Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-07-09

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place a. thisy abe thought.
And then. half fearfully. she asked
q squaw close by her for the ranch Of
William Bancroft.
yah. yah! yah, yah!'' was all the
reply that she could get from this Hit
crate daughter Of the plains.
Ibid you ask for Bill Bancroft"
asked white man she had not noticed
before, who ofliciated as postmaster ut
Deep Water.
eyes," replied Tullia. where does
he live?"
"Jest mile and half west o. here,
along that trail. Say, ma'am, II you're
goin' there, had you jest as soon take
along Bills maily
Among the various packages with
which he entrusted her, she saw her
own letter that she had written to Ida n
month before.
II shall be a surprise then" she
thought. hope shall be welcomew
And with another qualm of home,
sickness she set Off through most ro-
mantle rift in the rocks, through which
the trail lead.
The flowers were so thick about her
feet that she could scarcely avoid
crushing them at every step, and she
forced back her homesick feeling to ad-
mire them.
Suddenly she emerged from the
shadow Of great rock which had been
confronting her for some time, and saw,
just across beautiful grassy lake, a
neat homestead surrounded by small
pine trees, while several huge sequoias
loomed up in the background.
Not far from the out-buildings, SEEM
ingly right in the side Of the rock which
was Tapped by the little lake, huge
bonfire was burning
'"rhat must be the naphtha spring
that Ida wrote me about" she thought,
as she followed along the footpath
which finally led her over bridge Of
stepping stones and up to the front door
Of the rural dwelling, where, sitting in
a big armchair, absorbed in a maya
zine, was Ida. VI ~
. "fda-hov' cried. fuilia, using an ex-
preston common to them when Mrs.
Bancroft and her husband were think
ing Of going West to make a home.
"Why, Tullia Jensey!'
Tullia made low courtesy.
"How glad l am to see your Ida
said, ."And so you've really come mt
last! All, see! You and Mr.. Den
thorne have come out here on your
bridal trip"
oh, dear! Even in far-off Idaho
everybody expected to see her with
Burse Denthorne.
mo, indeed! Mr.. Denthorne and I
have parted forever, and have come
out here to seek my fortune in Idaho"
she resOlutely replied.
1t was hard to have to say 1t, but
she thought it best to have the worst
over Mt once.
welcome, then, my dearest!'
laughed Ida, escorting Tullia into the
sitting room and helping her with her
wraps. 1T is much better US it is.
There is n regiment quartered near
here, and VIII has dozen friends
among them who have asked me to
choose them an Eastern wife. You can
have the flower of the regiment, have
no doubt"
Il am nat fond of nosegays.'
laughed Tullia.
And so her Western visit began.
Tullia had to endure an amount Of
counting which would have spoiled an
ordinary girl for the rest of her life;
but she would OF ''reciprocate worth n
picayune," rs Captain Yund confided
fender Of the frontier gave up the siege,
and the regiment removing to another
outpost, Tullia enjoyed the quiet for
which she longed so earnestly.
One evening she walked over to the
post Office, where she heard rumor
which sent her home with frightened
eyes.
1.-The Indiansr she gasped, when Ida
met her at the door. "They are angry
and he soldiers are gone. Let's all go
back East together-let's start to-mor-
row.
"Nonsensev' returned Ida, cheerfuliy.
I'VE have frightened Indians away
from her many and, many time by
setting the lake on fire."
what can you mean"
"You have a dozen times, Of course,
seen the naphtha spring from which
we get our lights and fires by driving a
pine into the ground and burning the
gas which rises from them. Well, a
stream of white oil from that spring
gushes out upon the waters Of the lake,
where it floats constantly in great oily
islands. This oil will burn as well on
top of the water as anywhere, and you
just set two or three of those islands
on fire and there will not be an Indian
within sight of it."
1--WE had better do 1t tonight, then,
for the postmaster told me that the In
dams were on the warpath."
But when Mr.. Bancroft came In, he
differently.
There Is another regiment ordered
here" he said. "They will be here the
first of July, and that is tomorrow"
But, perhaps, Tullia would like to
see the water all in a blaze, and boiling
and steamiRg fxom contact with the
flames? 1t is sight!' persisted Ida.
"And meantime the Indians"
"Are having dtpow-wow in Buffalo
Canyon, which will last them week,
l say, girls, we'll set the lake on fire
the Fourth of July. 1t will be novel
celebration for Tullia."