Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-11-08

Of handbook above it with mathemati-
cal precision. then he rummag ed a
broken chair out of an inner ROOM
smashed the rotten legs across his
knees. and added them to the heap
which at the first touch of the match
shot into flame.
1T will clean the brutal sair" he re-
marked. and it is quite cold enough
for Il fire. / wish l had stayed where
was till June. Tolly'S bout might
have been over by that time. Not
SO much as the smell of an oil rae
here" he continued rejecting, II must
go out and forage
Putting another chunk of chair on
the fire and forcing a side window
open with an ease that spoke we'll for
his condition. he went out and re-
turned shortly with big knobbly par
Gel in one hand. and a smooth brown
paper one in the other.
From the first be produced a huge
wedge of steak. some cut slices of
ham. and a loaf of bread. the brown
held bottle of beer.
When the fire had burnt down tn
4 hot bed of cinders. Strange put the
tongs across it. the poker and a piece
of thick wire he had poked out of a
cupboard across these. then balanced
the steak on the top of this gridiron.
and watched it fizZling and sputtering
with q gra tilted air of expectancy.
Il left a grltliron. a saucepan. and a
kettle in the bottom of that cupboard, -
he unused. keeping a keen eye on the
grill. AL in decent condition. folly
again, III put the fear of God in the
fellows heart before t6morrow's out.
That must be tomorrow not tonight.
sell for me, my boy, if not for you.
/ feel just up to it now. by tomorrow
the desire may have lost its SAVIOR
must find something to put this steak
on and to hold the beer Not a sign
of my pewter! Phew, one cracked
glass! Lord, there were dozens! and
one hot-water plate wSh half the delft
off 1t. | could swear 1 left that shelf
full of crockery: and after this a Chris
tan man is expected to do no muir
der!'
When he had got half through the
slab of steak strong thirst came on
Strange.
There is cOrkScrew in one of nv
inner pockets he reflected looking
iazily round, never mind. this is
ShOrterr'
He stretched out his arm for the
poker, and with it. knocked the top of
the bottle clean off and drank his beer
with wholesome satisfaction.
When he had eaten and drunk
enough. he pushed back his plate and
glass, and took bundle of quilts and
some Ms. paper out of small cabinet.
Seemingly Toliy has found no use
for these, he thought. as he sharp
ened a quill.
He rhen produced a bundle OF
Smudgy notes from an inner pocket
and laid them by the paper.
"Fll have a thorough good smoke"
he said. stretching his legs, land then
I'll be game for six hours work. |
swear" he continued, rubbing his hid
eous, inch-long, bristly, reddish beard,
'1'n not touch an individual bristle of
this mat till Lynton has got his first
consignment of copy then T shall
clean up and resume civilization"
Strange was a good many things
but he was above all others a traveller,
he had neither nerves nor stomach.
which is proof sufficient that he had
been preordained to the role. and he
had discovered his election very early
in life.
At the opening of one of his Eton
vacations, when to look at he was a
mere chit of child with a pair or
gray eyes that were staggering from
the sheer artlessness of them. he had
lodged the parental eye at Waterloo.
and instead of going down into Plow-
shire, he had taken ship at Rother-
hithe, and had reached Amsterdam bv
the skin of his teeth, the tub being
Enthusiastically and nearly laundering
in mid channel
To Be Continued.