Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-10-16
IIISH.


the sky line was curling the shakes atop
the shack and sending every breathing
thing on Alkali Flat, even to the lizards,
into the shade.
There were Just three rooms in the
shack. and Lish's was the end one, next
TO the kitchen The little house was closed
as tight as a drum to keep in whatever OF
the nights coolness remained In It, which
was little enough.
Lish-the whole OF IL was Alicia-sat in
her room and talked with her mother who
was peeling potatoes in the kitchen. AL
though in separate rooms, their sharp,
Missourian voices were clear enough 20
each other. There was Just one thing to
talk about, and nearly everything on earth
that could be said about 1t had been said
30 they had been going over it all again.
II was pap's big strike
1T amt dead sure, ye know, Lish,"
wound up the mother; but IL looks as
near like 1t as one jackrabbit looks like
ernother."
"ole pap's workin awful hard. amt he,
mawY
II reckon he is"
Lish looked out through the small win
dow. Her glance shot past the two rails
that glimmered under the angry sun, down
there by Alkali Flat station, past the two
scurrying dust demons that showed there
was air in motion somewhere, even though
sporadically and away over to the blue
buttes. There was a notch In the far
butte-Scrub Canon, they called IT, Pap
was working there in that notch, under
that awful sun, in the restless way that
pap always worked. He was there alone,
digging his pick into the dry ground and
scanning each clod and broken rock for the
yellow specks that meant 30 much To him,
and that were TO put something better
than shake roof over their heads
She felt for him that horrible heat; she
saw the drops Of sweat trickle from his
brow and plash upon the rocks, making
their dark mark there for an instant and
drying up in another; she felt, as she put
It, the spring goin out Of her." just as IL
was going out Of "ole pap"
But he wouldn't let me help him-nev.
er would, even ef he was a-workin his two
hans of, !" she sighed.
Then she went and set the table for din
ner. They ate in silence. Lish and NAV"
There was no good talking IL all over
again. 1t would not do to count too much
on 1t, anyway. Other strikes had been in
promise year after year and nothing had
come Of them, absolutely nothing.
The afternoon wore on. The glare had
gone out Of the day. They opened the
house TO let in the growing GOODNESS out
side, watching for 'ole pap's" dust mean
time and wondering what news he would
bring. He was late, but he had been late
before. They sat on the doorstep and
glued their eyes TO the notch In the butte,
which had begun TO blur as the sun had
gone 70 make an oven Of some other part Of
the world.
There he comes" Lish would say. but
IL was only dust demon trying TO trick
them.
And so the night grew on, but the full
horn Of an early moon shone down, and
still they watched.
Guess I'd better go over an see ef
KANT raise him." said Lish. IAN ef he's
a-goin ter stay out all night he'll need a
blanket. I'll take him one an come back
with the news, whatever II is. Git the
blanket out, NAV. an I'll 20 an buckle the
sheepskin onto ole Jim"
The desert night told it's secrets 70 the
girl as she rode the slow mustang over the
trail TO the buttes. And the desert night
holds many secrets for those who care TO
hear them, but IL did not whisper the dark
est Of them TO Lish that night. The air
came warm and then chill AZ she passed
through the different strata that were from
low, hot plain or frigid mountain top. Old
Jim was so slow. He minded no more the
ficks from the strap end than he did the
brushing Of the greasewood past his lean
form. He did make a plunge now and
then, but that was when cactus spine
pricked his side.
At last the girl reached the canyon, which
a q l.. l.
light did the moon make the exposed parts,
and so inky were the shadows. IL was
frightfully quiet in there. As she went
along she heard the whinny Of her fathers
horse. tethered beside the wall Of rock.
She left Old Jim 70 munch the mesquite
near by. while she tripped up a steep trail,
and came te the cash her father had made
with pick and shovel IN the lone canyon
side.
There he was, sitting on the ground and
leaning against n rock. The moon shone
upon his patched overalls and upon his
dusty shirt, but she could not see his face
for his head was bent forward and was
hidden by the brim Of his SLOUGH hat.
Pap" her sharp voice stabbed the quiet,
II came up ter see ef you was ever comm
home. | brung a blanket, pap, case yer
wanted to stay all night. You oughter "a
come home hours and hours ago, stead o.
workin an workln till you was all tagged
out"
He did not lift his head A puff Of cold
wind came down the canyon, and striking
the girls breast made her shiver
"Sleepin on the rocksl WAL, swun,
Tux too much outen the black bottle I'll
bet !"
She stepped nearer.
''Hullo, pap! You amt drunk agin. be
your Pap, pap Pm clean 'shamed o. your
She leaped 10 the rock, gave him n dig
IN the side Of his leg with her stoutly
leathered toe and then shook his shoulder.
Pap. wake upl You'll catch yer death
s-cold sleepin out this way. An here
we've ben a-watchin out fer ye an watchin
till our eyes was most give out, while
you've ben up here havin good ole guz-
Klin time, all by yerself, an not carin
cuss. IT'S playin us darned mean, pap, an
you knov IT,"
She shook his shoulder again. His head