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Ellen went to the door of her cabin, where she flung out her ar And a well-known voice broke in upon her rapture
"Wal, lass, I like to see you happy an' I hate myself fer comin' Because I've been to Grass Valley fer two days an' I've got news"
Old John Sprague stood there, with a smile that did not hide a troubled look
"Oh! Uncle John! You startled me," exclaimed Ellen, shocked back to reality And slowly she added: "Grass Valley! News?"
She put out an appealing hand, which Sprague quickly took in his own, as if to reassure her
"Yes, an' not bad so far as you Jorths are concerned," he replied "The first Jorth-Isbel fight has come off Reckon you remember makin' me promise to tell you if I heerd anythin' Wal, I didn't wait fer you to co What was this lying calm when there seeht--not so bad for the Jorths! Then it had been bad for the Isbels A sudden, cold stillness fell upon her senses
"Let's sit down--outdoors," Sprague was saying "Nice an' sunny this--mornin' I declare--I'm out of breath Not used to walkin' An' besides, I left Grass Valley, in the night--an' I'e last night! There was shore--"
"Who--as killed?" interrupted Ellen, her voice breaking low and deep
"Guy Isbel an' Bill Jacobs on the Isbel side, an' Daggs, Craig, an' Greaves on your father's side," stated Sprague, with so of awed haste
"Ah!" breathed Ellen, and she relaxed to sink back against the cabin wall
Sprague seated hi to face her, and he seeood e folks is all skeered an' there's no believin' their gossip But I got what happened straight froht co rode down to Isbel's ranch Daggs was seen to be wantin' some of the Isbel hosses, so Evarts says An' Guy Isbel an' Jacobs ran out in the pasture Daggs an' some others shot them down"
"Killed them--that way?" put in Ellen, sharply
"So Evarts says He was on the ridge an' swears he seen it all They killed Guy an' Jacobs in cold blood No chance fer their lives--not even to fight!Wall, hen they surrounded the Isbel cabin The fight last all thet day an' all night an' the next day Evarts says Guy an' Jacobs laid out thar all this tis broke in the pasture an' was eatin' the dead bodies "