The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1870-07-01

that he had "Often been . week wMn0us
sleep" ''Doing what r s~ked Tom.
kerr" replied Oakhdrst. sententl"osiy,
when . man gess streak or !uek-n'k'
ger-luck-he don't 81 tired. The Iack
gives in first. Luck" continued tho Fam
bier redectively. =. mighty queer thing ~:
All you know about II for certain u toat IL.
hound to change. And It's finding Out
when it's going tn change that makes you.
We've had = sireak Of bad luck STAGE We
left Poker Flat--you come along and slap
you get into II. too. IfyOu can hold your
cards right along you're oil right. For a.
ded the gambler, with cheerful isrelevance,
TIN proud to I'VE IN the service Of the Lord
Aud I'm bound ~ dir In His army"
The third day came, and the sun. looking
through the white-curtaincd valley. saw the
outcasts divide their slowly decreasing store
one Of the peculiaritics Of that mountain
climate that it, mys dihused . kindly
warmth over the winiry landscape, ~ i IN
reere,ful COMMUNICATION 1T the past But
it revealed drift on drift Of snow piled high
around tho hut; A0peless. unchartcd,
tr.ckless sen Of white lying nelow the rocky
shores t0 which the Getaways still chung.
Through the marvellous clear air, tie smoke
Of the pastoral village Of Poker Flat rise
miles away. Mother Shipton saw II, and
from remote pinnacle Of her rocky fast.
ness, hurled in that direction final male.
dictiOn. 1t was her last vituperaiive attempt:
and perhaps for that reason was invested
with certain degree IT sul'limity. u did
her good, she privately informed the Ouch.
css. ''Just you 70 out there and cuss, and
see" She then ect heTsrlf to the task Of
amusing 1.-The child" ~ she and the Ouch
css were pleased to call Pincy. Piney was
no chicken, but it WIS soothing aud ingen.
the fact that shc didn't swear and wasn't
improper.
When night crept up again through the
gorges, the recdy notes ut the ACCORDION
rose and fell in pitiful spasms and long.
drawn gasps by the Pickering camp. fire.
But music failed to iii entirely the aching
void left by insufficient food. and u new di
version was proposed by Piney-story. tell
ing. Neither Mr.. Oakhurss nor his female
companions caring to relate their personal
experiences. this plan would have failed.
too, but for the Innocent. Some months
Of Mr. Popcs ingenious translation Of the
Iliad. He now proposed u narratc the
principal incidents Of that poem-having
thoroughly mastered the argument and
fairly forgotten the words-in the current
vernacular of Sandy Bar And 50 for
the rest Of that night the Homeric dcmi.
gods again walked the earth. Trojan bully
and willy Greek wrcstled in the winds, and
the great pines in the canyon seemed 10 bow
to the wrath of the son of Peleus. Mr..
Oakhurst listened with quiet satisfaction.
Most especially was lie interested In tho
fate 1T "Asl,-heels," as the Innocent per.
sisted In discriminating tho swift footed
Achilles
So with small food and much of Homer
and the ACCORDION, week passed over the
heads of the outcasts. The sun again for
sock them, and again from lcaden skies the
snow. flakes were sifted over the land. Day
by day closer around them drew the snowy
circle, until at last they looked from their
prison over drifted walls of dazzling white.
that lowered twenty feet above their heads.
It became more and more difficult 10 re.
p!enish their fires, even from the fallen
trees beside them. now half.hidden in the
drifts And yet no one complained. The
lovers turned from the drcary prospects and
looked into each others eyes, and were hap.
py. Mr. Oakhurst settled himself cooliy to
the loosing game before him. The Duch-
ess, more cheerful than she had been. as
sumcd the care Of Piney. Only Mother
shipton-oncs tho strongest OF the party
on the tenth day she called Oakhlrst to her
size I'm going" she said. in voice Of
querulous weakness, but don't say anything
about it. Don't wakcn the kids. Take the
bundle from under my head and open it,"
Mr. Osskhurst did o. 1t contained Mother
Shpton's rations for tho last week. un.
touched. '.Give 'ena to the child, she said,
pointiHg to the sleeping Pincy. you've
starved yourself" said thu gambler.
''That's what they call it, ''said the woman
ENORMOUSLY. rs she lay down again, and
turning her face to the wall, passed quietly
away.
The ACCORDION and the bones were put
aside that day. and Homer was forgotten.
When the body Of Mother Shipton had been
committed 10 the snow, Mr.. Oakhurst took
the Innocent aside. and showed him pair
of snowshoes, which he had fashioned
from the old pack saddle. There's one
chance in hundred to save her YET" he
he said, pointing n Piney;. but it's there"
he added, pointing to Poker Flat If you
can reach there in two days she's safe"
"And your asked Tom Simpson. I'm
stay here" was the curt reply.
The lovers parted with long embrace.
'You are not going. too" said the Duchess,
as she saw Mr.. Oakhurst apparently wait.
ing TO accompany him AS far - the can.
yon," he replied He turned suddenly and.
kissed the Duchess, leaving her pallid face
a6ame. and her trembling limbs rigid with
amusement.
Night cano. hat not Mr.. Oakhurst. II
brought the storm again. and the whirling
snow. Their. the Duchess. feeding the fire.
found that some one had quietly piled beside
the hut enough fuel to last few days Ion.
ger. The tears rose TO her eyes, but she
hid them from Piney."
Tho women slept but little. In the
morning. looking into each Others faces,
they read their fate. Neither spoke; but
Piney. accepeing the position Of tho strong.
or, drew near and placed her arm around
the DuchoSs waist. They kept this ntti.
tude for the rest OF t,o day. That night
the storm Teached it, igrsAtest fury. and
reading asunder tho protecting pines. inva.
ded the very hut 81.
Toward morning they found themselves
unable to feed The DIRE, which gradually
died away. A tho embers ssswly blacken.
ed. The duchess crcpt closer 10 Piney. and
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