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I . ; " YORKWSLLE EN@UIKili. , ISSUED SEMI-WEEKLT. i. m. qkistVsohs, Pnbiiihen l = ? JM'8 Seerajafer: Jfar th< promotion of the $o!ltigat, Social. Igrijnltnrat and ?ommmrtat Interests of the geojle. ! t*??0'lYo?pV"? ?iA!lVA"A f . TNoft.' ESTABLISHED 1855. " YOBKVILLE, S. C., FRIDAY^ JANUARY 7, 1910. NO, 27 Novelized bj Sncces FiWirk TbcnpMR. CspytiSbt, I9M, by CHAPTER XII. A Wireless Message. Francs and Sommers stared at each other, L-.th at first unable to speak. Perhaps speech was unnecessary, for 9 the face of each told plainly how much A this chance meeting meant. Of course it was the girl who recov^ ered first With an arch smile that was very close to tears of happiness yf she held out her hand. "So you haven't quite forgotten me, have you? You do know my name! Won't you shake hands?" The inan came to her eagerly, seizing her hand and holding it with a grip that almost crushed it, while she looked all the things that he could not just then say. "I can hardly believe it's really you," he exclaimed. "It's so strange to find you away off here." f Frances heart was pounding with great throbs of happiness. He loved jv her! That was plain, very plain. Every ^ look, every gesture, showed it. And with the knowledge there came to the 4 heart of the girl a great confidence, a content that made her able, womanlike, to hide all her feelings and make him work for everything that in reality already belonged to him. "Oh, mother and I are on a cruise," she said lightly. "We've been here several days. We didn't have an idea that we should see you. What a lucky chance!" fNo one from her manner could have guessed the weary days of waiting for that cruiser, now Just arrived. "Is your father with you?" asked Sommers. The girl shook her head. "No; father couldn't come. Mr. Pinckney is with us." The naval officer's face hardened ever so little. "Oh, yes, of course," he said, and, inside, his evident jealously made the girl just that much happier. wo hart to have some JL CO, VI vvu* ov ??V ..Mv. ? , one," she agreed. "Won't you sit down? I'd quite given up all Idea of ever seeing you again. I'm glad we've i met" | ^ "I didn't know that you would ever r f want to see me again," ventured Sommers as they sat down. The girl's face flushed, This was the K time when there must be some explanation, and her sense of squareness made her feel that the explanation should oome from her. "I've wanted to see you ever since that night In the furnace room," she said at last, "to ask your forgiveness." Sommers shook his head. "No; I have nothing to forgive, Miss Durant. It is I who must ask forgiveness. If I could only make you untderstand how much I've regretted that night and my outburst!" The girl smiled with unconscious k tenderness. "You had every right to ask what , you did. I had given you the right," i T she said softly. I \ The man sighed. A \ "Nothing could give me the right to A \ act as I did that night," he said bltB \ terly. "I've been punished for it." \ Impulsively she held out her hand \ to him across the table. \ "Let us forget all about that," she ^ \ said. "I went to the works on a very * silly errand that night. Some time I'll vmi ail about it. We mustn't M ? waste time about that now, though, when we have Just a few minutes together." Hp "A few minutes!" exclaimed SomW mers. "You don't mean that I'm only W going to meet you to say goodby?" j / Frances nodded. "I'm afraid that's it for the present." she said. "We're sailing this afternoon." "And I'll be on sea duty for two years," sighed the man bitterly. ^ It was just as hard for the girl, but iV the knowledge that she was loved helped to buoy her up. "Then we must make the best of the time we have," she said. "Tell me what you've been doing since I saw you last." Sommers shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing to tell. Been at sea, that's all." he said. "But surely you do something at sea?" persisted the girl. He was still too disconsolate at the thought of parting to quite lift himself into her mood. * "Oh, we eat and sleep, and I've taken up wireless a little in my spare moments. I expect you know why. I've been interested in it ever since you gave me my first lesson in your ? workroom." ^ "Can you send and take?" she asked eagerly. "A little, but I am slow at it." The girl was leaning on the table now in her eagerness, for already an idea had occurred to her. "I can send well now," she exclaimed. "I spent lots of time in the IrM vassa's little wireless room. It seems so much more wonderful on sea than it did on land. Oh, the mystery of it t all! 4 "Think of being away off tossing about in a boat, with nothing but sky Jf and water anywhere in sight, and to have one who is"?she hesitated a moment, and a bright flush rose as she went on, correcting herself quickly? "I mean, of course, if there should be some one very dear to you on that same ocean. You don't know where, how near or how far, but by touching a key you can send your thoughts flying in every direction, and the little ^ wave currents beating your message will quiver around him. brush by him, perhaps touch his cheek in passing, and you wonder if he feels It." * The man was looking at her queerly. jk-' "By Jove, that's strange!" he said, ? I low, as she finished. Frances laughed teaslngly. "Why, have you ever felt a message dancing about you?" she questioned. Sommers shook his head. "No, but the Roanoke did. It was tireless] 9 { r Thompson Buchanan From the \ sfnl Play of the Sane Name j i HELL SMITH, FREDERIC )N and PAUL ARMSTRONG |i Fr*d?ri? TboapMa. All Kighti Reserved. ' | I very singular, I assure you. I was in the wireless room one night a couple of weeks ago talking to the operator" ?the girl leaned forward with sudden, tense eagerness?"when suddenly, without a call or getting our response or any preliminary tnat me wen regulated message indulges in before coming to you, over our recorder there came clicking in a wonder message." His voice softened to a note of tenderness. "It was a message of love?the tenderest and sweetest I've ever known. No one could tell for whom it was intended. I don't think it knew itself. It had gone astray. "It was sent by a woman?it must have been?and it found a home with us. Not a man on that ship but carries it now in his heart. May I tell it to you?" The girl was looking at him, her heart in her eyes. "A love message? Of course," she said softly. "But how extraordinary!" Sommers nodded. "Wasn't it? It seemed almost cruel that such a dear little message, so innocent and pure, should have been thrown out into this hard old world of ours to dash through the air, through Without a word, the man of action, lean ing across the table, kissed her. heat and cold and storm, vainly seeking an owner; going on and on, miles and miles, In every direction, until at last it became weak and faint?and died." "But, you see. It didn't die," added the girl tenderly. "No," said the man. "By some chance as It flew by us we caught It, and we loved It. That message will live until the last man on that ship has fought his fight." "And it was sent to no one In particular?" questioned the girl. "To you," he answered. "To me!" she exclaimed, startled. Sommers shook his head, smiling. "No, no, that was the address. Listen: "To you, my own one, I send this little message overflowing with my love.'" He was bending across the table eagerly, speaking low the wonder message that had come to him: giving it back, his own declaration of love to the girl. "Yes," said she softly, for she understood. At her tone an intuition came to him. He caught her look. He, too, Mn^apo^AA/^ AnH ?an ho Hfl rPfl m is quote a little. "Should it ever reach you, would you know it came from me?" "No, no, it wasn't that," exclaimed Frances sharply. Then she stopped abruptly, the crimson rushing to her face. "What's the matter? Didn't 1 get it right?" he asked, with pretended innocence. The girl, caught now was trembling. "Why, how should I know?" The presence of innocence was hopeless. He shook his head, smiling tenderly. "How should you know? Because you sent it. Oh, that message was like you, only"? "Only what?" she asked. He looked at her with a queer smile. "Only every other fellow thought it was like some one else. Did you send it to any one in particular.' The girl lifted her eyes to his with a sudden shy daring very sweet to see. "How was it addressed?" she asked. The man's hands were trembling as he leaned toward her. "Tell me, please," he begged. Faltering, she looked down. " 'To you,'" she said very softly. Without a word, careless of who might see, the man of action caught her hand and, leaning across the table kissed her. "Lieutenant Sommers?" The same cool voice which had startled Frances earlier now made the two start apart guiltily. Sommers looked up angrily. The big man with the shrewd eyes was standing beside the table, his face as unemotional as though carved from stone. "What do you want?" asked the naval officer sharply. "My name is Bradley," said the man, "United States secret service. "I've brought a message to you from Washington, lieutenant." wen "You are wanted at Washington, lieutenant, to answer some questions at the court of inquiry." With an involuntary exclamation of fear and sympathy, Frances stood close to her lover. He was staring at the secret service man, astounded. "A court of inquiry!" Bradley nodded. "Yes. sir. Your gun exploded three weeks ago. Two men were killed outright and three mangled. One will be blinded if he lives." To be Continued. iHiscrUanrous grading. ENGLAND AND GERMANY. Atmosphere Surcharged With Ominous War'Talk. Kellogg Durland writes as follows In the Washington Post: Ominous rumors came from England Christmas week. The honorable lords who constitute the upper house of the British parliament, are girding their loins for combat as never before in the hls*or;/ of parliamentary conflict in Britain. Simultaneously, the air has become again surcharged with prophecies of the approaching clash between Germany and England. Statesmen of the first rank are sounding loud alarms, and the appeal to patriotism is being made by the orators of the leading parties. The world at large, and America in particular, has up till now been more op teas scentlcal and reluctant to uc cept as valid the prescience of war between these two great nations. As always, however, where there is much smoke there may be fire, and, beyond all question, smoke there is a-plenty, not only in England, but also in Germany. The man In the street finds it difficult to discover the reasons for conflict between England and Germany, but wars are not made by the populace. Clashes at arms are determined by statesmen and politicians who have vast horizons to watch and myraids interests to support. Not the Jingoes alone, but men like Lord Rosebery, Lord Roberts, Mr. Balfour and Sir Edward Grey are among the leaders who seriously expect this war. A Significant 8ign. Professions of friendship, even of reciprocal fraternal emotions, are heard on every hand, and these in themselves constitute one of the most significant signs of the times. The suavest hypocrisy of the world Is that of diplomacy, and often the more extravagant the expressions of cordial feeling between two given nations the greater the danger of Immediate conflict. Thus has it always oeen in the history of nations. Last Sunday morning when the dawn of the year of grace 1910 broke over the world, Germany was in a position to concentrate an army of 400,000 men nnH Rftft ?una on half a dav's notice. More than 1,000,000 men, rigidly disciplined, fully armed and equipped, with auxiliary of artillery, automobiles, bicycles and airships, can be placed In the field within forty-eight hours. Within a fortnight the mobilization of more than 2,000,000 men is possible. Germany has taken long to perfect the marvelous organization which is now under, not only command, but apparent control. England, too, has been equally strenuous In arranging against emergency. In the face of the startling array of facts concerning the activities of these two governments for the bitterest and bloodiest war of modern times, professions of peace and cousinly love ring hollow. Policy of Blood and Iron. Bismark graphically defined the policy of Germany's progress when he said: "The destiny of Germany must be worked out In blood and iron." It is Indeed a policy of blood and Iron which dominates Germany today, and the ideals which are now being widely held out to the British people by her political leaders are again Ideals of blood and iron. That the British people so readily are moved to an In terest wnicn approacnea nyaieim uu this subject Is not hard to understand. The British' people at heart are filled with a tremendous pride and patriotism and the disasters of the Boar war temporary as they ultimately proved are still wormwood and gall to them. There can be no doubt that British statesmen are at the present moment trading upon this temperamental characteristic of their people. England is on the verge, If not already actually in the throes of internal difficulties, which before they are solved may precipitate a political, social and economic revolution. When the house of lords rejected the budget prepared by the existing government, which is dominated by men elected by the people, it cut loose from a tradition set by the precedent of centuries. Rise of Radicalism. True it is that the proposals of the budget, if accepted, would inaugurate a progressive regime radical to a degree in England. The growth of radical opinion in Britain of late has been nothing short of startling, and, though the English people are temperamentally conservative, the excessive conservatism of the peers has actually forced the rank and file of the people forward beyond where they would naturally have gone. It is entirely 'within the realm of probabilities that the present conflict between the people and the peers may result in iorcing rmgiauu fairly into the arms of radicalism and perhaps leading the social revolution which has been brewing for some time past in different parts of the world. If in 1906 Emperor William had not inoculated the emperor of Russia with a degree of courage, naturally alien to that monarch, Russia might easily have led the world In this social revolution. The unrest in Germany has given occasion of the greatest uneasiness to the kaiser, while in France the inroads of Socialism have attained the point of a socialist premier. It is true that the present prime minister of France has been renounced by his whilom comrades in the Socialist ranks. This is the inevitable result of the responsibilities of public office. War May be Remedy, France today is filled with turbulence, which may or may not be controlled. It is this same spirit which has so nearly precipitated a change of regime in Russia, which has so alarmed the kaiser and so wrought up France, that has today taken possession of England. To stem this tide of social interest it may in the course of human events become necessary for England to allow herself to drift into a great way. Many times in the his tory Mas a ruse or mis nature ucch incorporated Into the tactical programme of the leaders of nations. A foreign war Is always an appeal to the patriotism of every individual citizen. It is the old principle of "our own country, right or wrong." This justification for a war between England and Germany would never be advanced even ostensibly by statesmen. It, nevertheless, remains one of the Important factors and may, indeed, He close to the heart of the trouble. Down in the bottom of his heaAthe average Englishman, remembering the disasters which marked the early part of their last year,. would secretly rejoice at an opportunity for this coun(ry to recover the prestige which waflost at that time. A recent English writer, in comparing the preparations of Germany and England at the present moment, autns up the situation in these words: "Germany puts her destinies into the hands of warriors; we leave ouri in the hands of politicians. Germany acts; we talk. Words count for nothing in the game of blood and iron. The strongest evidence of Germany's designs againsi Ji;ngiana is 10 oe rounu In the extraordinary measures wllich are now being made by Germanjf to get into readiness her entire army and navy. The recent diplomatic activities of England are most significant King Edward and his counselors have strained every nerve to establish alliances and ententes cordtales with continental countries ostensibly in the interest of peace, but Invariably 'at bottom aimed at the isolation of Germany. The alliance consummated vylth Russia was opposed by a large part of the English people. It was branded iniquitous and wrong, but It was effected, nevertheless. Then there, is the alliance with France and the alliance with Japan. i- -a J J -i U.A 11 is une ui uie uire eieiurnia ui mc situation that a European war at clVi present time could not possibly be fought but between those two nations without involving other nations, and. so widely spread and intricate is this web of international alliance that it might easily throw practically the entire world into turmoil. . . ? England's internal difficulties are by no means confined to the British Ides. The vast Indian empire, with its population of 300,000,000, is slowly drifting toward a great crisis. The awakening of the far East has been one of the historical phenomena of the last two decades. Japan was the first to assert herself. China has since been rapidly forging to the front, and now India, the last of the great nations of the etot, stimulated by the success of Japanese arms over one of the supposedly great armies of Europe, is beginning to ptati U?r uwn luiure juucpcuucutc. Sedition and Unrest. Sedition and unrest ruffles much of the surface of that vast empire, and slowly, but ever surely, the teachings of the party of "India for the Indians" are percolating through the masses, and having their effect to the distress of the British government Within a fortnight two prominent British offlcials in India have been assassinated; within twelve months attempts have been made upon viceroys, governors^ magistrates and other officials. Britain entertains the precarious situation in India in her plans for the near future. Thus the trend of events in far-hflf lilt* dia has its effect upon the possible conflict between England and Germany. Rord Rosebery, in a speech delivered a short time since, took occasion to comment upon the warlike preparations which both countries are now making. "There never was," he said, "in the history of the world so threatening and overpowering a preparation for war." England was to have built two battleships this year. When her statesmen began to give expression to their fears for the future the order was increased to eight, which will cost the British people close on to $100,000,000. This is the largest number of ships that can be constructed with the present comparatively restricted facilities of the government. Germany, on the other hand, is hastening the building of her ships and the completion of her equipments to such on extent that the forces of workmen employed in the various construction yards have been greatly Increased and are working day and night. Dazzles Imagination. Indeed, the magnitude of the German navy preparations fairly dazzles the Imagination. When completed, the present programme of Germany will include a fleet of 40 battleships of the on/1 jnnar.nroQHnnilJ'ht i_/i caunv/ufjiik auu oupvi class. So strenuous has been the German endeavor In this direction that working at high pressure, Germany can now turn out one super-Dreadnought a month, fully equipped and armed. It would tax the resources of England to the utmost to keep pace with such an output. All this effort has not been made for the protection of German commerce, or for use against the navy of either Russia or France. It is aimed at the naval supremacy of Britain, and at nothing else in the world. But the Germans have not confined themselves to the building and arming of battleships. They have fortified Heligoland, and are working night and day at a harbor there. They are widening the Kiel canal. They are constructing, or have constructed, seventeen docks capable of holding ships of the largest class. The German method has always been to prepare secretly and thoroughly for war, while professing peace, Germany Is now preparing for war upon a greater scale than she ever before attempted, and is at the same time professing peace. Germany behaved in the same way to Austria and to France, and when occasion served she fell upon her victims, defeated them, and annexed their territory. Tim? Ic llnr^r+ain. In the history of dynasties and empires, the time element always is one of complete uncertainty. One of the most distinguished editors in America recently stated to me that he had no doubt that the Anglo-German crisis would come with nine months. Several leading American newspapers have already sent correspondents into England and Germany to survey the field and familiarize themselves with the probable important elements In the struggles. It is entirely within the realm of possibility that some diplomatic arrangement at present unforeseen or at least unknown to the world will nostnone the crisis. An English statesman, who is more than ordinarily familiar with the history of current diplomacy In Europe, assured me that King Edward and Emperor William some years ago entered into a solemn compact that so long as they lived there should be no war between these two countries There is, however, a hidden force behind, and mightier than kings guiding the destiny of empires, and it may be despite any solemn promise whici these two monarchs may have mad< each other, that this war will be precipitated. America Alone Can Prevent. If it is to be prevented, America li the one nation in the world that maj be able to stay the hand of destiny. 11 would seem that the greatest opportunity that has ever come to thh country will come at the moment wher this world conflict is nearing Its crisis The remarkable rise of America as s world power places this country in 8 iinlmiA nnalHnn omnncr no t Inn A T-Tpt complete domination of her own section of the world and her supremacy In the Pacific with her own lnteresl comparatively concentrated, she may again be placed in the position of arbiter of nations. Tt but remains foi our government to enhance the prestige of our diplomacy so that if thli time comes we may accept the great responsibility with wisdom and with dignity. England approaches the year 1910 with mingled feelings of courage and hesitancy; what this year holds foi that ancient empire Is more mysterious than in any year of recent generations. COMING OF THE COMET. Interesting Information About Celestial Visitor. When will Halley's comet be visible in a small telescope? To this question there is a very simple answer which may be summed up in one syllable, now. If one has a six-inch telescope, Is gifted with moderately keen eyeolcrVi* onH Ho a atru\t1 plour a'PQthpr thp comet should be visible and can be located without much difficulty. Early In December the Smith college observatory reported that Halley's comet had been seen there through a threeinch telescope. Thus, for possessors of telescopes smaller than six-inch, this interesting comet should prove a test of eyesight. Amateur astronomers who are not fortunate enough to possess a telescope, but who wish to see the comet with the naked eye, will probably have to wait another three months till after the comet passes by the sun in March, and comes out from the sun's rays in April. The comet will then rise before the sun, and consequently can be seen only shortly before sunrise?a much less convenient time of studying the heavens than In the early evening. The comet will then rapidly increase in brightness and will reach a greater and greater angle from the sun till May 15, when it sud denly changes its position again and will draw in quickly towards the sun. The comet la due to cross the face of the sun on May 18, at 9 p. m., eastern standard time. This will be 6 p. m. Pacific time, and the sun will not have then set. Whether the comet will be big enough to be seen In transit is an ^interesting question. There is no authentic account of a transit ever hav| ing been seen to have actually taken place, though many, notably the Blele comet In 1826, were calculated to have done so. Of course, every one knows that Halley's comet moves in a great ellipse, stretching out beyond the orbit of Neptune. Of all the comets with periods less than 80 years, Halley's is the only one which moves with a retrograde motion, that is, in the direction opposite to the motions of all the planets about the sun. This is the comet's own motion. What is its apparent motion as seen from the tiny earth, which itself is in motion about the sun? The movement among the stars is the resultant of the other two motions. At the present time the comet is traveling westward among the stars, the sun in the opposite direction eastwards. The angle between them will continually decrease till about March 25, when the sun will pass between us and the comet. By referring to a diagram giving the paths of earth and comet, it will readily be seen that the comet becomes a moving object and increases its angular distance from the sun. On April 19 the comet is at perihelion and closest to the sun, and consequently is moving with its greatest speed in its orbit. Five days later it is headed in the direction of the earth, but the world slips by unharmed. The comet now ceases its retrograde motion in the sky, and begins to move direct or eastward, at first slowly and then with quickened pace. On the evening of May 18 the comet comes within 14,000,000 miles of the earth, and this near approach causes a tremendous apparent motion among the stars, and in the next 24 hours and for several days thereafter it moves eastward as much as 15 degrees each night. Consequently on May 19 there will be no need to ask "Where is the comet?" All may see it as a magnificent object appearing immediately after sunset. It will be higher and higher up in the western sky each day when the sun sets. We ave not had a brilliant comet in northern latitudes since 1882, and it is altogether probable that Halley's will be just as magnificent, though of this we can not be certain. The "man in the street" has been rather disappointed with the comet because it has not blazed forth brightly long before this. The reason is not i a thr, flrat return since Iiaiu IU mm. ni _ the "prediction was made by an Englishman," in 1750, the comet was discovered 78 days before it passed the sun, in 1835, a period of 102 days elapsed before discovery and perihelion passage. By long exposures with a photographic plate, Max Wolf found Halley's comet on September 11, no less than 220 days before perihelion passage. If the same number of days only were to elapse as in 1835, on January 1, 1910, Halley's comet would be still undiscovered. We must possess our souls with a little patience, for the comet will not disappoint us. During January the comet will move from the constellation of Aries into Pisces, and at the end of the month will set about 9 p. m.?Exchange. Numismatics.?Nephew (Just returned from abroad)?This franc piece, aunt, I got In Paris. Aunt Hepsy?I wish nephew, you'd fetched home one of them Latin quarters they talk so much about.?Louisville Courier-Journal. X? Magic lanterns were Invented In the seventeenth century. l KIT CARSON, SCOUT. ? Famous Frontiersman Was Every Inch , a Man. i In New Mexico they celebrated the 3 anniversary of the birth of Kit Car. son, an event that took place on Christmas Eve Just 100 years ago. New Mexico has no doubt a good i right to take as Its own hero this plor neer and frontiersman. Missouri at t one time laid claim to being his birth . place, but good authority says that ) his parents, when he was a baby, i followed the wild deer to that state, , and that he was really born in Madi Ison county, Kentucky, It was, i though, In New Mexico that occurred many of the most stirring events at . hid adventurous life; to a ranch In r the valley of the Taos he retired and t raised his family after his days of - activity were over, and at Santa Fe he was burled. When he was still a boy, before he had risen to the dignity of Kit and i was yet Christopher to his mother, : he found an opportunity for the ref allzatlon of his dreams of following the wild, free life of a hunter and i trapper. He heard from men who 1 stopped at the harness shop where he had been apprenticed that across the i great prairie where dwelt wild beasts and wilder Indians was an almost unmarked line that began somewhere In Missouri and ended at Santa Fe, and that for want of a better name It was called the Santa Fe trail. He wanted to see the western end of this , line, and his opportunity came one day when a party of traders told him ! that he might accompany them. The party had a prosperous trip, and Kit saw for the first time the land that was to be his home. There , are no records of any perilous adven, tures on this expedition, but an incident that happened showed In what estimation young Kit was held. One of the men had accldentallv shot himself in the arm, and in or, der to save his life the arm had to be cut off. Carson, the youngest of the party, a boy of 17, was chosen to per| form the operation. A razor, a saw and a red hot wagon bolt' were the only instruments, but with these he did his part with gentle firmness, and the man lived to thank Carson for the crude piece of surgery. Kit liked New Mexico then, and he made up his mind not to return to Missouri. He could make a living hunting and trapping, and besides, if he was to be a frontiersman, he had best learn his business, and what better place could he choose than this wild land where everything was dependent upon a man's own craft and skill? In wandering in search of game up a valley from Santa Fe he came to the cabin of Kin Cade, one of those typical Rocky Mountain hermits with all the rare knowledge that comes from a close study of nature. He enrolled himself as a pupil in this academy; he easily killed enough game to pay for his tuition, and Cade taught him what he himself knew of wild animals and Instructed him in Indian languages and Spanish. This was the best education that New Mexico could furnish at the time, and was almost all the start that the young man had, but such as It was it served him well In after life. When the sun beats down on the desert sand and the days of desperadoes and bad Indians are recalled and you have all the settings of the difficulties of the undertaking, New Mexicans like to tell you of one of the deeds of their hero. Carson, while acting as hunter for a wagon train o/rniu ths nlnlna ra mo unon an e*l campment of Capt. Cook and four companies of troops. They were escorting a rich Mexican caravan to the boundary line between the United States and New Mexico. j The region was infested with robbers, and it was Important that the valuable freight should not encounter harm within the United States. The Mexicans were apprehensive that as soon as they separated from their protectors they would be attacked by bands of desperadoes that, they had been informed, were lying in wait for them, so they employed Carson to carry a letter asking for an escort to Armijo, the governor of New Mexico. No one would consent to go with him on such a perilous Journey and he was compelled to go alone for 400 miles through a land where he had to dodge the desperadoes that were searching for him, but bands of Indians on the warpath. He reached Taos exhausted from the impetuous ride, but he pushed on rapidly to Santa Fe. The governor sent a hundred Mexican dragoons to seek the cnrnvfln and followed with 600 more. He entrusted to Carson dispatches to the caravan, thinking that he might, by riding express, reach It before the troops could come to Its aid. The first body of soldiers were at- , tacked by the desperadoes and all killed with one exception, and the second body retreated to their fortification at Santa Fe. Carson got through with his dispatch after many encounters and hairbreadth escapes and assisted in wiping out the rob- \ bers, who, emboldened by their success, had crossed to United States ter- j ritory. j n nrcnn'd enrlv HflVS in the mOUn- < tains had been rewarded with a ] bounteous supply of furs, for which < he found a ready sale at the trader's forts. But, returning after a year's absence In the wilderness with a fine lot of beaver, he found that the price had dropped about one-half. Then Kit discovered that after all he was subject like the rest of the world to the whims of fashion. Men had stopped wearing beaver hats, and had adopted silk instead. I He saw that his business was gone j and that he could no longer make a , good living by trapping, and with 1 many regrets he abandoned It as a , source of Income and started east ( looking for something to do. When , he had reached Fort Bent, he found ( that his reputation had preceded him, and he was prevailed upon to , remain as hunter for the post. His , duties were to supply a camp of about ) forty men, together with such people ( as might seek safety or rest there In , their journey across the plains, with all the animal food that they might ( need. While game was plenty this was j not such a difficult task, but now and then bands of Indian hunters descend- | ed upon the country and Kit had to extend his search far iip into the mountains or far out into the valley. Nevertheless, in the eight years that he served the fort it is said that there was never a scarcity of meat. Thousands of deer, buffalo, elk, antelope nnH o va at amnnnt nf am all sra m o foil before his rifle. It was during his stay here that he gained much of his renown as a marksman. He could drop a deer at greater distance than any other of the hunters, while in the annual immigration of buffaloes he could secure without wanton killing the best of tongues and tenderloins for Immediate use and the finest meats for jerking and mixing with pemmlcan. One of the storlee that the dime novelists of the day took advantage of and that army officers say was true was of his klllinsr Ave buffaloes with four rifle balls. He had run out of ammunition and cut out of the body of his fourth victim the ball to kill the fifth. "Kit Carson would never talk about himself, and he was never known to speak boastfully of any of his achievements. To his taciturnity Is, no doubt, due the fact that it is so difficult to thresh from all that has been written and said about him what is romance and what is history," said Capt. John Hammond, who from having been In his boyhood around western forts and having mingled with officers who served with Carson formed a sort of link between the pioneer and the present. "Even a quarter of a century ago, when a man referred to something that Carson had done, the question would very likely be, 'History or dime novel?' "His achievements were so many and his life was so filled with such an extraordinary variety of excitement that in order to give him first place among scouts and frontiersmen It Is not necessary to depart from the facts of his carreer. "Carson differed very materially from the Indian slaver and the desperado tamer that at the height of Vila oMiirltv ivoro fnnnH nnnn thft plains. He never took life wantonly, and he never sought a quarrel. He had a moral hatred of a bully. "One of the Interesting Incidents of his career was the encounter with a man of this type by the name of Shunan. Carson was In a camp of trappers when Shunan, who had been making himself very disagreeable and obnoxious, swaggered along and said: " 'These Americans are all cowards. They are all women. I am going Into the bush to cut some rods and I will switch every one of them.' "Carson stepped forward, and In his calm, unlmpassioned voice, said: 'I am an American and have no disposition to quarrel with you, but your conduct can be no longer endured. If it continues I shall be under the necessity of shooting you.' "Shunan hurried to his camp, seised his rifle and mounted his horse. Carson knew what he meant and went out to meet him. " 'Am I the man you are looking for?' he asked. " 'No, replied the bully, hoping thus to throw his opponent off guard, but at the same Instant bringing his rifle to his shoulder with the muszle not four feet from tne Doay 01 nis intended victim. "Carson's pistol was In his hand, ] cocked and primed. Quick as a flash it was raised, not at the heart, but at the right arm of the insolent bully. Shunan's wrist was shattered and the rifle dropped from his hand. "Carson was a man of high morality, pure mind and Intensely devoted to his work. These were the qualities ( that gained him the universal respect i In which he was held. The impres- , sion that he made was always favor- , able. "As an Instance of this was his em- ( ployment by Gen. Fremont for the first of his perilous expeditions west , of the Missouri. The two men met on a steamboat as they were ascending the river and engaged each other i ?* fmmnnt tnlri what in tun vet oauv/ii. * v*?w>.. %.... | his mission was and Carson said that he would like to accompany him. The general was so impressed with his frankness and sincerity that he engaged him then and there, piactically entrusting the fortunes of the expedition to his hands. "The great secret, perhaps, of Carson's success among the Indians and pioneers was his quickness of decision, combined with his great prudence. He seemed always to be prepared. A gentleman whom he had guided across the plains said that he had often watched Carson's preparations for night. "In aranging his bed his saddle, which he always used as a pillow, was disposed in such a manner as to , form a barricade for his head. His pistols, half cocked, were placed above it, and the rifle rested beneath the blanket at his side, where it was not only ready for instant use, but perfectly protected from the damp. Except now and then to light his pipe, you never saw Kit at night exposing himself to the full glare of the camp fire." Kit Carson was twice married. His first wife was a beautiful Sioux girl, and he was devotedly attached to her. She died only a few years after their marriage, leaving him one daughter. This girl he took with him to St. Louis on his first trip to the east, and placed her in one of the best schools in the city. His second marriage was to a Mexican lady named Senora Josepha Jarimilla. She bore him three children. Carson in spite of his long resi-fonpp in the wilderness possessed a ?race and ease of manner that made film a considerable favorite whenever tie visited civilization. He was for a while the guest of Gen. Fremont In Washington, and received while there i great deal of attention from distinguished people. His shyness and modesty were very generally remarked. To Mrs. Fremont he said that his welcome had overwhelmed nim. tie was afraid from what he had heard In the west that the ladles would not :are to have him around because he married a Sioux Indian. "But she was a good woman," he declared. "I never came In from hunting but that she had warm water for my feet." In appearance Carson must have been a disappointment to the hero ' hunter. Instead of the big burly * plainsman that might have been expected from the stories of his achievements, he was, so Mrs. Fremont writes, "a perfect Saxon, clear, and fair with light and thin "baby hair,' blue eyes, light eyebrows and lasnes, and a fair skin. He was very short, and unmistakably bandy legged, long bodied and short limbed." 1 8ITE OF 8OD0M AND GOMORRah. Also the Volcano That De?troyed Them ?Cave Where Lot 8tayed. Ellsworth Huntington, head of the recent Tale expedition to Palestine, declares that he has verified the Bible story of Sodom and Gomorrah. "Hundreds of pages," he says In Harper's Magazine, "have been written to prove that the story Is a myth, or that the ancient towns were destroyed by the bursting forth of oil wells like those of Texas or Baku, which sometimes are ignited and burn for daya Other hundreds of pages have been devoted to proving that Sodom and Gomorrah were or Were not at the north end of the Dead Sea, and that they were or were not buried under the saline deposits at either end of the lake. "Among recent writer* there seems to be a tendency to believe that Sodom and It* sister town were probably located at the south end of the lake, where the name Usdum is thought to ? represent Sodom, and where Arab tradition now locates the 111 fated cities. The means of their destruction are believed to have been the oil wells mentiond above. This rather unsatisfactory conclusion has been adopted largely because it has been supposed that no volcano is located in such a position that it could have borne any part in the story. "According to the story in Genesis, Lot and Abraham were at Bethel, ten miles north of Jerusalem, when their herdsmen quarreled and they decided o separate. 'And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the Plain of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, before Jehovah destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of Jehovah, like the land of Egypt, as thou goest up to Zoar. So Lot chose Vilm all ?tia Plain nt .TnrSan 1 "Then the atory goes on to the t'me when 'Jehovah rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and Are from Jehovah out of heaven, while Lot fled to the near town of Zoar. He did not stay there Ions, but went out of Zoar and dwelt in the mountain? in a cave. "Having freshly read the story and having looked over the strong arguments for locating the towns south of the Dead Sea and for believing a.em to have been destroyed by something in the nature of bituminous outbursts, I was taken by surprise when I visited the little ruin of Suwelmeh and picked up bits of genuine scorlaoeous lava, while the sheikh who acted as guide told the story of Sodom as the story of Suwelmeh or Suwelm. The name may be a corruption of Sodom. \ "I went into the mountains at onol " from Silweim in order to see where the lava came from. As we climbed the lower hills the sheikh noticed that I picked up black pieces of lava and broke them open. " 'Don't bother with those,' he said. 'Up here,' pointing southeast, there is a whole mountain of black rock like that.' "Not two miles from Suweim, along the line of the great fault which separates the Ghor from the plateau of Moab, we found the mountain, a genuine little volcano of very recent date geologically. Prom it flowed a sheet of lava which made the small headland already mentioned between Suweim and Ghuweir. The name Ghuwelr is believed by many students to be a corruption of Zoar, although it may also be an Arabic word, the diminutive of Ghor, meaning 'Little Valley.' "A late eruption of ashes from the volcano may easily have wrought havoc in a town located near Suweim. On the other hand Ghuweir lies in such a situation that it would be protected < by intervening hills. "The present ruins of Ghuweir doubtless date from a time many hundred or even one or two thousand years after the days of Abraham and Lot. There Is one work of man, however, which may go back to the period of the PatHnrrha ?nd which may have played a part in the Biblical narrative. "Near the head of the valley which leads eastward from Qhuwelr up toward the plateau of Moab we discovered a carefully excavated cave among the mountains at a place called El Qhuttar, between Abu Hassan and Beth Peor. It is about twenty feet lone and fifteen feet wide, carefully hewed out of the limestone above a spring. Two windows look down the wadl toward Zoar, and a door with a rock cut through to lead off the water of rains has been so located that It can be reached only by climbing a precipice by means of six or eight little niches cut In the rock or by climbing down aver some difficult steps In the rock ibove. "Nowhere else in this region is there known to be an artificial cave upon which any such care has been bestowed as upon this. The discovery of the :ave, together with the volcano and the tradition of Suwelmeh, supplies all the elements of the story of Sodom md Gomorrah in exactly the location where the Biblical account would lead jne to expect them. "The supposition that the climate of past times was different from that of today disposes of the difficulty which has arisen from the Scriptural reference to the fertility of the land. On the whole, the result of a strictly geographic study of the region tends to jhow that the Biblical account Is correct almost exactly as It stands. The fact that students of the nignest aoimy lave been in 8uch doubt as to the lonation of Sodom and Qomorrah shows now imperfectly the Qhor and the shores of the Dead Sea have been explored." Th# Scotchman's Pluck.?Two Irishmen, bent on robbery, held up a passing Scotchman. After a long, fierce Ight, in which the Scotcnman almost lad the better of it, they succeeded in conquering him. A thorough search of his clothes disclosed one lone 5-cent piece. "Troth, Pat," said Mike dL" tedly, "if he'd tin clncts Instead of a nickel he'd have murthered the two of us!"? Every body's. ? . jI