The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-28

the box and cast furtlve Chances at IL, Willie
Crow Knife, under Rorke's direction, was
quietly unpacking it, Again had Gralce
wandered unsteadily over by the stove and
stood there sullenly kicking at 1t until one
of the men babe him quit or he'd start
fire in spite of them. "You'H have US al
in blazes before our time,' were the
soldiers words.
mot 1. Fires my FRIEND" answered
Graice in a surly tone.
AN likely to give you long and warm
welcome if you carry to purgatory the
spirit you so sweetly manifest here. now
yer frind ?" retorted Rorke.
II mean it saved my life year ago IN
Mexico. l saw a girl once too o1ten Iqr
her lovers good-hot-headed cur. he
would have it and got tin the heartIand
I got in quod and our Consul couidn t heip
me. I am not the kind of citizen the
United States binders a foreign Govern,
ment from sending to kingdom come anu
was mighty nigh getting there.
"And We didn't said Terry, hlghly Ia,
terested. "The Interpretations OF hlVen
are past findin' OUT
"Fire's stood my friend, 1 say. had my
pipe-greasers amt the damned mariners
Won have here-and a spark Went INTO tne
Straw. 1t blazed in an instant. There was
hell to pay, with the guard ana greasers
and prisoners running every Wn 1t way
The prison had a little tower like that yon-
der" said he, pointing to the wooden struct-
ure above the old log guardhouse. II saw
nv chance in the confusion and ran Tor 1t.
1t was stone and never took fire, and l got
safely away at night and vamoosed the
country, and read afterward how the
flames had devoured the rutfianly MUIR
derer Roy and here he caught himself,
with sudden gulp, seeing Rorke's sus-
picious eyes upon him.
'Eh, Graice, Roy, you were saying.
Murderer, roisterer, and rascal, Tom
Graice," he went on. $50 I've othing to
fear from fire"
Rorke eyed him long and distrustfully,
grunting audible comment on the story, to
which some OF the men had listened IN
absorbed interest, while others were busily
removing the picture and setting it in
place upon the wall When it was fairly
hung, Crow Knife stepped back across
the room, his eyes reverently fixed upon
the fine, soldierly face. Graice, meantime,
after a hurried glance about him, had
drawn flask from his breast pocket, and
had it lifted to his lips when Rorke
grabbed it.
~ thought so, we mad Drained gabbler!
You'll be drunk before the days half over.
Get up and look at the picture, man. It's
looking at you straight and stern"
"Who-who's looking at me? What
- rot are you talking?" shuddered
1.-THE colonel is and as if he didn't relish
the sight-sman blame to him."
Its saying of my people," said Crow
in his slow, solemn tone, whom the eyes
of the dead call must rise and follow"
''You croaking-" Missed Graice, leaping
to his feet and rushing at the Indian, but
Burke threw himself between them.
"Play wild fire when We may, man, but
never wild a tame tiger. Hush, now. Go
out this door and cool that crazy head of
Il {bol o1f
Instantly the excited group scattered,
the men resuming their work as though at
no time thought of crime or quarrel had
entered there, but Rorke'S heart was
humping hard as he went to his station.
First to enter were Captain Leale and
Mrs. Daunton, though the blithe voices
and CHEEKY laughter of the others could be
heard without Evidently there was fun
at Kitty's expense, and Leale had seized
the opportunity to draw Helen to one side.
They we're talking earnestly as they en-
tered.
1T seems providential that Wills first
station should bring his mother back to
the old home. Here and now at least she
should be safe from all shock. especially
with your care to guard her, Mrs. Daun
ton. She said to me only yesterday:
Helen came to me only little over year
ago, but l think | have needed her for
years. She is as dear to me almost as my
own daughter"
God bless her for those words,'' said
Helen, deeply moved. 81 came to her as
dependent, but she has taught me a new
definition of motherhood"
motherhood has its sorrowful meaning
for Mrs. Farrar," said Leale, gravely, his
handsome dark eyes fixed upon her face.
"Has she never spoken to you of Royle,
her eldest son ?"
s'She has sometimes mentioned him."
ILL h ai,,t p,1f
she can hardly bear to speak of him, and l
know the bitter sorrow he brought TOTO
every one who loved him; but, " she added,
quickly, as though eager to change the
subject, chow cozy and warm and Christ
masy it looks and smells! l shall have
another new definition-what Christmas
means. We learn many definitions, do we
not, as life goes on, and sometimes fate is
good to US and lets US learn the happiest
last"
'And you nave learned sad one of
Christmas?"
Il? A very sad one. My own baby
died in my arms on Christmas eve."
Leale bent earnestly toward the sad,
sweet face, deep emotion In his own, but
at the moment Ellis entered, followed
closely by Ormsby. She bowed in evident
constrant at sight of the couple already
there, and looked as though she would
gladly have turned about again. After
her came Will and Kitty, and other young
people of the post, all eager and intent on
Inspecting the preparations being made,
all full of compliment to Rorke for the
success attending his labors, all full of adj
miration of the portrait which they
grouped about and admired, while Ellis
| hung her fathers saber underneath. And
then once again the whole party, chatting
merrily, went drifting out into the crisp
air and glorious sunshine, leaving glover
| ing after them from the doorway of the lit
tie room that opened off the main hall the
| ill-favored, ill-liked soldier Graice
Two minutes later, and no one could ex-
plain how it started or what was its excit-
ing cause, with hardly a spoken word or
premonitory symptom, two men were
clinched in furious struggle-one heavy,
burly, powerful and gifted with almost
demoniac strength, had hurled the other
down. That other-lithe, sinewy, panther
like in every motion-writhed from under
meath his huge antagonist ana had sprung
to his feet, while the first, more SLOWLY,
heaved himself upward, and then, like a
maddened bull, dashed at his foe Spring
ing lightly to one side Grow Knife, for It
was he, whipped from his sheath glitter
ing blade and poised it high in air, and
Graice, even in his blind fury, saw and
hesitated. There was a rush of the work
L l. n