The Project Gutenberg EBook of Lahoma, by John Breckinridge Ellis

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Title: Lahoma

Author: John Breckinridge Ellis

Posting Date: November 19, 2008 [EBook #2029]
Release Date: January 2000

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LAHOMA ***

Produced by Pat Pflieger. HTML version by Al Haines.

LAHOMA

by

John Breckenridge Ellis

CONTENTS

I THE TOUCH OF A CHILD
II BRICK MAKES A MOVE
III FLIGHT
IV AN UNWONTED PRAYER
V A NEW ROBINSON CRUSOE
VI A MYSTERIOUS GUEST
VII RED FEATHER
VIII GETTING CIVILIZED
IX A YOUNG MAN'S FANCY
X THE FLAG OF TRUCE
XI THE HALF-OPENED BUD
XII THE BIG WORLD
XIII A SURE-ENOUGH MAN
XIV WRITING HOME
XV THE DAY OF FENCES
XVI THE ONYX PIN
XVII BRICK MAKES A STAND
XVIII LIFE ON ONE CONDITION
XIX LIKE LOVERS
XX TOGETHER
XXI THE NORTHER
XXII JOURNEY'S END
XXIII FACING THE MOB
XXIV MINE ENEMY
XXV GLEDWARE'S POSSESSIONS
XXVI JUST A HABIT

CHAPTER I

THE TOUCH OF A CHILD

"I have given my word of honor--my sacred oath--not to betray what I
have discovered here."

At these words from the prisoner, a shout arose in which oaths and
mocking laughter mingled like the growling and snapping of
hunger-maddened wolves.

"Then if I must die," Gledware cried, his voice, in its shrill
excitement, dominating the ferocious insults of the ruffians, "don't
kill the child--you see she is asleep--and she's so young--only five.
Even if she were awake, she wouldn't know how to tell about this cabin.
For God's sake, don't kill the little girl!"

Since the seizure of Gledware, the child had been lying on the rude
table in the midst of a greasy pack of cards--cards that had been
thrown down at the sound of his galloping horse. The table supported,
also, much of the booty captured from the wagon-train, while on the
dirt floor beside it were prizes of the freebooting expedition, too
large to find resting-place on the boards. Nor was this all. Mingled
with stolen garments, cans and boxes of provisi