The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-11-28

l -Sssss ~ tAe foWeHf lands. Tire cease
s., Iosf OF the river grew more distinctly
Hnisn their boxes; two sswash boys. hidden
- caono OF dust. raced their ponies up
tns iAnes the men, two by two. TRAINED
| steeaiiy mp and down the Iong board in
snne, bearing heavy boxes to the second
stofy Of the kiln. where the hops were
spread waist deep On the Iastsced floor 70
- tne neree hest that came from the
red-hot stove below.
subdued chatter Of dishes and milk
pans came from the kitchen at ..she
House where II would soon be dark
/ enough to light the lamps. The owner or
tne ranch. with his coat thrown across enc
am and smoking cob pipe flied with
| IA9fan' Seal came down the path ard
r'ood at the barnyard gate looking arosind
a the dusty landscape
lie had eaten his supper and viii, a
/ sikn OF satisfaction he Crossed his feet
ana leaned against the gate post ila an
at,Aooe OF ease and contentment entirely
al variance with the eager restless lur-
| ~ which he had kept up since daylight
Inc nrst 'hcor" OF hops was coming in:
tne pickers in sufficient numbers TO keep
TIE Kiln going at It's full capacity Ia /
neen secured. put 70 work and assigned
sher quarters. everything Was going
smoothly, and the elimination Of the sea-
Sonss toll. expense and worry would be
over In few days.
Prices were rising every day. II the
"eatner continued fair end the kiln did
not burn, sun-dricd as II was after a
cioueiess summer, the good farmer would
see la Few weeks the nightmare mort
sage lifted from his home and from his
Heart. his bills paid and a comforta bic
balance to his credit In the village bank.
The store keeper and the banker had
Deen FATHER suriy for several months. but
TINS forenoon. when he went for the shot
bag fun OF silver To pay his hands. the
hnancier beamed upon him and the mer
chant slapped his broad shoulders in iovial
ana fratefnai greeting. Now as he stool
watching the cows lazily leaving the barn
ne feit that there were many please Mt
things In life. so he called in good-na-
tured banter to Little Jack'' the Russian
rlnn, who. having finished his milking,
smut the door with CHATTER and cIang
lie turned a bashful. beardless face to-
ward MS employer. and without word
! lifted his weil-fiiied milk cans into the
wheelbarrow. and trundied Ii of toward
the house.
Queer faithful, Little Jack" Twenty
eight years old. well built and able to do
a strong mans work. he was no taller
than healthy farmer boy Of fourteen or
hHeen- He looked UP to the farmer aud
DIS wife In grateful alteration. almost for
their Kindness To him. for did they not
provide for him food and clothing the
plain little room over the wood shed where
ne slept, and. oh. bliss unutterable, ten
silver dollars every month 10 hoard and
dream about? No one knew his history
and Jack seemed unconscious OF ever hay%
ing had past II was now almost two
years since he had come to the ranch
wet. half-starved. very frowsy forlorr
little bundle OF queer foreign rags. and
! had made known his hunger and desire
1 mi ia
giot ex-saflor chore boy
He had been taken In aid Initiated into
the routine of farm work and ever since
then he had gone on. early and late
steady as clock work" and silent as tha
farm beasts which submitted 20 his direc-
ton In that quiet eontented way animals
have when sure OF kind treatment.
Jack had not yet learned dozen Eng
llsh words and his broad. childish face,
! little blue eyes and coloress hair gave
MIN such stold wooden look that his
employer sometimes doubted whether his
, Intelligence or consciousness OF his sur
roundings was any higher than the horses
| and cows around him. But he was en-
tirely reliable and had made himself in
! dispensable
To the gentle mistress of the house who
looked after his clothing and bodily com
fort. he Was somewhat more responsive
She always talked to him as II he knew
titS language HtfIeGtiEs ana sometimes
Jack responded with some SIMPLE word
hut for the most part he showed his com
prehension and gratitude by pleased
broadening OF mis- home,y face and an
alertness 10 anticipate her wishes.
With his milk he passed the farmer In
the gate. and turned into narrow path
between the dusty wagon road and the
ditch Just In time 10 meet the three Seat
tie pickers" coming from their work
Excepting n puzzled and depreca,iug
grin, he made no response to their coarse,
and noisy ieers. but trudged on with tense
arms and feet wide apart TO meet the
,, shock when the wheel struck the pebbles
In the path,
THE kid" who carried y rusty pail
picked up In fence corner took from II
small potato. and. turning around.
| threw It in warton deviliry AZ the little
Firms broad back. As the singing mis-
sile struck one square-set s,rsining
shoulder Jack dropped one handle with
cry and over went wAeelbarrow. milk
cans and al, into the ditch.
One Mortified lock 81 his secured and
polished cans, now lying hefoulei with
| mud, their contents gushing out 70 mingie
with the slime Of the ditch: the shame
ful waste; his beloved masters ioss. his
own s,narfing shoulder and the shouts OF
| derissve laughter. changed little Jack
| whom no one had ever seen angry before.
Skiing a stone as large as his two fists
he sprang at his nearest tormentor. The
attack was SO unexpected and the uu-
lucky basso was SO conyuised with iaugh-
ter that he could make scarcely a pretensa
OF resistance as the stone descended.
Full IN the center 81 his forehead he re-.
ceived IT Down he sank wifhou; another
sound. and with scarcely "a struggle.
His assaiant hardly PAUSED but dashed
after his fleeing companions, whoSs. snirta
had suddenly turned "a fright, They were
too swift for him. snd. hurting the stone
at the hindmost jack turned back ard
approached his PROSTATE victim.
The wretch lay I'm heap. hts fallen jaw
his crushed brow his bloody lrs and mes
trtts showing with horrid certainty the
fatal force Of Jacks ainewy arm.
As be locked some memory OF The laws
terrible power in his native hand seemed 30
cross his mind The sudden rage a. sud
denly departed. and n fear SD understanding
took its place that As he turT'e3 AZ the
sound OF hurryiug footsteps ana net his
masters horriaed face. poor Jack fed
shr.eking with terror. y
Straight across the orchard. over fences
through the li:tis field OF ripeniaE harley
or he ran SO the willow grewn banks OF
Tire river.
The stream. milky white With glacial SIZE
from far Rainier wa,yIed, reared and
strgIet on around the bend. SIS surface
atmple.i here and there With ctTcling ed
ffex hat il told no tales and ieft no trace.
save a hsna-oreaath 80 bank broken away
I ard tne torn wires OF hop and wild c1cum-
Der trailing in the water.
Ore brave Ind In Greece.
r.