The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1894-06-21
ACROSS THE JUMPING SANDHILLS.
BY GILBERT PARKER.

Here, now, trader, aIsy, alsy. Quick
sands I've seen along the sayshOre.
and up to me railways I've been in
wan. wid a double and twist in the
I rope TO pull me out; but a suckin'
sand in the open plain aw. trader.
aw, the like o that, 10, niver a bit,
aw" So said Macayoy. the giant,
when the thing was discussed in his
T presence.
well, tell you it's true. and they're
not three miles from Fort o'GlOry
The company's men don't talk abou.
it-What's the use? Travellers are few
that way, and you can't get the In
dian5 within miles Of them. Pretty
Pierre knows all about them. better
than any one else, almost He'll stand
by me in Itch, Pierre - Pierre took
no notice, and was silent for Il 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.
| 90 one better, you stand by me-my
treat that's the game"
"Aw, the like O that" aided AIaco-
voy. reproachfully, "aw, yer tongue
to the roof o yer mouth, MoWley.
Liars all men may be, but that's wild
wimmin or landlords. But, Pierre,
of another mans bat like that :-aw.
Mowley, fill your mouth wild the bowl
O Yer pipe"
Pierre now looked up at the three
men. rolling another cigarette as he
did 50. but he seemed to be thinking
of a distant matter Meeting the three
pair Of eyes fixed on him, his own
he d them for a moment musingly;
then he lit his cigarette, and half re
clining on the bench where he sat, he
began TO speak, talking in the fire, as
it were:
Il was at Guidon Hill, at the com
pany's post. 1t was the fall of the
year, when you feel that there is moth
ing SO good ds life and the ar drinks
like wine. Iou think that sounds like
a woman or priest. Mais, no. The
seasons We're 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. | felt
that | must move Yet, what to do?
There was the thing. Cards? Of course.
But that's only for times, not for sea
sons. SO. | was like a wild dog on a
chain. l had a good horse. Tophet,
black as Il coal, all raw bones and
Joint, and q reach like a moose. His
legs worked like piston rods But, as
] said, | did not know where to go or
what to do. SO we use to sit at the
post loafing; in the daytime watching
the plains all painting for travellers,
'like a young bride waiting her hus-
band for the first time"
Macovoy regarded Pierre with rich
delight. He had an unctuOus spirit
and his heart was soft for women, SO
soft that he never had one on his con
science, though he had brushed gay
smiles off the lips of many with his
own. But that was an amiable weak
ness in Il strong man. law Pierre
he said coaXingly, ''kape it down, aisy,
aisy, me hearts goiu' like trip ham
mer at thought av it. Aw yis, aw yis
Pierre.
We'll, it was like that to me all
sun and a sting in the air. At night,
to sit and tell tales and such things
and perhaps little brown brandy,
look at the stars, a half-hOr with the
cattle the same old game. OF course,
there was the wife Of Hilton the fac
tor-tine, always fine to see, but deaf
and dumb We were good friends
Ida and me. | had a hand in her we'd
ding Holy, | knew her when she was
q 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, toread and
understand without words. i face
was 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. 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 III the air to magnify.
They paused for q moment on the top
Of the Divide, and it seemed like a
messenger, ont of the Strange Country
at the farthest North. the place of
legends. But. of course. it was only
a traveller like ourselves, for III a half
hour she was with Us.
Yes, it was a girl dressed like 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 he was ike Macavoy, or the pious
Mowley there