The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1873-08-07

i
And what was it that trembled in her bo
the frosty sky? But Louisa had reckoned
without her host. Ben was not the man
who was fond of reiterating love that
had been received so coldly. He didn't
mean to leave the woods till March, if he
could hold out so long. Moreover, it was
Mr.. Bruce himself who proposed to 20
back with the ox-team and bring the sup.
| plies and hire the men.
| II don't feel quite right about the head"
said he, ''and l want Louisa to cosset me.
Then I'll go out to Shopton and see Scales
and Weight about the supplies, and be
back before you and 81 have eat up all
| this ere vituals."
"All right, sir" said Ben, smothcring a
twinge Of disappointment which he
wouldn't own to himself. "We'll get the
howell ready for the cattle while you're of,
and take tramp through the woods and
spot the best timber for telling"
there's enough to do" said Uncle
Simon. you'll be back in five days,
say;;"s -. .,.
Good for week, should say, such as
they are. But the sooner you get back
the better. It'll be sight easier for you
If you can manage to get up before a
heavy snow comes. You, see, we haven't
had anything but splits yet, though maybe
were going to hev an open winter"
"Ay, ay," answered Mr.. Bruce, as he
drove off through the woods with his OK
team. Provisions for week, Ell?
Ihat'll tide We over, reckon. There's a
sight of work to be got through with in a
weeks time. There's the supplies to be
got, and the hands to be hired: femme see
five cutters, two transfers, and cook /;
that's about it, and to hev 'em ready to
start when | do, and I amt so young as l
was. Heyday, it's rub and grind a lum-
berman's life isp'
Alas! there was more work to be gotten
through with in q weeks time than Mr..
Bruce had an inkling of; so much that it
ran over into the next week, as work has
a trick of doing.
When Louisa saw that it was only her
old father trudging along with the return
ing OK team her mercury went down to
zero in half a second. She saw before
her weary three months of loneliness
and longing, and she saw, too, that she
deserved it.
''Its deuced cold day for an old man."
said MIR. Bruce, shivering before the wood
| fire, as if there should have been special
sets OF weather created to suit customers.
WHATS that you've got cooking on the
crane, Lu? Stew? amt got no more ap-
petite than bear in August. Brindle
and Trot were slow as cold molasses;
they've seen their best days, Ireckon, like
their master. Wish I'd snapped 'em to
Dunn for the yearlings and boot; 1t would
hev bin good bargain. ST sent his love
to you, Lu. I've got cold. l reckon
III turn in and sleep it off"
"They oughtn't have let you come"
said Lu, Indignantly, as she carried him
bottle of hot water for his feet. "Uncle
81 or Ben ought to have come instead"
1T want their fault; l thought could
drive better bargain with the hands.
Ben said he'd come in my place, but his
heart want set on it," which assurance
in no wise cOmforted Louisa.
MIR. Bruce was restless all night, and in
the morning was out of his head, and
didn't know his right hand from his left,
and called Louisa Ben, and asked grand.
ma to put the oxen into the cart, mistak-
ing her for Uncle Simon. And Louisa,
half frightened to death, jumped upon
old Roan's back and galloped all the way
to ShOpton for the nearest doctor.
"Ahem! Nothing more nor less than a
fever said he, the instant he laid eyes on
Mr.. Bruce
as he dangerously" asked Louisa.
Dangerous? Oh, + guess he'll pull
through. I'll leave this prescription, and
be round to morrow. There's Mr.. Ma
verick, of the tavern-Maverick's tavern,
at our place-had the same symptoms a
week ago, and he's about today. There's
no telling about these things; different
constitutions take diseases differently.
At least, you needn't be alarmed at
present. G0odmorning," with an empha-
sis on the good. Louisa thought it was
anything but gOod-mOrning, after the
comfort of his professional presence was
Withdrawn. But the next day her father
was no better, nor yet the next, though
the doctor assured her that he was doing
as we'll as could be expected, whatever
that might be.
Louisa was too busy, and weary with
watching and nursing, cooking and look
ing after the house, and seeing to grand
mas cold, and keeping order and quiet
among the children, to take note of the
sick mans delirious words, though he
was constantly talking about the camp,
sixty miles away-where her own
thoughts wandered whenever she had
| time to think Misunderstanding with i'm
aginary teamsters, haggling with Scales
| and Weight over groceries, and repeating,
"Provisions for week, for week., for
a week." and counting the days on his
fingers and losing the count, and begin
ming over again and again, as if it were
puzzle upon the solution of which his
life depended. And so the fever ran to
the ninth day and turned, and the patient
fell into quiet sleep, and awoke too
weak and languid to put words together,
or to remember anything but that he had
suffered fearful nightmare and it was
over. 1t was perhaps the third day after
| the fever turned that he suddenly took up
the thread of life where he had dropped
it, and asked, "How long have been
a-laying here, Luz"
Twelve days."
"Where's Ben and Uncle Si:"
"Why, you left 'em in camp, father"
LEFT 'em in camp! Twelve days ago.
he gasped, with weeks provisions! 1
shouldn't wonder if they were both in
heaven by this time! What hev you been
| thinking of all this while, eh?"
II didn't know they had only weeks
provisions" said Louisa, showing a
CHASTITY face; land had to look after
you and the fever"
swell, don't wait another minute round
me; just harness up old Roam and Quick
step, and take some brandy and things
and don't let them eat all they want;
make Cruel; keep 'em short. Come,
start yourself, and don't be standing still
like ghost and folks a-dying for lack of
YOU"
"And your
'I'll take care of myself, and soil
grandma. Roam and Quickstep can do
the distance by nightfalL. Take my gun
to keep off the wolves, and little Tim, and
lantern"
"But how shall I find the way?" Louisa