The morning times., 1896-11-22

l
| the lovely widow.
The camp was elcctr flied with the
news of Mrs. Hebron's proximity. Fully
| To appreciate their enthusiasm 1T must
be borne in mind that, up to this date
| Palmers Gulch had lacked two essential
| features of civilized Iifc-women and a
| cemetery.
The latter could be safely trusted to
| Providence and the expected visit OF
| .'Poker Charlie :" who was famous for
| advancing civilization along this par
| ticular line; but the woman question had
been serious problem, and the Gulch
| did not propose olose arcady-made chance
| of settling it.
In ten minutes a committee OF the best
| looking men in PaImer's Gulch had been
] selected TO wait upon Mrs. Hebron and
| urge her TO pay the camp visit at her
| earliest convenience, and remain perma-
| nently If such were her pleasure. Where
| women have the charm Of novelty, chiv-
| airy abounds; and Mrs. Hehron's trip on
the following day, from the mule train TO
the uliicn touK on somewhat OF the III
| of n triumphal pageant. The best cabin
| in the camp was placed at her disposal,
| and Faro jim not only appointed him
self commissary- -in-chicf, but actually
| mIkcd the COW and parted with a box tf
| his best poker chips that the smallest
| Hebron boy. might play blocks to his
| hearts content.
Dave Holman endeared himself to every
| man in the camp, except Jim, by suggest
| ing that they indulge in Il particular la y
| ou,' for the coming Thanksgiving. "Prunes
| and canned oysters and whisky may be
| good enough for the camp he said, but
il amt no fitten grub for Women and
| children"
| Uncomplimentary illusions were rife as
| to the right of existence OF IA store that
, didn't keep no women's truck, nor play
| things for kids, nor even a paper collar on
| draft
established himself in popular favor by
| volunteering TO do the shopping at the
| nearest trading post i'll spite OF the brew
ing storm aud camp gossip that the In
| dams were "on the shoot"
| The day before Thanksgiving the mule
train that had been pressed into service
| TO deliver Faro Jim's" various purchases
| drove into PaImer's Gulch and deposited
at the widows door sitting-roo carpet
| OF flaming scarlet and yellow, huge
| mahogany bedroom set Il box o { pia ythings
| for the boys, and an assortment OF brio
| a -brac that would have delighted the
| soul OF a Choctaw chief.
| Faro Jim," the driver said, had waited
to bribe the agency cook for the only two
| chickens at the post. But he might bet
| ter not ha' done it, he added. for the
kintry is chuck full of snow drifts, and
| the redskins are ugly and making il live
| ly where they can"
Thanksgiving dawned bright and sting
ing cold. 1t had cleared gloriously at da y.
| break, and the gorge for miles was a
| fairy landscape, brilliantly, dazzingly white
from mountain top to river bed.
The trading post was half hidden in
the drifts and Jim wondered, as he started
forth with the chickens firmly strapped
| tn his saddle, if the boys had remembered
tn dig out the widows cabin. move her
Wood pile close to the door, and milk
| the COW. AS he cantered briskly away
| over the stretch Of prairie which the gale
| had left bare of snow, he was conscious
| OF two new and strange sensations; the
irritation OF stiff paper collar about
| his brawny throat, and Il peculiar flutter-
| ing Feeling, as he would have expressed
| IT, ''somewhar down below the left shoul-
| der blade"
He flung open his coat. and expanded
| his chest with great breath OF splendid
mountain air, and as he settled back IN
the saddle his eyes We're shining with q
| sudden rush OF happiness All uncon-
| sciously he had come unto his birthright
Self-snalysis he was incapable Of The
| greatest joy Of his life had come to him
| and he accepted it with the unquestioning
| delight Of a child.
AS jim left the prairie road and struck
| the trail that led through the mountain
| gorge, the little pony picked her way
| gingerly from drift to drift and over
| crusting slopes. Jim did not notice that
| the snow had rendered an always bad
Toad almost impossible, or that the sun
was already making dangerous riffs in
| the ice-coated stream. Jim was in love.
Dangers by land or water, or from the
tricky red-man, We're not worth consid-
srsnc.
A faint, gurglng sound, like the far
away howl of a coy ole, drifted down the
gorge. The pony shivered slipped,
floundered and righted herself in the drift;
but jim only y smiled as he patted the frozen
| fowl and remembered the dandy poker
game he had played to win them. The
cook couldn't be bribed, but POKER was too
much for the agent.
; A cry, like wolf in sight of prey, fierce,
broad, eXultant, broke the death like still
/; ness, and echoed from mountain top to
mountain top. Thistime the pony cuiyercd
| conyulsively, fell back on her launches,
and neighed as though in pain.
Jipi's face blanched and icy fingers
| closed over his heart. For the first time
| in his rough, wild life he cared what the
GU u'come of fight with the red skins
might be.
:, lain and again. behind him and on both
siues, t'iau aWIu CRY rang out, Snarp ana
resonant--a cry thrilling with the eager
anticipation of bloody work.
Choking down gasp of anguish and
rage, Jim sent the spurs sharply into
| Jehny's sides He would have liked better
turning back and downing a half dozen of
the skulking rascals, but that meant death,
sure and quick, and Jim meant to try for
the life and happiness that lay ahead of
him up the gorge.
AS yet the path seemed open, and the
little broncho struggled bravely through
drifts and over ice-crusted banks. with