The Globe-republican., 1891-04-29

OFF, to snt be almost if
not quite as monotonouS as LIE on
shipboard. The railroad company set
mo down in San Bernardino county TO |
ioin a party on the San Bernardino
range getting out timber for the COM
pany. The party, choppers. teamsters
and all. was a large one. The men
messed together in shanties that they
had built The foreman and team
boss each lived in a separate house ana
had their families with them. 1t was
rather a rough place for women, but
they did not seem to mind It. Inc maii
and supplies were brought each week
from Soledad City.
On one of the weekly trips when the
supply wagon returned 1t brought as
passenger a niece of the foreman wife
The arrival of a lady at camp was quite
an event, and as soon as 1t was known
about the camp every one who could
make an excuse called at the foremans
house to get peep at the late arrival
The lucky ones brought back the re-
port that she was young and purity as
q pictur." This report was soon con-
frmed, for she did not keep herself Sc
cluded. l was favored with formal
introduction TO Mabel, or Nab, as her
aunt called her for short, and we soon
became fast friends. She was bru-
nette. with coal black hair. snappy
black ewes, Of medium height, and just
as full of life and spirit as she could
be. She had not been in camp week
before her aunt declared that her pa
thence was clear exhausted on account
of that girl" She was climbing over
logs. hunting bugs and beetles, gather
ing flowers and ferns with utter dlsre-
gard of their poisonous properties, and
capturing queer little lizards and other
reptiles. She just took the camp by
storm There was not man In the
camp. old or young. who would not
have fought to the death for Miss Nab.
OF course, there were aspirants for ner
favor among the young men. and he
who was permitted to carry home her
burden of flowers or natural history
specimens. or hunt for her little dog
Gin. was envied intensely by the less
fortunate.
TWAS soon apparent that Miss Mabel
preferred for escort and guide Dick
Brainard, one of the choppers, a splendid
fellow and perfect model OF physlca
manhood. Dick was favorite among
the men. and when they saw that hs
had the preference in her eyes, the,
all, with one exception, said it wa
we'll. The exception was Dan Mott
also one of the choppers. Dan coul'
not understand why Dick should b'
preferred above him, and. as is usual IL
such cases. did not blame Mabel. bu
blamed Dick. Dan was fully as nm
looking young fellow as Dick. Hi
complexion was very dark; in fact, S
dark that the men called him Blac
Dan. to distinguish him from anothe
Dan in the camp. AS it got so tina
Miss Mabel occupied almost all
Dicks time after hours, Dan grey
moody and surly. and as q natural cor
sequence the men joked him and raile
at him That did not tend to sooth
him or make him better humored, bu
increased his antipathy for Dick.
Clip, Mabers dog, was great favor
its among the men. He was very int
ligent and could perform many trick:
but he had bad habit of ruunln
away. One afternoon, just before qul
ting time. Clip was missed and was nc
to be found. Mabel set out to ind MI
and met the men in the woods as the
Were coming in. She told Dick tha
Clip was missing and he started at ono
to hunt for him among the teamsters.