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About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Nebraska) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (July 4, 1912)
1 -N PROLOGUE. A young man and a beautiful young woman, lost and alone in a wild ernes for months, half starved and in daily peril of death from wild beasts and still more savage Indians this is the central theme of the most fasci nating romance that has come from Emerson Hough's pen. Read and you will learn how love came to them; how they conducted themselves in this try ing, unconventional situation; how the man's chivalry and the woman's purity held them stead fast to the ideals of civilization, and how the strange episode brought tragedies, estrangements and happiness. CHAPTER XI. Gordon Orme, Magician. WE lay in our hot camp on the sandy valley for some days and buried two more of our men, who finally succumbed to their wound. Gloom sat on us all. for fever now raged among our wound ed. The sun blistered us, the night froze us. Still not a sign of any white topped wagon from the east nor any dust cloud of troopers from the west i served to break the monotony of the shimmering waste that lay about ua on every hand. We were growing gaunt now andtiaggard, but still we lay waiting for our men to grow strong enough to travel or to lose all strength and so be laid away. "Injuns is strange critters. A few of us has married among Injuns and lived among thorn, and we have seen things you wouldn't believe if I told jou." Thus spake Auberry. "Tell some of them." said Ornie. "I. for one, might believe them." "Well, now." said the plainsman. "I will tell you some things I have seen their medicine men do, and ye can be lieve me or not. the way ye feel about it. "1 have seen 'em bold a powwow for two or three days at a time, some of 'em settin' 'round dreamln', as they -call It, all of 'em starvln', whole camp howlin', everybody eatln' medicine herbs. Then after while they all come and set down Just like It was right out here in the open. Somebody pulls ft naked Injun boy right out In the mid dle of tbem. Old Mr. Medicine Man. he stands up in the plain daylight, and he draws hU bow and shoots a arrer plum through that boy. Boy squirms a heap and Mr, Medicine Man socks another arrer through him. cool 4is you please I have seen that done. Then the medicine man steps up, cuts off the boy's bead with his knife holds It up plain so everybody can see it That looked pretty hard to me first time I ever seen it. But now the old medicine man takes a blanket and throws It over this dead boy. He lifts tip a corner of the blanket, chucks the bov'8 head under It and pulls down the edges of the blanket and puts rocks on them. Then be begins to lug. and the whole bunch gcta up and dunces 'round the blanket. After awhile, say a few minutes, medicine man pulls off the blanket and thnr gets up the boy. good ns new. his hend growed on good and tight as ever and not a sign of an arrer on hlni 'copt the scars where the wounds has plumb healed up!" Belknap laughed long and bard at this old trapper's yarn. and. weak as I was myself. I was disposed to Join Mm. Orme was the only one who did not ridicule the Itory. Auberry him self was disgusted at the merriment "I knowed you wouldn't believe It," he said. "There Is no use tellln' a passel of tenderfeet anything they hain't seed for tbelrselres. But I could tell you a heap more things. Why, I have eoen their buffalo callers call a thou sand buffalo right in from the plains and over the edge of a cut bank where they'd pitch down and bust theirselves to pieces. I can show you bones of a hundred such places. Buffalo don't do that when they are alone thay have got to be called, I tell you. "Injuns can talk with other animals they can call them others too. I THE WAY OF MAN By Emerson Hough Copyrlht, IM07, by the Outing Publishing Company haveseeil "atTCU TnuTicTWnTaTrflglrt out on the plain ground In the middle of the village go to dancln', and I have seed him call three full sized beavers right up out'n tho ground seed them with my own eyes, I tell you! Tes, and I have seed them three old beav ers standln' right there turn into full growed old men. gray haired. I have seed 'em sit down at a Are and smoke, too, and finally get up when they got through and clean out Just disappear back Into the ground. Now, how yo all explain them there things I don't pretend to say, but there can't no man call me a liar, fur I seed 'em and seed 'em unmistakable." Belknap and the others only smiled, but Orme turned soberly toward An berry. "I don't call you a liar, my man," said he. "On the contrary, what you say Is very Interesting. I quite believe it, although I never knew lie fore that your natives in this country were possessed of these powers." "It ain't all of 'em can do it," said Auberry, "only a few men of n few tribes can do them things, but them that can shore can. and that's all I know about it." "Quite so," said Orme. "Now. as It chances. I have traveled a bit In my time In the old countries of the east. I have seen some wonderful things done there." "I havo read about the East Indian Jugglers." snid Belknap. Interested. "Tell me, have you seen those feats? And are they feats or simply lies?" "They are actual occurrences," said Orme. "I have seen theni with my own eyes. Just as Auberry has seen tho things bo describes, and It Is no more right to Accuse the one than the other of us of untruthfulness. "For Instance, I have seen an Indian Juggler take a plain bowl, such as they use for rice, and bold It out In his hand in the open sunlight, and then I have seen a little bamboo tree start in it and grow two feet high, right in the middle of the bowl, within the space of a minute or so. "You'll talk about the old story of '.Tack and the Beanstalk'-I have seen an old fakir take a bamboo stick no thicker than his finger and thrust It down In the ground and start and climb up, as if It were a tree, and keep on climbing till he was out of sight, and then there would come falling down out of the sky legs and arms, his head, pieces of his body. When these struck the ground they would reassemble and make the man all over again Just JIke Auberry's dead boy. you know. "These tricks are so common in Asia that they do not excite any wonder. As to tribal telegraph, they have got It there. Time and again when our forces were marching against the hill tribes of northwestern India we found they knew all of our plans a hundred miles ahead of us how, none of us could tell only the fact was there, plain and unmistakable." "They never do tell." broke In Au berry. "You couldn't get a red to ex plain any of this to you not even a squaw you have lived with for years. They certainly do stand pat for keeps." "Yet once In awhile," smiled Orme In his easy way, "a white man does pick tip some of these tricks. I be lieve I could do a few of them myself if I liked In fact, I have sometimes learned some of the simpler ones for my own amusement" General exclamations of surprise and doubt greeted him from our little cir cle, and this seemed to nettle him somewhat. "By Jove," he went on, "If you doubt It I don't mind trying a hand at it right now. Terhaps I have forgotten something of my old skill, but we'll see. Come, then." All arose now and gathered about him on the ground there In the full sunlight. lie evinced no uneasiness or surprise, and be employed no mech anism or deception which we could detect- "My good man." said he to Auberry, "let me take your knife." Auberry loosed the long hunting knife at bis belt and bnnded It to him. Taking it, Orme seated himself cross legged on a white blunket. which be spread out on the sandy soil. All at once Orme looked up with an expression of surprise on his face. "This was not the knife I wanted," be said. "I asked for a plain American hunting knife, not this one. See. you have given me a Malay krls! I have not the slightest Idea where you got It" We all looked Intently at him. There, held up In his hand, was full proof of what be had said a long blade of wavy steel, with a little crooked, carved handle. From what I bad read I saw this to be a krls, a wavy bladed knife of the Malays. It did not ablne or gleam In the sun, but threw back a dull reflection from Its gray steel as though lead and silver mingJeJJo Its mnke1Ther blade was attont thirty Inches long, wnere.is that of Auberry's knife could not hae ex ceeded eight Inches at the most. "We did not know you had that thing around you." exclaimed Belknap. "That is only sleight of hand." "is It. indeed?" Raid Orme, smiling "1 tell you I did not have It with me. After all, you see It Is the same knife." We all gaped curiously and there, as I am a living man. we saw that wavy krls, extended In his hand, turn back Into the firm of the plainsman's hunting knife! A gasp of wonder and half terror came from the circle. Some of the men drew back. I heard an Irish private swear and saw him cross himself. 1 do not explain these things. 1 only say I saw hem. "I was mistaken," said Orme polite ly, "In offering so simple a test as this, but now, if you still think I had the krls In my clothing, how that could be, I don't know, I'm sure, and if you still wish to call my little per formance sleight of hand, then I'll do something to prove what I have said and make it quite plain that all my "See, you have given me a Malay krie!" friend here has said Is true and more than true. Watch now nnd you will see blood flrlp from the point of this blade every drop of blood it ever drew of man or animal. Look now watch It closely." We looked and again, as I am a liv ing man and an honest one, I hope, 1 saw. as the others did. running from the point of the steel blade, a little trickling stream of red blood I It drop ped In n stream, I say. and fell on the white blanket upon which Orme was sitting. It stained the blanket entirely red. At this sight the entire group broke apart, only a few remain ing to witness the rest of the scene. I do not attempt to explain this Il lusion or whatever It was. I do not know how long It lasted, but present ly, as I may testify, I saw Orme rise And kick at the wetted blood stained blanket. He lifted It. heavy with drip ping blood. I saw the blood fall from Its corners upon the ground. "Ah," he renwuked calmly. "It's get ting dry now. Here Is your knife, my good fellow." I looked about me, almost disposed to rub my eyes, as were perhaps the others of our party. The same great plains were there, the same wide shimmering stream, rippling in the sunlight, the same groups of animals grazing on the bluff, the same senti nels outlined against the sky. Over all shone the blinding light of the western midday sun. Yet as Orme straightened out this blanket It was as white ns it bad been before. Au berry looked at bis knife blade as though he would have preferred to throw It n way, but be sheathed It and It fitted the sheath as before. - Orme smiled at us all pleasantly. "Do you believe In the Indian tele graph now?" he Inquired. I have told you many things of this strange man, Gordon Orme, and I shall need to tell yet others. Some times my friends smile at me even yet orer tbeso things. But since that day I have not doubted the tales old Au berry told me of our own Indians. Since then, too, I have better under stood Gordon Orme and his strange personality, the like of which I never knew in any land. How long It was I hardly knew, for I had sunk into a sort of dull apathy in whlcb one day was much like an other. But at last we gathered our crippled party together and broke camp, our wounded men In the wag ons, and so slowly passed on west ward, up the trail. We supposed, what later proved to be true, that the Sioux bad raided in the valley on both sides of us and that the scattered por tions of the army bad all they could do, while the freight trains were held back until tho road was clear. I wearied of the monotony of wagon travel and without council with any finally, weak as I was, called for my horse and rode on slowly with the walking teams. I had gone for some distance before I heard hoofs on the sand behind me. "Guess who It Is," called a voice. "Don't turn your head." "I can't turn," I answered, "but I know who It Is." She rode up alongside, where I could see her, and fair enough she was to look upon, and glad enough I was to look. She was thinner now with this prairie life, and browner, and the ends of her hair were still yellowing, like thai. oiiUliloorsjDD, She still was booted and gloved after the fashion of civilization, and still elsewisc garbed in the aboriginal costume, which she filled and honored graciously. The metal cylinder on her leggins rattled as she rode. 'You ought not to ride." she said "You are pale." 'You are beautiful." said I: "and I ride becausi you nre beautiful." Her eyes wore busy with her glove- but I saw a sidelong glance. "I do not understand you," she said demurtly. '1 could not sit back there tu the wagon aud think," said I. "1 knew that you would be riding before long, and 1 guessed I might perhaps talk with you." She bit her Up nnd half pulled up her horse as if to fall back. "That will depend." was her comment. But we rode ou side by side, knee to knee. Many things 1 had studied before then, for certain mysteries had como to ine, as to many men, who wish log ically to know the causes of great phe nomena. From boyhood I had pou- dereil many things. I had lain ou my back and looked up at the stars and wondered how far they were, nnd how far the farthest thing beyond them was. 1 had wondered at that Indeter minate quotient In my sums, where the snme figure came, always the same, running on and on. I used to wonder what was my soul, and I fancied thnt It was a pale, blue flaming oblate, somewhere near by, back and In the middle of my body such was my boy ish guess of what they told mo was a real thing. I had pondered on that compass of the skies by which the wild fowl guide themselves. I had won dered, as a child, how far the moun tains ran. As I had grown older I had read the law, read of the birth of civilization, pondered on laws nnd cus toms. Declaring that I must know their reasons, I had read of marriages in ninny lands, nnd many times had stud led Into the questions of dowry nnd bride price, and consent of parents and consent of the bride studied mar riage as a covenant, n contract, as a human and so called divine thing. I had questioned tho cnuso of the old myth that makes Cupid blind. I had delved deep as I might In law. and history and literature, seeking to solve, ns I might what? Ah, witless. It was to solve this very riddle that rode by my side now, to answer the question of the Sphinx. What had come of all my studies? Not so much as I was learning now. here In the open, with this sweet savage woman whose leggins tinkled as she rode, whose tunic swelled softly, whose Jaw was clean and brown. How weak the precepts of the social covenant seemed! How feeble and far away the old world we two had knownl And bow Infinitely sweet, bow compelling- ly necessary now seemed to me this new, sweet world thnt swept around as! , We rode on side by side, knee to knee. Her garments rustled and tlo kled. Her voice awoke me from my brood Ing. "1 wish. Mr. Cowles." said she, -"that If you ore strong enough and can do so without discomfort, you would ride with me each day when I ride." "Why?" 1 asked. That was the wish In my own mind, but I know her rea son was not the same ns mine. "Because" she said. She looked at me', but would not answer farther. "You ought to tell me," 1 said quiet ly. "Because It Is prescrlled for you." "Not by my doctor." I shook my head. "Why. then?" "Stupld-oh. very stupid officer and gentleman!" she said, smiling slowly. "Lieutenant Belknap has his duties to look after, and as for Mr. Orme. I nm not sure be Is either omeer or gentle man." She spoke quietly but positively. I looked on straight up the valley and pondered. Then I put out a hand and touched the fringe of her sleeve. "I am going to try to be a gentle man," said I. "But I wish some fate would tell me why It la a gentleman can be made from nothing but a man." (To Ho Continued.) In District Court. From Tueiday'a Dally. Judgment on (lie mandate of the supreme court was entered by Judge Travis in I ho district court this morning in the case of H. It. tiering against J. M. Leyda, tho effect of which is to dismiss tho case with costs taxed to tho plain tiff. This was an action for dam ages in tho sum of $10,000, claim ed by plaintiff against tho defend ant, nnd claimed to havo arisen in tho prosecution of tho plain tiff for the unlawful sale of liquor. Aged Mother Injured. From Tuesday's Dally. City Attorney A. L. Tidd re ceived a message from his old homo in Ohio this morning in forming him of nn unfortunate accident which befell his aged mother, in which she received a fall from which she sustained a fractured hip. Mrs. Tidd is near ly 80 years of ago and a fracture is a serious injury at her time of life. lea Cream Social at Kenosha. An ice ' cream social will bo given at tho Kenosha church by the ladies of the church, on next Saturday evening, July 6th, and everybody i9 invited to come. 7-l-2t-wkly. SEEKS PAROLE FORCONVICT Wile of Smith Makes Applica tion to State Board. WAS ACCOMPLICE OF MORLEY. Invitation Sent to Robert T. Lincoln to Attend Unveiling of Statue to Martyr Presldint Keith County Ob jects to U. P. Valuation. Lincoln, July 2. Mrs. Smith, wife of the convict who gave his name a Kvans and who was sentenced to the ptiite penitentiary as an accomplice of M.iHey In connection with a burglary at Walthlll, appeared before Secre tary Piper In an effort to get her case before the pardoning board for the purpose of getting a parole for her husband. Mrs. Smith had a small child with her, about a year old, and ft ited that she had Ave more In the soldiers' orphans' home at Davenport, la. She said that If some way was not provided so that her husband could be released and provide for his family that the children would be tak en from the home and adopted Into families where they would be provided for. The expiration of the time when they would he taken from the home li July 10, but the superintendent of the place had promised her If there was any chance that she could get her huBbnnil out of the Nebraska prison they would extend the time thirty days. Keith County Objects. County Clerk Nichols of Keith coun ty has written the stato board of equalization that unless It raises the valuation of the Union Pacific railroad Hue In that county CO per cent the county hoard will proceed to do so. A the state hoard only has power to vnhn railroad property for assessment purposes, the members of the body wonder how the county bonrd of Keith county ran lagally change the Union rariflc values. The state board has completed Its valuation of railroad a for this year and the matter Is closed unless by n vote of the board the mat ter Is opened up again. Hansen Back From Sargent Food Commissioner Hansen re turned from Sargent, where he attend ed a picnic which was given In the in terest of the dairy business In that suction of the state. While there a ew organliallon was formed to be tolled the State Farmers' Co-operative Creamery company. He says that the farmer In that section are taking a great deal of Interest In the dairy business and are taking advantage of every opportunity to Increase the out put. The towns are growing very rap Idly and he looks for good reports In the future from that section. ' Penn to Be Relieved. Major Julius A. Penn has received orders from the war department that he will be relieved from duty In con nection with the Nebraska national guard on July 17, Instead of Sept. 1, as previously notified. He will be suc ceeded by Lieutenant Frederick C. Test of the Twenty-second Infantry, now stationed at Bl Paso, Tex. Major Perm has not as yet received any as signment. Lincoln Invited. Secretary of State Walt has written a letter to Robert T. Lincoln, Inviting him to be present at the unveiling of the statue-of his father on the state house grounds In this city, Sept. 2. Mr. Walt expected to see Mr. IJncoln In Chicago during the time of the na tional Republican convention, but the gentleman was not In that city. Sheely's Conviction 8tands. According to reports received here, C 0. Sheely, the former well known IJncoln contractor, who recently con fessed to having bribed two county commissioners of Weld county, Colo rado, on the award of some bridge contracts, will have to go to prison, the supreme court having denied nil application for a atay of execution. ANTI-GIFT LAW LITIGATION County Attorney Wins First Round In Caee at Hastings. Hastings, Neb., July 2. County At ttorney Hartlgan has won the first round In the litigation to enforce the anti-gift enterprise law, prohibiting the giving of premium stamps, pre tnlums or prUe with merchandise. In the suit started by him against Sperry, Hutchinson k Co., a trading stamp firm, over a year ago, the de fendants filed a demurrer, which was argued some months ago. Judge Dun gan of the district court has given a decision overruling the demurrer as to all points In the controversy except the one charging Sperry, Hutchinson Sl Co. and Stein Ilros Co. of this city with entering Into an Illegal combina tion. Mr. Hartlgan Bays the vital Is sues remain and he will move for Im mediate trial of the case on Its merits when court reconvenes on Aug. 28. Wheat Harvesters Busy. Hastings, Neb., July 2. The wheat harvest Is In hill swing In the South Platte section. There will be a strong demand for help In practically all ol the winter wheat counties. The yield In Adams and adjoining counties Is ex pected to he above normal and the fields that showed signs of , burning some weeks ago are now the best of all LEQAL ADVERTISING. -J. Tho following section of a law regarding tho disposi- 4 J tion or placing of legal ad- vertising in newspapers was passed by the Nebraska 4 fr legislature of 1909, and we fr desire the friends of the v Journal to make a note of ! its provisions and govern $ ! themselves accordingly: ! "That from and after the 4 J passage and approval of this ! act it shall be the lawful 4 ! right of any plaintiff or f I petitioner in any suit, ac- 4 -l- tion or proceeding, ponding or prosecuted in any of the 4 ! district courts of this state, 4" in which it is necessary to J publish in a newspaper any 4 v notice or copy of an order. 4 I growing out of, or connected 4 v with such action or proceed- 4 ing cither by himself or his - attorney of record, to dosig h nate in what newspaper i- sucli notice or copy of order shall be published. And it I shall ho the right of the 4. ! widow, widower, or a ma- jority of the heirs-at-law of 4 4 legal nge, of the estate of I any deceased intestate or J 4 tho widow, widower, or a 4 r majority of the legatees or 4 t devises of lawful age, of 4 J the estate of deceased 4 ! lestatoni to designate the 4 ! newspaper in which the 4 ! nut ices pertaining to the 4 ! settlement of tho estates of 4 I such deceased persons shall I he published. And It shall f-I- be the duty of the Judges of 4 the district court, county 4' judges or any other officer f J- charged with the duty of or derlng, directing or super- 4 I Intending the publication of 4 any of such notices, or 4 copies of orders, to strictly 4 comply with such deslgna- 4 ! tlons. when made In ac- 4 I cordanco with tho pro- 4 visions of this act." ! Wo want tho friends of I tho Journal throughout Cass 4 county to understand that 4" i when they have district 4 court notices or county 4 ! court notices to publish they 4 4 are empowered with the 4" I right to designate the paper 4 4 in which such notices shall 4 be published. 4 ATTENTION. N We havo recently completed our hay shed, with capacity of from two to three cars, and will bo able and ready at all times to furnish the best hay at the lowest prices consistent with tho quality.) Just at this time we have part of a car which we have Just finished un loading of nice, bright, choice Up land Hay from the Loup . river country, the quality of which can not be beat, and we are pricing this at $20 per ton at the shed. Come and supply your wants while It lasts, as It will not hold out long at this money. . CEDAR CREEK LUMBER CO. 6-20-wkly-4t. Summer colds are hard to got rid of, and frequently leads to asthma, bronchitis and hay fever. ! not let your cold got a hold on you, but use oFley's Honey and Tar Compound for quick relief. W. II. Allen, Shelsoa, Wis., says: "We prefer Foley's Honey und Tar Compound to other cough medi cines because it quickly cures coughs nnd colds. It will ward off a cold if taken in time." Con tains no opiates. For sale by F. (i. Fricke Co. TORNADO -INSURANCE- .'... INSURE NOW! Tornado in Missouri June 15th, thirty lives lost and thousands of dollars wirth of property destroyed. Great los of property in maty parts of the couitry already this season. Fire can be garded against and fought. You can build dykes to keep water within bounds. A tornado NEVER gives warning. You cannot guad against it. You cannot fight it when it comes. You cannot move your property out of its path. Be on the safe side and take out tornado insur ance at once. Insurance can be fur nished at a cost too low for the owner of property to take any chances. Call, write or phone this office for particulars. Office phone 98; residence No. 20. WINDHAM Investment and Loan Co.