Sutter Union High School - Gold and White Yearbook (Sutter, CA)

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20 GOLD AND WHI'I'lL'. As the man finished speaking, the old desire for revenge which he had felt at the cabin, came over Hugh again, mastering him body and soul. To satisfy this revenge he must kill the man, or rather devil, on the other side of the door, and he could hardly wait for the door to open, to fulfill his bloody purpose. The door opened at last and as he rushed in with his pistol ready for immediate use, it was knocked from his grasp by a stinging blow on the wrist, and as it closed behind him he found himself looking into the muzzle of a large revolver. The men within had guessed his identity and were ready for him. But Hugh was not to be turned from his purpose, for an instant only did he waver before this demon who had caused him so much trouble, the next he made a bound at the brute, knocking the heavy re- volver from his grasp with a well- aimed blow just as he pulled the trigger. They closed in deadly com- bat which lasted only for a few min- utes, for although Hugh's energy was nearly spent, still he was more than a match for his criminal ad- versarv and soon had him down and out :D then- catching un his QWL1 auto- matic revolver, he pressed it to the temple of the unconscious man. emptying the magazine into his brain. During the whole struggle the other man had stood motionless with his arms folded, looking on tl1e life and death struggle with a smile of joy on his lips. After Hugh had finished with his hated enemy, he turned his attention to the other man and was surprised to see him standing in such a non-combatant attitude. Recognizing him as a for- eigner Hugh said, Wl1at for you no help him out? Ah, me done with him, an- swered the foreigner, and damn glad of it. Me owe him one sum of money, me no can pay, he threaten put me in jail if I no do what he want, so I his slave and have to do his dirty work, now he dead and me damn glad, me work for you now. Hugh accepted his offered ser- vices without further comment and between them they soon had the young girl restored to conscious- ness. She opened her dark blue eyes, the dark rings under which were signs of worry and suffering, and looked at Hugh who was bend- ing over her with his whole passion- ate soul revealed in his dark eyes. H My darling, he whispered, do you know me? The light of recognition gradual- ly came into her eyes, and after a while she said, Hugh, my own dear llugh! You are with me at last. You will never leave me again, will you, sweetheart For answer he pressed a linger- ing kiss on her sweet, girlish lips. H277 Perhaps you would like to know why this young girl came to be in such a lonely place, to know why Hugh Holbrook undertook the journey l have described on such an awful night. Well, the story is soon told. In a little mining town in Montana there lived a young boy and girl. The boy was the son of a well-to-do lawyer who had settled here and the girl the daughter of the only merchant in tl1e place. These young folks had grown up from earliest childhood in each other's company and each had grown to love the other dearly. They were extremely happy and content to bask in tl1e bright sun- shine of their pure love until one day there came a cloud to mar their happiness in the form of a young miner, who came to live in this little town. Before long he met Dorothy at a dance and from that time on he loved her, or tho't he did, which amounts to the same thing. And from that time on he daily annoyed and pestered l1er with his infatua- tion and one day he asked her to marry him. VVhen she refused out- right he flew into a rage, cursed her and swore that before another year had passed she would be his wife. At last their wedding day came, the wedding of Dorothy and Hugh, and on the evening of this wedding day something happened. Charles

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GOLD AND lent rage, which shook his young frame as with a chill. 'tYou damnable ours! I will kill you as I would a dog and rejoice in the killing. He was seized with a mad desire for revenge, a desire which could be satiated only by the taking of a human life. He forgot every thing, forgot his surroundings, forgot the storm, forgot everything but this terrible revenge which was raging within him, demanding with loud cries for blood. He remained in this blood-thirsty mood for some little time, running around tl1e em- bers like a mad man, all the while cursing his ill1luck, the storm, and nurturing the mad clamorings for revenge which still held complete sway over his body and soul. He was brought to his right senses with a crash, as an unusually bright flash of lightning lit up the scene as in daylight, at the same time displaying to his eager gaze a small foot path on the side of the ashes leading through the dense un- derbrush up the canon in which the cabin had formerly stood. He never knew why he did what he then did,but without a lll0Il16llt,S hesitation he set off up that path. The path, as I have said, ran through dense underbrush which sheltered him 'from the blinding storm to such an extent that he was able to make his way on a run! Why was he running? He did not know, but he did know that as he ran, some mysterious impulse which he- could not on his life account for, urged him on. He fell down every few steps but when he arose, he only pushed on the faster. He had gone perhaps a quarter of a mile in this fashion, when all at once. his foot came in contact with some soft object across the path and he was thrown to the ground with stunning force. But while falling he heard faintly. a low moan which seemed to come from the object he had struck. Guessing the truth at once, he threw all his will and ener- gy into the process of rising, which WHITE. 19 was made extremely painful by a sprained ankle received in his fall. But at last he succeeded, and as best he could made his wayback till he found the object of his search. As his hands fell upon it, he uttered a low cry of unutterable Joy'while he pressed the object to his heart, passionately raining kiss after kiss upon the pale death-like face. My little sweetheart, he cried, God be thanked, I was in time. No one shall ever take you from me again. Speak to me, darling, and tell me how you came to be in such a place as this. But she did not answer, and in alarm he picked her up in his strong arms and started, he knew not where, through the blinding storm and darkness, making his way as best he could with his crippled foot. He never knew how he did it, but a powerful mind and body such as he possessed, take mighty odds to defeat and overpower them, after he had gone what seemed miles and miles to him, with his death-like burden, he saw a light gleaming faintly through the darkness. He directed his steps toward this, and after a great deal H101'8 pain and labor, finally reached the little cabin through whose lone window it shone. He laid his sweetheart down on the side of the cabin which was sheltered from the storm, and has- tily going round to the little door, rapped loudly upon it with the butt of his pistol. There was silence within for a few moments, then a gruff voice, a voice which Hugh was sure he recognized as that belonging to the man he hated, asked, t'Wl1o's there and what'd you want? Let me in immediately, for God's sake, called Hugh. I have a dying girl with me who must have attention at once. There was silence within for a few minutes, interrupted by the low earnest conversation of two men. At last the grulf voice offered, VVoll, stranger, T reckon yuh can come in a while. if yuh 'll be mighty careful how yuh act.

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GOLD ALND WHITE. 21 Cliffman, the young miner, by a false note enticed Dortothy outside, when, with the help of a foreign accomplice, he bound and gagged her and then with her still in his possession left the little town and took to his lonely cabin in the heart of the wildest country in America. You who read the papers, will probably remember reading of this interrupted wedding--of the miss- ing bride--of the excitement which prevailed and of the fruitless ef- forts to find her. Six months passed, during which Hugh had almost gone crazy with grief. At last one morning he re- ceived a letter-a letter from her. It told him in as few words as poss- ible of her position, described her surroundings and pleaded and begged that Hugh come immediate- lv if he would be in time to save her from the clutches of this wretch who had her in his power. It told him of the insults she had received, of her terrible suffering and anx- iety, told him of the brutal treat- ment she received at the hands of this cur, told him how he had threat- ened day after day to make her marry him before another day had passed. And now, she said, come quick, if you will save me from him, lose no time whatever, for he is now on his way here with a minister to marry us and may be here at any time. I send this letter to you through his accomplice, who is really my friend and a good man at heart. Hoping and praying that you may be in time, I am, Yours forever, DOROTHY. It was the receipt of this letter which sent Hugh into the mountains on such a night, and the great love he bore her carried him safely to his destination. How came Dorothy to be where Hugh found her? Simple enough. Cliffman had returned with the min- ister, before Hugh arrived, and Dor- othy, bent only upon escape, plead- ing thirst, had sent the foreigner out to get her an drink, when taking advantage of his absence she set fire to the cabin, and, aided by the terrible storm got safely away. But on such a wild night her delicate strength could not last long, and be- fore she had gone half a mile, it de- serted her and she fell, longing and praying for death to banish her misery. And here Hugh found her. ELVVIN PAXTON and FRED ADDINGTON,'l1 'E'