The morning call., 1894-06-17


double and twist to pull me out; but
suckln' sand in the open pIain-aw, trader. |
aw' the like O. that, no; nver a bit, aw!'
So said Macavoy. the giant, when the thing
was discussed in his presence.
well, tell you it's true, and they're |
not three miles from Fort OGlory. The
cOmpany's men don't talk about it-what's
the use? Travellers are few that wav and
you can't get the Indians within miles of
them. Pretty Pierre knows all about
them. better than any one else. almost.
He'll stand by ms in Itch, Pierre ?"
Pierre took no notice and was silent for
time. intent on his cigarette, and in the
pause Mowley. the trapper, said: "Pierre's
gone back on you. trader. Perhaps you
haven't paid him for the last lie. l go one
better, you stand by me-my treat-that's
the camel
Jaw. the like O. that" added Macayoy.
repr0achfully, saw. yer tongue to the roof
o your mouth, Mowleyi Liars all men
may be, but that's wild wlmmin and land
lords. But Pierre. off another mans bat
like that! Aw, Mowley. fill your mouth
wild the bowl O your pipei'
Pierre now looked up at the three men,
rolling another cigarette as ne did so, but
he seemed to be thinking of distant mat
Ter. Meeting the three pairs of eyes fixed
he
musingly; then he lit his cigarette, ana,
half reclining on the bench where he sal,
he began 10 speak, talking into the fire. as
it were:
Il was at Guidon Hill at the company's
post there. 1t was the fall of the year.
when you feel that there is nothing so
good as life and the air drinks like wine.
You think that sounds like woman or q
priest? Mais, no. The seasons are strange.
In the spring an lazy and sad; in the
fall L am gay, am Tor the big things to DO.
This matter was n the fall. l felt that
must move. Yet. what TODD? There was
the thing. Cards? OF course. But that's
only for times, not for all times So,
was like wild dog on chain. l had
good horse. Tophet, black as a coal, all
raw bones and joint, and reach like
moose. His legs worked like piston rods.
But, as l said, did not know where to
90 or what To do. So we used 10 sit at the
post loafing; in the daytime watching the
plains. all painting for travellers, like a
young bride waiting tor her husband for
the first time"
Macavoy regarded Pierre with rich de-
light. He had an unctuOuS spirit and his
heart was soft for women, so soft that he
never had one on his conscience, though he
| had brushed gay smiles off the lips of
many with his own. But that was an
amiable weakness in a strong man. Jaw,
Pierre" he said, coaxingy, ''kape it down,
aisy. aisy, me hearts gon' like a trip
hammer at thought av it. Aw, yis, aW,
yis, Pierre"
swell. it was like that to NEAL sun
ana sweet sting IN the air. At night, to
sit and tell tales and such things-and per-
hapS a little brown brandy, look at the
stars. a half hour with the cattle-the
same old game. Of course. there was the
wife of Hilton, the facior-fue. ALWAYS
fine to see, but deaf anu dumb. We were
good friends, Ida and me. | had hand in
her wedding. Holy. l knew her when she
was a little girl. We could talk together
by signs. She was good woman-she had
never Guessed at evil. She was quick, too,
like a flash, to read and understand with
out words. A face was a book to her.
Very good. One afternoon we were all
standing outside the post when we saw
some one ride over the Long Divide. 1t
was good for the eyes. l cannot tell quite
how, but horse and rider were so sharp
and clear cut against the sky that they
looked very large and peculiar-there was
something in the air TO magnify. They
paused q moment on the TOD of the Divide
and 1t seemed like messenger out of the
strange country at the farthest north, the
place of legends. But. OF course. it was
only traveller like ourselves, for in half
hour she was with US.
Yes. it was a girl dressed as a man.
She did not try to hide it. She had dressed
SO for ease. She would make a mans
heart leap in his mouth-if lie was like
Pierre's last three words had touch of
irony. for he knew that the trapper mad
precious tongue for Scripture when "a mis-
siOnary passed that way. and a bad name
with women 10 give it point. Mowley
smiled sourly. but MacavOy laughed out
right. and smacked his lips on his pipe
stem luXuriously.
law, now. Pierre-all me little failn's-
aw!" he said. Pierre swung round on the
bench, leaning upon the other elbow, and
cherishing his cigarette. presently con-
unued:
''She had come far, and was tired to
death, so stiff that she could hardly get
from her horse; and the horse, too, was
ready to drop. Handsome enough she
looked, for all that. in mans clothes ana
peaked cap. with pistol in her belt. She
wasn't big built-just feathery kind of
sapiug-but she was set tair on her legs
I like man, and hand that was as good as
| have seen, so strong and fine. and like
silk and iron with a horse. We'll, what
was the trouble? for l saw that there was
trouble. Her eyes had a haunted look
AND her nose breathed like q deers in the
chase. All at once. when she saw Hill
toms wife. a cry came from her and she
reached out her hands. What would
women OF that sort do? They were both
of a kind. They got into each others
arms. Alter that there was nothing for
us men but to wait. All the women are
the same. and Hikon's wife was like the
rest. She must get the secret first, then
the men should know. We had to wait
an hour. Then Hilton's wife beckoned
TO us. We went inside. The girl was
asleep. There was something in the touch
of Hilton's wife like sleep itself-like
music. It was her voiee-that touch. She
could not speak with her tongue. but her
hands and face were language and music
Bien. thei e was the girl asleep. all clear
of dust and stain; and that fine hand, it
lay loose on her breast, so quiel-So quiet.
Enfin, the real story, for how she lay there
does not matter: but, still il was good to
see, when we knew the story"
The trapper was laughing silently to
himself to hear Pierre in this romantic
mood. A woman's hand-it was the game
for boy, not an adventurer, for the trap
per's only creed was that women were like
deer-spOils for the hunter. Pierre saw il,
out he was above petty anger. He merely
said:
"It man have an eye TO see behind the
face, he understands the foolish laugh of a
man, or the hand of good woman, that is
much. So Hilt0n's wife told US all She
had ridden 200 miles from the southwest
and was making for Fort Micah, sixty
miles further north For what? She had
loved a man against the wilt of her people.
There had been a feud, and Garrison-thst
was the lovers name-was the last on his
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