Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1885-10-15

nIlIlln.lInlnrs1ln1HHn
pletcly driven all thoughts Of Dicks
coming departure from my mind, but
they now return with force. "Ho
shall have a chance" declare to- my
self, and ponder little while the others
are stepped in fish-worship.
"Dick," / exclaim, authoritatively,
''vou must 90 home at once. instead Of
lettering about here. dripping like n
Newfoundland dog. Ethel and | will
walk back with YOU
Catching Dicks eye. l see that he
understands me. Come along" he
says
Ethel takes my arm on the side re-
mote from Dick. She Is remarkably
silent. and shows a tendency to blush
about nothing. fearing possibly that her
anxiety about Dicks dangerous es-
capade just now may have betrayed
her Dick, feeling that he is now, as
he would himself phrase il, 'in for il, "
maintains q no less impenotrable
dumbness. Mover have two such leaden
companions fallen to my lot before or
since.
IL is relief that the beauty Of the
winding moorland path. stretching away
behing US, compels me to stop ard take
out my sketch-book.
"I'll stay with you" says Ethel,
nervously.
What, and leave poor old Dick to
jog home aloneP'
"EhP' says Dick, looking at me with
comical terror. Don't let me drag
her with me If she wants TO stay"
Nonsense; 90 away, E.hel. can't
have you iidgeting about me while l
am drawing"
Their assinuous good nature in pre-
pairing my wator-color box and block
for action knows no bounds; neither
fulsome hints nor cross requests will in
duce them to depart. AT length, when
l am busy with my first wash, and re-
fuse with sulky stcadfastness 10 answer
any more questions, or to offer any
further pretext for their moving hand
or foot on my behalf. they stroll shyly
of together. Ethers ewes on the
ground, Dicks on the distant horizon.
Craning round upon my camp.s5ool.
| watch them down the long slope of
brake-fern and heather. straining my
eyes as they grow indist'nct after cross
ing the stream, and finally disappear,
TO leave me none the wiser for al my
gazing.
Anxiety prevents my sitting still for
ten minutes together. My sketch Is n
curiosity-a phenomenal specimen of
the kind Of daub producible by the con-
vulsive dashes OF a hand totally unas-
sisted by a mind, which is too agitatcd
to do its duty.
My eyes yearn to pierce the small
knoll behind which the twain have dis
appeared. Are those two heads any
nearer to each other than when / saw
them last?
For years we have looked upon Dick
rs brother; tomorrow night. when he
has departed. many tears will be shed
which he will know nothing Of His
going TO India, too. is a mere freak. a
decision reversible, l really believe, by
a single word from Ethel. Again. Dick
Is his own master, unhampered by that
lack Of gold which quenches the hopes
of so many young fellows. Well, /
have done my best, and. now they have
had clear hour with their fate in their
own hands, may as well collect my
paraphernalia and follow them.
As pace homeward and gaze over
the swelling hills. the sun setting "be-
yOnd their utmost purple rim. iddens
me- Solitude and the gloom OF even
tide, melancholy rs a long-drawn sigh
of nature, settle upon my soul; by the
time | have reached the last bridge TO
be crossed, the castles have built con-
cerning Dick and Ethel have crumblo2
one by one.
Suddenly l stumble upon them among
the rocks, and my hopes rush TO the
surface once more; the glow of happi-
ness upon these two faces admits Of but
one explanation.
"You old brick" begins Dick, clasp
ing my two hands with a fcrvor which
l trust he will never repeat. IF it
hadn't been for you, / should never
have done itn'
And Lucy" adds Ethel in thrilling
voice, with her arms round my neck.
you're a dear old thing; If it hadn't
been for the salmon AMI Dicks going
in after it, he never would have"
Done this, interpOlates Dick, kiss
ing her again and again. with cool
indifference to my presence which
bathes her face in crimson. "But we
haven't the courage TO 20 in without
you, he adds, when ho has quite done
his whispers in her ear.
, you'll have to. though. Master
Dick" l reply. dashing onward aud
into the midst Of the astonisheI group
in the inn parlor
'lt's twenty pounds ten ounces, ,"
shouts Bella, by way Of greeting.
Come outside, girls" | exclaim
breathlessly, ''and IN show you some
thing worth hundred salmon"
As we emerge from the door the soft
twilight shows US the prettiest picture
we have ever looked upon; and the
happiness which underlie5 the shyness
of the one face and the sparkle and tri-
umph OF the other wakes an answering
chord IN our hearts as we murmur:
"Welcome, brother London Societg.