The Border Heroine

Some years ago, before tbe State of Arkausas was eo densely populated as now, and when Ihe mail froni Little Rock to tbe eastern borders was aanried on horseback, tbere livid a few miles above Horsehead, a stout pioneer named Jacob Burnap. His wife Polly and ooe ebiki, niuo years ol'.l, madeup tbefaiaily. His cliief busines was hunting, and bis uoeri iny rifle nel er failed to supply his joarc! and something ovnr. His nearest neighbor was fifteen uiiles oif so he was troubled little with prying visitors. It was nearly spring, when Jaoob Btarted down the river with a boat load jf furs and skins. He left Polly in charge of the premisos, and left with itjr, too, :; light rifle and a brnce of pis tols. She knew how to use a rifle, for never wafi she happier than when her lusband patted her on the shoulder, and said, JN'obly done, Polly, my dear ! I ci'uld oot have made a better shot inysolf.' And he hud occasion to say tbis with truth, too. Jacob JSurnap bad been gone fonr driys. when, töwards evening, a horseman rode up !o the hunter's door, He was a mail muscular ir.au, nome forty years of jge, and seemed inured to all hardships As he sprang from the saddle, Polly nad" lier appearanoe. ' Ah, Polly, once more here,' tbe new omer said, as he drew a well filled pair of saddlc-bagB from the back of his beast. ' Yep, and I'm glad to see you, Morton - Jacob has been gone four days, and time ia gettiiig he-vy.' ' Jacob roñe ! Where?' ' Uewfi the river with a load of furs.' ' Oh- ah - yes. Wtll,you shall have the couipany of Lant Morton for one night at least : so for the next twelve bodrs you'll be safe.' ' Oh, I feel safe enough,' replied the womai! quickly ; ' only loneeome.' ' Well, then for this evening, you shan't be lonesome.' Thus speakinif, Morton threw his saddle and addle-bags into tbe cabin, and theh led h s borse around to a low shed, where he made tbe animal fast and feel him After this he returned to the d telling and entcred, and was soon discussing the cvents of the times over au ainple slipper. His hostess told him all tfiat hud transpired in the neighborhood rtnëe his ltist visit, and the visitor gave lier the r,ews from the enstern vaüey. Lant Morlón hgd been a mail carrier upon that route for gdverttl yoara, and [ not once had he paeêed lo and fro without spending a night at Jacob Burnap's. In tact, he was abnut the only regular visitor at tbe hnnter's cabin, although tbe intervals belween the visits were long, yet he seemed almost a fixture of the ,laccr. Polly Burnap - still in the bloom of womauhood - knew his generous character, so sha, feit perfectly iree and at home in his presence. ' Is it known on the rente that your load is so valuable ? asked Polly. ' I think mot, though it roigbt be. - Still I am well armed, and 1 fancy it i would be a hard job tor any one to tackle old Lant.' ' A man was robbed on the creek a few daye ágo.' ' And the robbers llave fled,' added Morton, oarelessly, as he drew bia mail bugs after him. Morton went to. bed at nino o'clock, as he was tired and sleopy from his hard ride. Polly had work to do, having negleoted it while talking to her gutst, s when she bad soen him aaiely at rest in the bed, shu drew her basket to the little table where the candle was, and went to vvoik iipon some cluthingfor her ohilll, who was soundly slueping io the corner, ïhe oíd Germán olook ,upon the wal!, with ts great weights and windtDg siringa all exposed, had Btruck ten ere Polly aroee from her work. . Slio had just pushed the basket bencath the table uud taken up tlie candle when iho front door oponed, and two men entered. - They were in their tookiogs, their shoes haviug been left outside. ' Hush !' uttered the foremost oi the intrudora. ' Spaak but ono word a'oove a whisper and you die n a moment !' Eolly reoovered from her quick terror, and looked up. 8he saw two wicked looking men, one of them held a cocüe'! pistol towards her. With a perception natural to her, she knew if sho held her peace the pistol would nol be fired, as that would makc more noise thari she couhl rauke. And fnrther, she recoguized in the foremost a notorious viilaio, who bore the name of Dic;k Gallus, , She had never seen him before, but the minute desoription her huíbnnd had givön of the man, led hor at once to know him, and positively, too, for one big scaron the left check wus mark enough. ' Wl at, steek you, gentleman ?' asked Polly, without betraying the least fear. ' We have come to seek the mail carrier,' replied Gallus in a hoarse whisper. ' Where is he ? Don't spoalc too loud.' ' He is long since asleep. Wuuid it not do as well in the mornïhg ? We cao fiud you rooms and lodging.' The fair hostess said tbia for the purpose ot gaining them. She knew very well that thcso men carne to rob the carrier, and wae equaily sure they would murder him, if they could, and wouid, ín all probability, put her out ot the way, as well. They had evidently leorned the valuable load he carried and meant to earry it in his stead. ' Never miud his being asleep. Show us where ie is at once,' roughlv replied 3allus in anewer.to l'olly's last remark, 'Bul 1 can cali hiir, good siiv,' reasoned the woman, calmiy, though there was alarm iu her soul. ' Cnll him ! Cali !' growled he villain, with a Öérce oath ' You cali him and you'll be called to a.notber world ! - Quick ; show us the way ' The mild eye that could airn an irtierring buliet at the forest be;;sts, did not etray the thoughta of that woman's oul nor did a look teil her mean ing. - She was pale, but sho did not tremlle. ' Tliis way, sirs,' she whispered. As fhe spoka ehe turued towards a door between the little bedroom and the pantry. she did not open it tiil both the men were close behiud her. 'fion'i you bear him breathe ?' he whiepered. ' Yes,' rUurned both viilains. Acd they did beur a breathing, but it was of the child close at hand. As they auswered her, she threw tlie door wideopen - it opeoed inward. The men saw a dark void, but thev pressed forward. In au inetanft. Polly Burnap leaped Í5a,ck Gallus was close upo" the threshold and his oompan ion close ttpon his heels. With all her power the uob'e woman threw herself against the rear man, and the next moment both ihe robbers lay gprawling on the cellar bottom. Th is had been the door opening to the deep excavation, and the only means of egress was by a perpendicular ladder, - Gould this have been moved, Polly would have pulled it up, nut it wasspik ed to i te place, and she must let it reiiiti.ii:. To close the door would be úseles?, fcr she had no meane to lasten it. So she did what she resolved upon from the first; she sprang to thefireplaceand ca-.ifrht the trastj rifle from its placo, and huving cocked it, 6he irjoved towards the open door. She heard the curses of the villains ns they reached for the ladder, aud she soou knew that one of them had found it. ' Back !' she cried, as sho saw a head appear above the threshold. The candle upon the table threw but a dim üght upon ihe spot, but it was suffieient. She saw the robber raise a pistol ; she could not die. 8hn had a husband - a child- an9 had set herself to save the carrier. With these thoughts daehing through her mind, she pulled the trigger. A sharp report went ringing through the house, and its echo was a deep groan from the cellar boltom. Ere thesecond robber could show himself Morton carne rushing imo the room with a revolver in each hand. ' What i? it ?' he cried. 1 There ! There !' grasped Polly, pointing to the door way where a savage lookHLr face had just presented iiself. Lant Morton had teen long enough used to danger uot to waste time in conjecture, and immedintely shot the villain dead, who feil with a heavy souud upon the cellar bottom. ' Are there any more ?' he asked, cocking his pist ol. ' And bo you meant to save me ?' re marked the carrier, as Polly hesitated. 1 Yes, Yes- I did. Yes", that was it.' And as soon as the noble woman was Ruflficiently recovered, she told him the whole tory. Morlón expressed his thaukH as best as he could ; bnt after all, the moisture of bis light grey cye, the change of his eoantenanoe, acd the very lack of lunguage told more than words could have done. After due deliberation, itwasdecided i that the' bodies should retnain where , they were utitil inorning. So the cellar door was shut, the front door was bolted, and then they prcpnred once mofe to retire ; bnt for the rest of the night, Morton mado his bed upon the ffoor ot tbe largo room. In the morüing, j:ist. as tlie carrier was dressed, there carne a loud rap upon the outer door, ace mpaniod by a voice wbioh ho Iok'w full well. He luistened to open the door, and gave etitmnctr to Jacob Bttroap. The hutiier had met a party oí' traders at Luwisburg, and dispoped of all his skins to them, thus (in ishing his journey sis duys sooner than ho bad auiicipated. Polly was sooq upon her husband's bosom, and wben be had told his own sto ry, Morton gave him nn account of his last nighi's adventure. Jacob wns at first iücreduloue, but when ho bad been down and seen the bedjes he was satistied. ' Polly, my jewel,' he said placing Iris arm around her neck, ' I am proinl oí you. I love you more and n.ore, for every day I iiud more to love. Aud lbo tnrning to Morton ho addod : ' What do you tbiuk of such n wiie ?' ' Ab,' returnod tbe guest, with deop feeüng, ' if Lant Morton had such a wifu he wouki'nt bü a rnail carrier.' When Morton left, he was directcd to stop at the first settiemont and state to the offioors what had happened, and ho promised to do so, Lute in tlie iiflernoon two officers arrived at the ëftbin, when they were sbown the dead bodies, aad at once proceeded to remove them . And -e the weck was pnssed, the whole settlement blessed tïïe Heroine lor the work Khe had done,