The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-08-13
THE SAND HILLS.

4 Is. =js#%
Here, now, trader, aisy, aisy. Quick
sands I've seen along the sayshore, d
up to me Railways I've been III wan
wild q double a twist In the rope b
pull me ont, but a suckin sand ia Tia
open plain-aw, trader, aw, the like o
that, no, niver q bit, awl' So sci,
Macavoy, the giant, when the thinl
was discussed in his presence.
"Well, I tell you it's true, ant
they're not three miles from For
o'Glory. The company's men dom
talk about it-what's the use? Travel
ers are few that way, and you can't get
the Indians within miles of them. Pref
ty Pierre knows all about them, better
than any one else almost. He'll stand
by me in Itch, Pierre?" Pierre tool
no notice and was silent for q time, in.
tent 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 i gc
q better, You stand by me-my treat
that's the gamei'
Jaw, the like o. that, - added Mac.
avoy reproachfully. Jaw, yer tongue ia
the roof o. your mouth, Mowleyi Idars
all men may be, but that's wild wimmin
or landlords But, Pierre, OF another
mans bat like that-aw, Mowley, I'LL
your mouth wild the bowl o. yer piper'
Pierre now looked up at the three
men, rolling another cigarette Is no did
20, but he seemed TO be thinking Of q
distant matter. Meeting the three pairs
of eyes fixed ON him, his own held them
for a moment musingly. Then he lie his
cigarette, and half reclining ON the
bench where he sat he began TO speak,
talking into the fire, as IL were:
ST was at Guidon Hill, at the com
pany's post there. It was the fall Of the
year, when you feel that there Ii moth
ing 30 good as life and the air drinks
like wine. You think that sounds like
a woman or a priest? Mails. mol The
seasons are strange. In the spring / am
lazy and sad; in the fall ] am gay; / am
for the big things to do. This matter
was in the fall. I felt that / must move.
Yet what TO do? There was the thing.
Cards? OF course. But that's only for
times, not for all seasons. So I was
like q wild dog ON q chain. / had q GOOD
horse, Tophet black as . coal, ALL raw
bones and joint and o reach lille q
moose His legs worked like piston rods.
But, rs I said, / did not know where 10
60 O what to do 30 we used TO sit as
the post loafing, In the daytime watch
ing the plains. all painting for travellers,
like q young bride waiting her husband
for the first time"
Macavoy regarded Pierre with rich
delight BE had an unctuous spirit, and
his heart was soft for women, 50 soft
that he never had one ON his conscience,
though he had brushed gay smiles OF
the lips of many with his own. But
that was an amiable weakness III d
strong man. Jaw, Pierre" he said
coaxingly, "kape it down. aisy, aisy;
hearts goin like o triphannaeS at
thought nv It. Aw, yis; aw. yis Pierre
"Wellei IL was like that to meal
sun and o sweet sting in the air, DC
night TO sit and tall tales and such
things. and perhaps q little brown
brandy, o look at the stars, q half hour
with the cattle-the same old game
OF course there was the wife Of Hilton,
the faCtor-hne, always fine to 9 but
deaf and dumb. We were good friends,
Ida and me / had D hand in her we'd
ding. Holy, ] knew her when she was
Q little grill We could talk together BY
signs. She was q good wornan-she had
never guessed at evil She was quick.
too, like q fash, TO read and understand
without words. A face was a book I'd
her.
Every goodi One afternoon we were
all standing outside the post when we
saw some one ride oven the Long Divide. /
was good for the eyes, I cannot tell
quite how. But horse and rider were
30 sharp and clear cut against the sky
that they looked very large and peculiar
was something in the air tol
magnify. They paused for q moment
% the top Of the divide, and it seemed
like a messenger out of The strange
country at the farthest north, the place
Of legends But of course IL was only b
traveller like ourselves, for in q half
hour she was with as.
Eyes, IL was q girl dressed as q man.
She did not try to hide 1t. She had
dressed so for ease. She would make 4
heart leap In his month"; he
was like Macavoy or the pious Mowley
there =
Pierre's last three words had q touch
irony, for he knew that the trapper
had . precious tongue for Scripture
when q missionary passed that way
and o bad name with women to give it
point. Mowley smiled sourly, but Mac
avoy laughed outright and smacked his
lips ON his pipe stem luxuriously.
Jaw, now, Pierre--all me little fail
in's-Gwi'' he said. Pierre swung round
the bench, leaning upon the other
and cherishing his cigarette
presently continued:
sShe had come far and was tired to
death, 90 stiff that she could hardly get
from her horse, and the horse, too, was
ready to drop. Handsome enough she