The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1896-02-07
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
By.HENRY HERMAN.
CHATTER II-(Continuea.D


been followed. I'll 60 by-and-by and
look from another place. Did YOU ten
anybody at Hatcher's you were COM
ing here?"
''No,' the young man replied. 81
had no need of that; your description
Of the road was plain enough; but l
remember now / did ask q girl, about
two miles down, how far It was to
your place."
That was foolish" said Ashland.
s'That girl was Lucy Maclane, Freck-
led Georges daughter, and he's the
man. of oil others, that I'm most
afraid of. He's always logging and
lodging me about; but I've put him Off
the scent so far. He's been on the
same game as myself these months
past, and he's as great rascal as il
20 be found on the plains. That kill
ing OF Dick Mcguire was never prop
erly explained. George insists that it
was done In fair fight, but l, for
one, don't believe it. I'm sure theer's
someone lodging about among them
cedars," Ashland continued.
perhaps 1t Is some beast" Herbert
suggested.
"Not bit of It," Dick replied.
Ulcers no game these this time o.
day. You sit here and I'll get around
TO the back of the cabin, and from
there I'll quietly climb onto the rock,
and II theer's anything alive among
them cedars I'll spot 1t. Keep your
weather eye skinned while I'm away"
With that he arose and sauntered
carelessly to the door of the small,
rude log hut which formed his habita-
eion. He stolidly walked to the fur
Sher end Of it and there disappeared.
The young Englishman looked about
him in that lovely wilderness, tinged
,as 1t was In all the sheen of that mid
summer eve. The luxuriant thin noun
tain grass reached to his knee, here
and there brilliant wild flower looked
like a bright spot In the sober green,
and further on feathery ferns rose in
all their dropping grace. All around
the hut the wild geranium. the box
elder, the spikenard and the bearberry
throve in wild confusion; while hop
plants, wild vines and Towering creep
ers stretched out verdant tendrils to
3nlace tree and shrub. The rocks were
covered with soft MOSES and hanging
grasses and ferns, while plantation
OF great cedars and mightier pines
stretched as far as the eye could reach
to the west, there to be overtopped by
the great crags and mountain fast
nesses In all their evening glory Of
purple and gold.
He had been an inveterate theater-
Eoer in his days of London frolicry,
and could not help being an imagina-
tive man, transporting on the stage of
the Princess or Drury Lane the picture
that unrOlled itself before his eyes.
ssFloO06 - 1,o coiH IN lit
beats your pantomimes and sensation
al dramas hollow. And to think that
there's gold-bushels Of 1t, tons of it
lying somewhere about. And I'm to
have my share Of it. Who says there
rs no such thing as luck In this world?
~Gold!' he repeated to himself. Gold!
/. gold! tons of gold!"
He shook himself together on sud-
den and commenced to pace up and
THAT was a pretty GIRL" he MUIR
injured to himself; "a downright jolly
girl. And looked to me, too las though
she were a. good girl. The sort of a
girl who would stick to man through
chick and thin and help him to fight 1t
out, though the devil and his
chances we're against hirl. Dick don't
like her father, but he didn't say
word against the girl. He'd have
mentioned 1t II there had been any,
thing against her. No, no. She's a lit
tie brick, I'm sure. And IL I'd dress
her in nice gown and polish her bit,
shed drive the girls at the Towers
mad with envy. A long way between
mere and Staffordshire, but IL there
Isn't q slip betwixt the cup and the
lip I'll take her there, or my name
isn't Herbert Chauncey."
He stood tapping the ground with
his right foot, putting away at his
pipe, while he kept his hands in the
pockets Of his buckskin trousers, and,
with q. vacant gaze, searched the
ground in front Of him.
A broad hand tapped him on the
shoulder 1T was Dick.
II was mistook." said the yeoman.
eTheer's nobody theer. It must have
been some beast after all. But think
we'd better wait until it's quite night
Tor all that, before we climb down
and have look at my find"
The pale, hazy light of the young
moon had swathed the mountains. and
the hut was lost in the black shade Of
the giant rock that sheltered It.
Among the cedars beyond, the night
seemed so dense as to become nearly
palpable, while just one or two fur
tive CLEANS shot through the pitchy
gloom where the more open space per-
mitted the light to penetrate.
Ashland and Chauncey were still
putting away at their pipes, talking Of
old times at home, Of those CHEEKY
Zines in the old country when they
both would have thought one-half the
hardshfps now endured a tribulation.
Yet they both felt happier in being
thus freed from the trammels Of nine
feenth century civilization, its shams,
and it's hypocricies.
And here they were upon the brink
OF untold treasures. They were both
10 be rich-rich enough to satisfy
every craving of the body. It would
have been unnatural If, under these
circumstances, they had not felt that
tremor of excitement which the most
cool-headed and most sanguine of men
cannot sometimes avoid. The young
Z er man especially was eager to feast
l,1o ovoS l1non tho onOf xvl,oro tho tpon q.