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Show Ove-rtho prairie tho little cavalcade started, Hed Mustang', with tint easy swinging stride of hers, tubing the lend and krcpintf it. lint Jim pulled her up sharply lis there camea triumphant shout J from behind, "Here's 1 ho truil:" Hiding uji, Jim looked nt it with his I keen eyes. "That's no trail!" lie weld ! contemptuously. Now, tlio rest nf the men havingstatcd that it whs tho trail, and being at least us well able ti judge us Jim, lid nut re-i re-i ecive hiit remark in the plea.-antest spirit. 'il are the trail," said Daryl Dish, in n ipiietly conclusive wnv, us if that tattled tat-tled it. "lint it nren'l!" sai l Jim squarely. ' Now, Daryl ll.e'i was oil" nf the nio-:t iri'ed hinds ia tho camp, and being backi il bv lii i! n, the rent naturally ; tO,.!t his Side. 'This ain't t:o t;i:i" fi r fooli'iV they raid very nendy. "If. re'., tiail. plain asrii'i smd Wf'riniir i follow 11 uji" 'I'm net in-.'in'," r-inr;. 1 .li.n, with a kind 1 if tl. ' rai" epni .!n - ,,. "That tail's ri plain !'..;' Jtij'ei, o have left, ks.W I hey !?. it a' jnu j-e-e. I l;au li'ld ill" ir.-iil 1" ';1 en 11 yell let iiie. 'j'l msi III I n-. " As ho met them with his own recK-lcp, recK-lcp, defiant ones, isoiiiethingfl.se flashed into them, mid then mid there ho tittered n downright lie: "Don't you believe 'em, Dolly: 1 ain't nothing of tho sort," And, half' involuntarily, ho throw a wistful glance at Dig Den. Spite of his roughnras Big In must have hud a soft ppot somewhere, for, bending down to Polly, h said gently: ''J'here, yon see. Dolly, I must have been mistook. This 'ere fellow, instead of being a thief, id a wirtuous youth, an innieent angel, in fact. Now run away." tio Dolly departed satisfied. After she left silence and hesitation fell niion (he men. The little scene had touched them. After a whispered consultation con-sultation the judge, stepping forward, cut the cord round Jim's wrist. Haying curtly, "Mere, Vo'i young scoundrel, we'll h-t you oiT thi'i time. But clear I out of this; wa don't want no thieves here." Without a word Jim turned nn his heel, Home men would have left the place at. once. Jim v;n made of different differ-ent stuff. Kxfvllcil frnm lint camp bo built himself cibin on the outskirts, not trying to live the ei.-. grace down, lint wno reTftved it tw s prpsent from Mtnnq ' Dull himself, Jfr. I'ost was doing Bome : work for tho railroad company at the time in and around Sitting Dull's head-quartern, head-quartern, and the chief took a frreat likinK to him, but would have nothing to do with the rest of the men, although there were nix in tho party. Il'J took Mr. Post all through his camp, introduced intro-duced him to different IndiatiH, am made things as pleasant for him as pus- Ml.le. In return for his kindiiesa Mr. Dost painted for SittiriR Dull two lar;re pictures pict-ures of his two favorite ponies. Dry (.'amp and Never Fret, which no pleased the old chief that he said lie would like to present him with sum tiling in return tor the compliment. N' dicing a largo war club hanging np in l'11' chiefs tepee, Post paid lo would like to have it,. Hi, ting Dull menlioie 1 the iact that the club was nn old relic. Ii.ei been in service serv-ice over forty years, ja-rf-il through iiuuieroim battles, nn 1 because of 1U eiii'insity he would give it to him. Upon Mr. Post's return to AUtJcwi, H. IX, he '.h:pp"d the relic to 'r. Dirkeison, who now Ins it on exhibition in one of tho prominent bn -i ! , of this city. Shelby ('or. t'inciimai 1 hi'ijuiier, ?y p.N.r -- ! 1I..J-.I H..vVS ilt .sll.-lll lie lr. iii. W i,,. ii" .!. .!.!, in , -til lii.i nrl.l-.-.i, i"-.-lille il.i, lo un tnisti'i lim'.:' lie Wii.. ii'if I ii;,,,'.l; n.iy, lnui :, lei w.-is 1 i"l, liaif M i l v.-i t :i linger mitt , iliv ;i;nr, t'i 1, n t l';s U.: '1 .i.u.'ii'. T.irve it, nr li'.iM: it." t!..' men h'hi saiil as they .liinp.',! iip-m their trail. Awav in tie; cnl. ibe Mil) ua-i tuiieii-in;; tuiieii-in;; tiie ; witli lvd j,"lil li:;iit. tiivut crimson f!ecl;e.'l wit li orange, ,i'.l.','iiMi'i out, lii'iiaoly, ntnl thi 11 ini ltcii into ttie wirier I1..1 niouy uroinul, uiui lie-ioii' lie-ioii' n,;i' 1, ti' u it, ih,.' iii.le hhi!i::i'4 inai-s 1.1..I' -1 ii.ia ta.t i!.i -:. i tije mju. iJiit lii-ioi'i' lii-ioi'i' it I'ni ti'i.l .limliail ln.'idi) up lii.s i'iri'1 ti) do a ", y r,.,i:y tiiiii-lo ji-si'iio ii liy fiiter'. li 1:1 li'.l. Vv ho ei-e v;n tln re to ilo ' l'iii ot'icrs !:n I riiMeii :iv,iy in ; ilif. i't :01s ;i-! w.ih every iiinnu'iit taking tin-in tarliii'r u.vay irom the li;;!it Irai'li. '.Uytrml:" lie said, vriMly. Wan it a prayer from tli.te r.i.i;,'h lips? n jir iynr v, hieli ti.e (ioiui Siioplienl heard ;iud answered? For.iiia piayed 11 hero'H part tiiat d.iy. He found t he trail. For tliu mm, K'iutijitf downward, caught tha 1 :'ht of a Kiuall pinlf objeet en the brnsli-woud brnsli-woud .nnd r.'sti'd tln'i'o loviu:;lv. oth-: I eiiiluriii ; it v. 1! h th" do;, oiistm.'ii'y I whii'li was part, of 1.1 : iialnii-. T!:o J eini'Ts, even Hi'C I!' !). i,;;'or.'d him rojii-i rojii-i pl.'trlv; for :i, for a! I liiat in ;taiit of I t-ol'i in m;. bail eertitin ru:;:;!-ii I'iIk-m of I j rido .'il.ont him which lr.l Itim to treat ! a thii'f villi Tiiereile sh justice. The effect.' of this severely 1 f t alone" FVstein weru not very ;ipp.a'"!il, wliicli was 110 il Mibt the reason i.f its be-iiifl be-iiifl carried on so loiij,'. If .1 i m Imd only ihown a jiroper rpirit of penitenco he would Ii.'im; been for;;iv'e:i. lint, except lleit In; w;n a tn'.le surlier, l:n went on his way pii iiy much ns In-fore, even 1 lolly bi in.; I li ated 111 publie with 'iivi:;ii I'lletiee, l.a:t as Mie was riot alii-nati d i here is r, asoii lo ni;ppo..e ; ii.i ; 1:1 mended Ids ii'.aiiia rs v lieu thev in.'iii alone fo-fi fo-fi 'tl'er. For together they still ve;e at. times; and all iiou -li wuUero.l ,ro!es;s went np from tiie caniii on f.r.eli rec.v sions not, 11 man but had inn 11! ine.-s enough to retrain from rnal.hi:; Dolly pnt. of Jim's punishment. Ko ti'.ie mid ''iem" and lied Mustang had iiiatiy u !iua Bcainper together over the prairie, J!tit, there came n time v.ln n .Tim and Ited .Mustang between them were to do j a line worle a tinio when a si'.id len dan- 1 DOLLY. Polly find lie were frien.lj. Ifowrr -by the f'-iend.-hip was first struct; up i nnl;iiov:a. Hut this much is c rt.iin, that tiie (;r:-t, advances must have come iroui fiolly herself, for a frieiidslup of nny l.ind, much less a friendship with ; chubby, dimpled littlu umideu, was not lunch in dun's line. 'flier was tiothinsf attract ive about Jim quite the reverse. A great liull:-ing liull:-ing fellow, with a Milieu fii'u mid evil e es, wiio, ymiii;; as he was, had dipped more freely into life's book than is well fT any man to dip. And dim had not come out of the ordeid nn.-'oiled. It was 8 rough place, that Utile western minine; omp iu v. li till he worked ft rough I lace, full of rough men, with whom, moreover, l;o was no favorite. 'I calc'late," paid Judge Kemis, who Was takimj his ease out' ide alier ft hard day's worli und blowing in a gentle, rnediial ivo nortof way the curl iui? smoke from iiis pipe, "I cdc'lut that 11 mole thorough paced joun.tr fcoundrel than that Jim duu't wluk the earth daniod if he, .lo " ing much-just tiie torn string from A ' little child's suubonnet. But at tliu ! fi.Jit Jim broke into a suppressed ' wh'.atln of tiiuiiiph, and raced Ued Mustang Mus-tang forward as she had never been raced before. 1 never like to think about that ride. Knough, the JIud Mustang responded loyally to the .situation. From "noon to dewy eve'' she carried Jim steadily, lint when, trembling, foimi flecked and parched with thirst, ha stopped her as the Indian camp loomed in sight, be knew that his work was cut out. "Quiet! old lass! quiet!" be Raid, cautiously dismounting and patting her with a look cm his face that few but Dolly or Ked Mustaug had ever seen there. 'fhe gallant beast seemed to under- Tliis fcetitiment, as fully enibodjdn!: tlm views ' the camp, was received with jiods of assent. "And yet," paid the judge, taking the pipe from bis mouth, the better to enforce tho remark. "Dolly there seems sort o' struck with him." "That's bo," said big Jicu thoughtfully. thought-fully. The camp ut tered a prow! or two of protest. What did Dolly see in him? was what the cjiinp wanted to know a question mora easily uked than uu-ewered. uu-ewered. l'retty baby Dolly! with her dimpled face and brown eyes darling baby IXilly! the (iod given bit of childhood which was blossoming in tho midst of that, band of wild, hard living, hard drinking fellows, not one of whom, at his wildest and worst, would have done ger lootii"d out, and Jim rose to it. l.lr tho bravo man that he was winn with clenched teeth he subdued fin- (h'mon within him, and proved that, on occasion lie was ready, not for all he could get, but to give up all that ho had. For .1 savage "whoop" rang out one night 011 the unsuspecting ramp. Men knew what it was, and sprang to their feet Willi a suari of rage, iiille in hand they rushed out. "Injin," paid the judge, coolly loading Iiis riile, and in the moonlight gleamed tho dusky painted figures. There was little love lost between Injun and while 111:111. The "man and-a brother" the(,ry had not been propounded on either side. It. was war to the knit eon both. "Steady! boj-s, steady!" said the judge, to whom such scenes were by no means now. "Ready there? Now at '1 in!" stainl, anil suppressing a whinny, ruhbej her nose wistfully ugaiust the carcs-Mng carcs-Mng hand. Half gliding, half creeping forward, Jim took in the situation at a glance. The Indians had evidently only just j stopped and were hastily improvising a j sort of camp. But. unsuspicious as they I were of being followed so soon, Jim knew that this first careless bustle of arrival ar-rival would not last long, but that sen- "Ready there? Now at '1 in!" And "at. Vin" it was. Down swung tlio niuskets, out flushed the shot, and with a iok that was not good to seo Upon tlffir faces tho boys began their work- sharp work butchery. The savages sav-ages swarmed into the camp only to be cut down. It was soon over. Utit the Indians In-dians had fought bravely, and, old. tried hand as ho was, an uneasy light had leaped to the judge's eye. "It, was a close shave," he muttered, wiping the great drops of sweat from his brow as he watched the fleeing band "a close shave. A little more, and" Tho pause was suggestive. The day was already breaking when the judge turned iu home. "Uope tlio little lass hasn't been scared," he thought; and, involuntarily, a queer, tender gleam passed over the weather beaten face as he thought of las "little lass." "Dolly!" he said, opening the cabin iloor. There was 110 answer. "Dolly!" and then again a little quicker. "Dolly!" Again that night the men were aroused bj- a cry an awful cry, wrnmr from a strong man in pain: and when they hurried hur-ried forward it was to find the judge with the fashion of his face ail changed, pointing to the empty cabin, 011 whose aught to harm her. "Jest, look at 'cm." said tho judge, raising himself up ou his elbow from the Boft grass. The men followed his gaze, and about twenty yards awaj", appearing over the prairie ridge, tiiey saw the two Dolly seated 011 Jim's beautiful horse, Red Jiustang, one of Jim's strong arms thrown protect ingly around her, the other carrying her basket of berries, full to au evlent tin t showed that Dolly's chubby little hands had never gathered them alone. Dolly herself was regarding the luscious lusci-ous fruit udmiringlv. "Daddy'll yike ' in. Dim, won't l.v:'' they heard her remark. re-mark. "Well!" said Jim savagely, "seein' as it is Daddy, I've no doubt he will. Daddy's Dad-dy's ready for most all he can get." There was a sullieient amount of truth in tho statement to causo a smothered laugh of amusement among the listeners, iu which Daddy, otherwise the judge, good Immorally joined. Dolby did not laugh; instead, her brown ? fs grew troubled. Jim's remark had B.ivored of disloyalty to Daddy, and loy- alty to Daddy was part of Dolly's simple creed. ismMeiily the brightened. "So ..... t i, .,...,,.,.... .1 tries would be set to guard against any approach. Suddenly his blood thrilled, for there before him, not a dozen yards away, lay Dolly reposing on an old blanket iu the healthy sleep of child- liCKl. It was a foolish thing to do. perhaps, con.-idering the state lied Jiustang was in, but then Jim was desperate. How he crawled forward, seized Dolly and got back to lied Mustang nnperceived ha could never have told himself. But gut back with her he did, aud iu u Hash tho three were off. "Dim!" said Dolly, clinging in blissful content to tin rough red shirled arms. "Ay," Jiia answered, glancing down at her as he tightened Red Mustang's girth: "you go to sl-ep, Doily." So Dolly's little brown head nestled down, i and Jim and Red Jlnstancr made what speed they could, which was not n very great 'peed, although there came sounds irutu behind which made tho nmro tear forward and turned Jim white. The Indiana were in pursuit. Mi!.' by mile, hour after hour, that fearful race went, on. The rugged lino of hills hich marked the camp were in sight how, but could Ked Mustang hold 0111? She was already trembling ominously, omi-nously, ami .Tiia l.uew that the lime was corns, if she were to reach the camp at all, it i ist be without his weight on her back. "Dollv!" he sail! with a shake which made Doily open her sleepy eyes, ''I want you to do sumet Kin' fr me," hn went on persuasively; "t want to get down here, I've I've a partic'lor reason fur wanting to get. dowa he-re" and tho arm hoi, ling Doily's as gently a woman's kept her head twinl well forward. "Ked Mustang 'II take you to the camp all right, it you'll be a, brave little lti'11, and ,.; 1 alone." "Oh!" and Dolly's fright, n-d dutch was verv firm. "Will von. r..!!v':" fai l .Ii:n f-vcri.-h-ly. "D,,i!y! Doily! l.file la...: Will yon? For me." "Is-!, I im," said lit !Iv -:th tirmvipt' li.s, ' ! ):.. :n'.).!tir;g,J;!fi fa-:..l i r v n'-y I :i'.i. l;r,i..y !.) tm sa-1 ile ,i;,.l ..v. Ue 1 Hour shone the gleam of a tomahawk. That and the confu aoii of the place told its Ule all too plainly-Dolly bad been carried oil by the Indians! And not a man among them but shuddered, shud-dered, for Indian revenge is a very horrible) hor-rible) thing at its best, and the pitiful helplessness uf a little child would have no weight, with a Uluckfoot warrior on the warpath, especially if tho child's people had lei'eat"d his own. In the dazed silence Jim stopped forwardJim. for-wardJim. with his shoulder:! well squared and a resulrue look on bis face. He eyed the group rather scornfully. "( Joing to stop here all day?" he inked. "Kein' as this is just the riirlir time to give your lioises a rest! I'm o!l'!'' And so be was, he and Red Mustang together, racing over tlx plain. Hat not before be had sei."d the judge's h ind in a tierce grip, saying, with r toially unexpected catch in bis voice, "dodge, it .1 can I'll bring her back." Not much, but it meant 11 great deal. Tlu i'ou;;h!y roused, the rest, followed Ins example not one bong back. All that tle.'t horses i:mI brave In arts could do would be ifee fey i .10 b! ' ' one. I tued ! think hod 'in .i .iie; -:.i- finest ll !.- in 1 lie world, unit never woteiereu at Jim's prido i'l her. A beautiful rre.'it-tiro rre.'it-tiro she was indeed, and wh t was mor to tlm purpose, swift nn 1 rtmrtg. Sites hill bee.i p-vuiiariy vicious, and .'i:n had broken l.er i 1 t,:m-e!f. I was p:e3e;;t ;.t that breaking iu, and, boy :i$ I was. i. re member to t!is Cy suy f.flu. of au miration as Jim ju. ily Mounted upon her back. "He's a blevie.i young winp," nU a man near me 111 invehmv.ry elebgbt, "but, by Jove, he can ride!'' So he could. Reel Mustang e.v-rted all her powers which were by 110 means slight in the way of bin king, rearing, shying, kicking ami plunging, to no purpose. pur-pose. With his feet well in the stirrups stir-rups and a firm grip on b-r sides, Jim stuck on, sparing neiih r whip nor spur, and making the l;tsh carl round her in a way that I thought thou, and still think, was brutal, lint when, all trembling, sho bowed her beautiful head, and with the dark tire of "tier eye owned him master, mas-ter, he flung away the whip and tievei used it again. That was jmt Jim. lint after the first mciiioiViile tussln when it had been so eiupii.tlically decided de-cided whose will was to be obeyed, master mas-ter and horse came to a very good understanding. under-standing. Red Mustang's Kd'ection, in-fleed, in-fleed, had something pathetic, in it, and the fact that she showed the reverse to every one else certainly did Hot lessen Jim's for her. cot- UllliUUIlt Vii. "Are yer, mm?" asked Jim. "Iss," said Dolly. "Aren't yon'?" . Jim made 110 reply. Catching sight of 1!ie spectators, he lifted Dolly and the berries roughly to the ground, and went on his way in his customary moody silence. si-lence. Dolly, apparently quite used to such treatment from her st range friend, picked tip her basket aud trotted contentedly to lier father's side. "Who've you been with, Dolly?" said Big lien, i-ati'hing ln rup in bis anus and tociiug her to the sky. "Dim," .-.aid Dully from Ben's shoulder. , The men laughed. " Well. I am surprised." said Iiig lien loflily-"a little geil like you taking up with such as him. 1 woud.-r at vou, Dolly." For answer Dolly buried her hands in Big Ben's curls, laughing gleclully. "Whereupon a glorious game of romps ensued. However, it so happened that Jim wa s to give a prael ical answer to Dolly's ipies-tion ipies-tion as to whether he was ready for all be could get by committing a theft a daring theft, and by no means his first, although for the first time discovered. "Caught red handed,'' said Big Ben, his band tighti ning ominously on bis heavy stock whip. The camp was soon ablaze with the news, aiid from every side there tloeked angry, fierce eyed men. Tin y made fchort work of such sinners in those? days. A few yards of rope and ih.: u -arest tri e used to set He tiie business ci'ft. ctuully. A man might gamble or sv.var or use his pistol as freely as he pleased, but in fuifli a community theft was necessarily the unpardonable crime. "To the rii.ht ubouv!" said Big Ben, eternly. -Jim scowled at him, lie did not ask for iiieicv. knowimr that it. would useless, tie would have been the lar-t to Cller it iu such a case hiniseif. Suddenly attracted by tho tumult an-reared an-reared Dolly, looking out at the world Irom her great sun bonnet. "Runaway!" said the judge sharply; 'this 'ere ain't no place for little gells." Dolly was an obedient little soul, and In an ordinary case would have obeyed. But baby as she was, something of the (significance of tho scene came homo to, her; Jim standing alone amid that ring cf cruel faces. She gazed pitifully at him. "Go away, Dolly," said Big Ben; "you've nothing to do with him. Ko'a a thief." DtJiy's eyes sought Jim's for a denial. .1; -s'.-tng tee Wert. '; i:y.,d- y. 1 :. ," 'Out .Win's Jiiou: ; ii 'he bttieUed tia; n.sy i I'S. !.)iioo-!iy, lim," id T .iy. Ked el ,'St;ll! V'tilhai-' 1 i-'U VMy. elni n't.' nittsit.-r i.id ti -l'i her to au '. siu Welit. "Shi-'ll do it," sail Jim v.-.tii a gre.-u sigh of relief. The Indians were very ehise now. In a ourioin, ..oiii-.-ntr.itel kind of Way, Jim gazed at the plain, which the moonlight wits kindling into I '-.ies i nl : beauty. Then with an ugly i:.;'e,r in his eye, ho drew out his bmvie kniie inn! turned to face what was before him. "Whoso giveili a cup of cold water to one of these lit lie ernes, be gived it niito , ;ne." And Jim had given more than i that be bad given his life; for the next day Jiig.lV-n ani the rest: found him 011 ' the plain si-alped. Chaiulu rs' Journal. : |