. The ptranger smiled grimly , raised himself to a sitting pos'tlon and taking a pnknlfe from his damp clothes began to clean his nails In the bright mocnllght an occupation which made the simple Morse wander vaguely in his narra tion. "And you don't know that this d d hole will give you chills and fever , till you'll shake yourself out of your boots ? " Morse had lived before In aguclsh districts and had no fear. "And you never heard that some night the whole river will rise up and walk over you and your cabin and your stock ? " "No. For I reckon to move my t'lmnty further back. " The man shut up his penknife with a click and rose. "If you've got to get up nt sunrise we'd better bo turning In. I suppose you can give me a pair of blankets ? " Morse pointed to the wagon. "Thar's a shake-down In the wagon bed ; you kin He there. " Nevertheless he hesitated , and with the Inconsequence- abruptness of a shy man continued the previous conversation , "I shouldn't like < o move far away , for them steamboats Is povv'ful kempany n' nights. I never seed one afore I kem here , " and with the Inconsistency of a reserved man and without a word of further preliminary he launched forth Into a confidential dis closure of his late experiences , The stranger listened with a singular Interest , and with a quietly searching eyo. "Then you were watching the boat very cloy ly Just now , when you siw mo. What clso did you see ? Anything bsfore that be fore you saw me In the water ? " "No the boat had got well off before I saw you at all. " "Ah. " said ths stranger. "Well , I'm going to turn In , " Ho walked to the wagon , mounted It , and by the time that 'Mors : had reached It with hla wet clothes , he was al ready wrappsd In theblinkets. . A moment later he secmtd to be In a profound slumber. It was only then , when his guest was lying helplessly nt his mercy , that ho began to realize his strange experiences. The dom ination of this man had liein so complete rhnt Morse , although by nature Independent and self-reliant , had not permitted himself to question his right or to resent his rude ness. Ho had accepted his guest's carelew or premeditated silence regarding the partic ulars of his accident as a matter of course , and had never dreamed of questioning him , That It was a natural accident of that great world so apart from his own experi ences ho did not dojbt , and thought no more about It. The advent of the man himself was greater to him than the causes which brought him there. He was 03 yet quite un conscious of the complete fascination this mysterious stranger held over him , but be found himself shyly pleased with even the flight Interest he had displayed In his affairs , and his hand felt yet warm and tingling from his. sudden soft but expressive graip , as If It had been ft woman's. There Is a wimple Intuition of friendship In some lonely wlf- abstracted natures that Is nearly akin to love at first sight. Even the audacltlep and Inso lence of this stranger affected Mors3 , as he might have been touched and captivated by the coquet rlei or loiperloutces * of tome the sedge , that half submerged him. The flashing of thre ? or four lanterns on deck and the motionless line of lights abreast of him dazzled his eyes , but he knew that the low fringe of willows hid his house and wagon completely from view. A vague mur mur of voices from ths deck was suddenly o\crrldden by a sharp order , and to his relief the slowly ravolvlng wheels again sent a pulsation through the water and the great fabric moved lo\vly away. A sense of relief came over him , he knew not why , and ho was conscious that for the first tlmthe had not cared to look at the boat. Wh-.n the moon rose he again examined the body and took from Its clothing a few articles -cf Identification and some papers of formality and precision which he vaguely conjectured to b ? some law papers from tl-clr semblance to th3 phrasing of sheriffs' and electors' notlors which he had seen In the pape-rs. He then buried the corpse In a shallow trench which he- dug by the light of the moon. He had no question of responsi bility ; his pioneer training had not Included coroner's Inquests la Us experience ; In giving the body.a speedy and secure burial from predatory animals he did what , on ? frontier man would do for another ; ' what he hoped might be done for him. If his previous un accountable feelings return ! * ] occasionally It was not from that , but rr.ther from some uneasiness In regard to his I&te guest's possi ble feelings and a regret that he had not been here at the finding of "the body. That it would In some way have explained his own accident , he did not doubt. The boat did nol "slow up" the next night but passed as usual , yet three or four days elapsed before he could look , forward to Us coming with his old extravagance and half- exalted curiosity which was the nearest ap preach to Imagination. He was then able to examine It more closely for the appearance of the stranger whom ho now began to call "his friend" In his verbal communions with himself but whom he did not seem destined to again discover , until one day , to his as tonishment , a couple of fine horses were brought to his clearing by a stock drover. They had been "ordered" to be- left there. In vain Morse expostulated and questioned "Your name's Morse , ain't ? ' said , the drover with business brusqueness , "and I reckon there ain't no other man o' that name- around here ? " "No , " said Morse. "Well then , they're yours. " "But who sent them ? " Insisted Morse. "What was his name and where dos bo live ? " "I don't know es I was called upon to glvo the pedigree o' buy ers , " said the drover drily , "but the horses Is 'Morgan , ' you kin hot your life , " he grinned as ho rode away. That Captain Jack had snt them and that It was a natural prelude to his again visitIng - Ing him , Morse did not doubt , and for a few days ho lived In that drearn. But Captain - tain Jack did not come. The animals were of great service to him In "rounding up" the stock he now easily took In for pasturage and saved him the necessity of having a part ner or a hlHd man. Tha Idea that this su perior gentleman In fine clothes might over appear to him In the former capacity had oven flitted through his brain , but he had rejected It with a sigh. But the Idea that with luck and Industry ho hlmsilt might In course of time approximate to Captain Jack's evident station , did occur to him , and was an Incentive to energy. Yet It was quite dls. tlnct from -the ordinary working man's am- ittfon of wealth und state. It was only that t might make him more worthy of his 'rlend , The great world was etlll as It had appeared to him In a pissing boat a thing to wonder at to be above and to criticise. For all that he prospered In his occu- latlon , But ono day he awoke with list- ess limbs and feet that scarcely carried him hrough his dally labors. At night his Istlesaness changed to active pain and a evorlshness that seemed to Impel him toward he fateful river , as If bis one aim In life was to drink up Its waters and bathe n Its yellow stream. But whenever ho seemed to attempt It strange dreams us- ailed him of dead bodies arising with swollen and distorted lips to touch his own as he strove lo drink , or of his mysterious guest battling with him In Its current and Irlvlng him ashore. Again when ho essayed o bathe his parched and crackling limbs In ts flood he would be confronted with the lazzllng lights of the motionless tcam- loat and the glare of stony eyes until he fled In aimless terror. Hew long this lasted Here's the War Talk- * It's to uphold the "Equity Doctrine' ' which is to clean out the entire line of Suits , Overcoats and Furnishings Only another week to do it in We want an army of 2,000 men to come and aid us in mowing down what's left of this great stock We have smitten the prices hip and thigh , Here's the Way the Clothing Carnage Goes On : $10.00 choice all wool men's winter suits , $4.50 $8.00 choice all wool men's winter overcoats , $3.75 $10.00 choice all wool men's winter overcoats , $5.00 . all wool men's ulsters , $12.00 choice. , $6.50 $15.00 all wool men's suits ( think of it ) , only , $6.75 $18.00 all wool men's suits , only 123 left , $8.5O $20.00 and $25.00 imported clay worsteds , $12.50 fancy worsteds , etc - Words will not convey the marvelousness of these values It needs an examination to convince. WIAII Furnishings at Half Price. EQUITY CLOTHING CO. Quitting Business. 13tti and Farnam. ho knew not , until cue morning he awoke In his new cabin with ; a strange man sitting by his bsd and a negrcss In the doorway. "You've h ad a sliarpt.\attack of Jtub fever , ' " said the straugsiv dropping Morse's llutless wrist and answering his questioning .eyes , "but you're all right now , and you wll pull throueh. " "Who are you ? " stammered Morse , feebly "Dr. Deukesno of Sacramento. " "How did you come here ? " "I was ordered to come to you and brlnf a nurse , as you were alone. There she Is. ' He pointed to the' smiling nsgress. "Who ordered you ? " The doctor Emlled with professional tel erance. "One of your friends , of course. " "But what was his name ? " "Really I don't remember. But don't dis tress yourself. He. has settled everything right royally. You have only to get strong now. My duty Is ended and I can safely leave you with the nurse. Only when you are slrong again , I say and he says keep back further from the river. " And that was all he knew. For even the nurse who attended him through the first days of his brief convalescence , would tel him nothing more. Ho quickly got rid o ; her and resumed his work , for a now and strange phase of his simple , childish affection for his benefactor , partly superin duced by Illness , was affecting him. He was beginning to feel the pain of an unequal friendship ; he was dimly conscious that his mysterious guest was only coldly returning his hospitality and benefits , while holding aloof from any association with him and In dicating the Immeasurable distance that had withheld any kind message or sympathetic greeting , he had kept back even his name. The. shy , proud , Ignorant heart of the frontiersman swelled beneath this fancied slight , which left him helpless alike of reproach preach or resentment. He could not return the horses , although In a fit of childish In dignation he had resolved not to use- them * ho could not reimburse him for the doctor's bill , although he had sent away the nurse. He took a foolish satisfaction In not moving back from the river , with a faint hope thai his Ignoring of Captain Jack's advice might mysteriously be coiyreyed to him. He even ' thought of soiling out his location and'aban doning It that he- might escape the cold surveillance of his heartless friend , All this was undoubtedly childish but there Is on Irrepressible simplicity 01 youth in all deep feeling , and the worldly experience of the frontier man left him as Innocent as a child. In this phase of his unrequited affection ho even went so far as ' 'a seek some news of Captain Jack , of Sacramento , and following out his foolish quest to uvn take the steam boat , from thencs to Stockton. What happened to him then was perhaps the common experience of ruch natures. Once upon the boat the Illusion of the great world It contained .for him utterly vanished. He found It noisy , formal , Insincere , and had ho ever understood or used the word In his limited vocabulary , vulK c > " nattier perhaps , it seemed to him that tbo prevailing senti ment and action of 'those ' who frequented It and for- whom It was built were of a lower- grade than his own. And strangely enough this gave him none of his former ssenss of critical su periority , but only ofibltf utter and complete Isolation. He wanderedf In his rough fron tiersman's clothes , frcmideclc to cabin , from airy galleries to Ions-saloons , alone , unchal lenged , unrecognlzsd , as If he were again haunting It only In spirit , as he had so often done Inhis dreams.- fills presence on the fringe of somq voluble crowd caured no Inter ruption ; to him this epascli was almost for eign In Its allusions to 'things he did not un derstand , or wars ? , seemed Inconsistent with their eagernev * and excitement. How differ ent from all this wni. recollection of the slowly oncoming teams. uplifted above the level horizon of the plains ; In his old wanderIngs - Ings ; the few Hiunterlng , < flgurea that met him as man to man and exchanged the- chronicle of the reid , the record of Indian tracks , the finding of a spring , the discovery of pastur age with -the lazy , restful hospitality of the night. And how fierce hero this continual struggle for dominance and existence , even In ( his lull of paisage. Kor above all and through oil ho wau conscious of the feverish haste of epeed and exertion , The boat trem bled , vibrated and shook with every stroke of the ponderous piston. The laughter of the crowd , tl.c exchange of gossip and news , the banquet at the long table , the newspapers and books In the reading room , even the luxurious couches In the state rooms , were all dominated , thrilled and pulsating with perpetual throb of the demon of hurry and unrest. And when , at last , a horrible fas cination dragged him Into the engine room and he raw the cruel , relentless machinery at work , ho seemed to recognize and understand some Intelligent but pitiless Moloch who was dragging this feverish world at Its heels. La'er bo was seated In a corner of the hurricane deck whence he could view the monotonous banks * of th river , yt-t perhaps by certain signs unobservable 'to others , he knew ho was approaching his own locality. He knew that 'his cabin and clearing would bo undlscernlb'le--behlnd the fringe of willows on the bank-b'ut'hyalready ; distinguished ths points where a few' cottonwoods struggled Into a promontory of lighter foliage beyond them. Here voices fell upon his car and he wan suddenly aware that two men had lazily crossed over from the other side of the boa and were standing before him looking upo the bank. "It was about here , I reckon , " said on listlessly as If continuing a previous laggtn conversation , "that It must have happenst For It was after wo were making for th bend we've Just passed that the deputy , goln to the state room just below us , found th door lockeJ and the wlr.d&.v open. But hot man Jack Despard and Seth Hall the sheriff weren't to be found. Not a trace of 'em The boat was searched , but all for nothing The lda Is tint the sheriff arter gettin' Mi prisoner comf'ble In the state room took ol THAT IT WAS A DEAD MAN. Jack's handcuffs and locked the- door ; thai Jock , who was mighty desp'rat ? , ballet through the window Into the river , and the sheriff , who wasn't a slouch , arter him. Others allow for the chairs and things was all tossed about In the state room- that the two men clinched thar 'and Jack choked Hall and cliucited him out and -then slipped clar Into the wat-sr hlmaelf. For the state room window was Just ahpad of the paddle box and the cap'n allows that no man or men would fall afore thj' paddles and live. Any how that was all they ever knew of It. " "And there wasn't no trace of them found ? " said the second man , alter a long pause. "No , Cap'n tays them paddles would hev' just catched 'em and ulung 'cm round and round and burled 'em way down In the ooz ? cf the river bed with all the silt of the cur rent atop of 'cm and they mightn't com * up [ cr agea , or else the wheels might have waltzed 'cm way up. to Sacramento until thar wasn't enough left of 'em to float , and dropped 'em when the boat stopped , " "It was a mighty fool risk for a man Ike Despard to take , " resumed th second epfaker , as ho turned away with n slight rawn. "Bet your life ! but he was desp'rate and he sheriff had got him safe. And they do say that ho was superstitious like all him gamblers and allowed that a man who was fixed to dlo bya rope or a pistol vasn't to be washed out o' life by water , " The two figures drifted lazily away , but Morse cat rigid and motionless. Yet strange o my only ono Idea came to him clearly out of this awful revelation the thought that ils friend was still true to him and that his trarge absence and mysterious silence- was ully accounted for and explained. And with t came the more thrilling fancy that this man vas alive now to him alone. He was the wlo custodian of his secret. Th morality f the question , while It profoundly ' disturbed ilm , was rather In reference' to Its effect upon the chances of Captain Jack and the power It gave his oncmlts , than his own conscience. He would rather that his friend should have proven I ho prescribed outlaw who retained an unselfish Interest In him , than the superior gntleman : who was coldly wiping out his gratitude. He thought he- un derstood now the reacon of his strange and varying moods , even his bitter superstitious warning In regard to tha probable curM .entailed upon himself for saving n drown ing mnh. 'Of this ht thought little , enough that he fancied that Captain Jack's concern in his illness was Heightened by that fear , and this assurvnc ? of his protecting friend ship thrilled h'm ' with pleasure. There wayne no reason now why he should not at least go back to his farm where at least Captain Juck would always find him and he did so , re turning on the same boat. Ho was now fully recovered from his Illness and calmer In mind ; he redoubled hli ? labors to put him self In n position to help the mysterious fugi tive when the time should come. The remote farm should always be a haven of refuge for htm , and In this hope he foreborc to take any outsldo help , remaining solitary and alone that Captain Jack's retreat should be inviolate. And so the long , dry season patsed , the hay was gathered , the pastur ing herds sent home , and the first rains dimpling like shot the broadening surface of the river were all that broke his unending solitude. In this enforced attitude of waitIng - Ing and expectancy he was exalted and strengthened by a new idea. He was not a religious man , but dimly remembering the exhortations of some camp meeting of his boyhood , conceived the Idea that he might have been selected to work out the regeneration of Captain Jack. What might not come of this meeting and communing together In this lovely spot ! That anyth ng was due to the Injured reprewntatlves of the murdered sheriff , whose bones were rot ting In the trench he dally but unconcernedly patpeil , did not occur to him. Perhaps his mind was not large enough for tha double consideration. Friendship and love and for tlu matter of that religion are cml icntly one-ldoied. Uut ono night he awakened with a start. Ills hand , which was hanging out of his bunk , was dabbling Idly In water ! He had barely tljno to spring to the middle In what Burned to bo a slowly-filling tank , before the- door fll in as from an Inward presence , and his whole Blmnty collapsed Ilk ? a pack of cards. But It fell outwards ; the roof sliding from over hla head Ilko a withdrawn canopy , and he was swept from hl feet against It , ant thcnco out Into what might have been an other world ! For the rain had ceassd ani the full moon revealed only one vast , Illimit able expanse of water. It was not an over flow , but the whole rushing river magnified and reps-aUd a million times , which even as ho gasped for brc-ath and clung to tha roof , was bearing him away he knew not whlthor. But It was bearing him away upon Its center , for as ho cas't ono swift glance towards hlu meadow's he paw they were covered by the same sweeping torrent , dotted with his sailIng - Ing hay ricks and reaching to the wooded foothills , It was the Ereat lloo'J of 'Cl In Its awe-Inspiring completeness It might have sfeimil to him the primeval deluge , As his frail craft swept under a co'tonwood. he caught at one of the overhanging limb ; and working his way desperately along the bough , at last reached a secure position In the fork of the tree , Hire lip was for the moment safe. But the devastation viewed from this height was only the more appalling. Kvery sign of his clearing all evidence of Ills pist yiar's Industry had disappeared. He wau now conscious .for the first time , of the lowing of the few cattle he had kept , at * huddled together on H slight eminence they ono by one slipped owr , Btruggllng , Into the flood. Th ' shining bodea | of his dead horses rolled by him ns he gaze-J. The lower lying limbs of the sycamore near him were bind ing with Hio burden of th ? lighter articles from his overturned wagon and cabin which they had caught and retained , and a rake was securely lolged In a bough , The habitual BOlltude- his locality waa now strangely In vaded by drifting shcdi' , agricultural Imple ments and fence rails from unknown and r- mcte neighbors , and he could faintly dear th far-calling of some unhappy farmer adrift upon a spar of his wrecked and Bha tered house. When day brake 10 war ) cold and hungry. Hours pasad : In hopeless monotony , with no slackening nor diminution of the waters , IJven the drifts became less and a vacant sea at last spread before him on which notli- ng moved. An awful silence Impressed him. n the afternoon rain again began to fall on hl gray , nebulous expanse , until the whole vorld stemed made of aqueoua vapor. Ho iad but one Idol now th coming of the evening beat , and ho would reserve his trenglh to swim to It. He did not know un- 11 later that It could no longer follow the old : hinnel of the river and pasted far beyond ilu night and hearing. With his disappoint ment and exposure that night came a return f ) IB ! old fever , ills llmbj were alternately acked with pain or benumbed and lifeless. le could scarcely retain lila position. At lines he scarcely cared to and speculated pen ending his suffering by a quick plunge ownwardi. In other moments of lucid misery IB wis conscious of having wandered In his nlnd , of having seen the dead face > of the murdered nherlfT , washed cut of the shallow rave by tbo floor , staring at him from the water. To thlu waa added the ImlHicliutloi of noises. He heard voices , his own nanu called by a volcei he knew Captain Jack's ! Suddenly he started , but In that fatal mo ment lost his balance and plunged downward. But before the water closed above his head he had had a cruel gllmpra of help near him ; of a flashing light of the black hull of a tug not many yards away of moving figures the sensation of a sudden plunge following his own , the grip of a strong hand upon hlo collar and unconsciousness ! When ho cams to ho was being lifted In a boat from the tug and rowed thtough the deserted streets of a large city until he was taken In through the. second story window of a half-submerged ho tel and cared for. But all his questionings yielded only the Information that this tug a privately procured one not belonging to the Public Hellef association had been dis patched for him with special directions , by a man who acted as one of the crew , and who was the one who had plunged In for him at the last moment. The man had left the boat at Stockton. There was nothing more ? Yes ! He had left a letter. .Morse seized It feverishly. It was only a faw lines. "We are quits now. You are all right. I have saved you from drowning and shifted the wire to my own shoulders. Good-bye. Captain Jack. " The astounded man attempted to rise , to utter an explanation , but fell back uncon scious. Weeks passed before he was able to leave his bed , and then only as an Impoverished and physically shattered man. Ho had no means to restock the farm left bare by the subsiding water. A kindly train-packer offered him a situation as muleteer In a pack train going to the mountains , for he knew tracks and pat-sea and could ride. The mountains gave htm back a little of the vigor ho had lost In the river valley , but none of Its dreams and ambitions. One day whlla tracking a lost mule ho stopped to slake bin thirst In a water hole , all that the summer had left of a lonely mountain torrent. En larging the hole to give drink to his Iwast also ho was obliged to dlslodgo and throw out with the red wll some bits of honey comb rock , which were so queer-looking and EO heavy as to attract his attention. Two of the largest he took buck to camp with him. Thsy were gold. From the locality ho took out a fortune. Nobody wondered. To the Callfornlan's superstition It was perfectly natural. It was "nigger luck" the luck of the etupld , the Ignorant , the Inexperienced , the non-seeker the Irony of the gods ! Hut thu simple , bucolic nature that had SUB- talnetl Itself agalnet temptation with patient Industry and lonely pelf-concentration , suc cumbed to rapidly acquired wealth. Bo It chanced that onu day with a crowd of excite- mcnt-lovlng spendthrifts and companions ha found himself on the outskirts of a lawless mountain town. An eager , frantic crowd liad already assembled there ; a desperado wan to be lynched ! I'uslilng his way through the crowd for a nearer view of the exciting : spectacle , the changed a > id reckless Morse , was stopped by armed men only at the foot 'of a cart , which upheld a quiet , determined man , who with a rojio around hlu neck was scornfully surveying the mob who held < lm other 1'iid of the ropj drawn across the limb of u tree above him , The uyes of the doomed man caught lliosj of Morte his ex pression changed a kindly smile lit lilw face he bowed his proud head for the first time , with an easy gesture of farewell. And then with a shriek Morse threw him self upon the nearest armed guard and a fierce struggle began. Ho had overpowered hlu adversary and seized ano'.lier In his hopeless fight toward the cart , when the iinlf astonished crowd felt that Homethlnic must he done , It was done , with a sharp report , the upward curl of smoke and the holding back of the guurd ax Morsu stag gered forward free with a bullet In his ioar ! . Yet oven then he did not fall until ho reached the cart , when he leaped forward , lead , with his arms outstretched and bin Head upon the doomed man's feet. There was toinothlin ; so supreme and nil- ) owc-rful In this hopeless act of devotion that ho heart of the multitude thrilled and ( hen recoiled aghast at Its work , and a single word or u gesture from the doomed man ilmeeU might have set him free. But they by und It lu credibly itcordcd that an Captain Jack Despard looked down upon he hopelcBS sacrifice at his feet his eye : * > lazcd and he Hung upon the crowd a cursa DO awful and sweeping that hardened a they were their blood ran cold or else leaped furiously to their cheeks. "And now,1' ho sold coolly tightening the rope around hl neck with a jerk of his head " ( Jo on , and be d d to you ! I'm ready. " They did not hesltata this time. And Martin Morse and Captain Jack Despard were burled In 'the same grave , A. Q. Hartley of Magic. I'a , , writes : "I feel It a duty of mine to Inform you and the public that DeWltt's Witch Hazel Halve cured me of a very Ixid caeo of eczema , U also cured my boy cf a running core on hit U *