Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-25

her bringing up a clothes pole to prop it,
Then she pounded on the planks and shout
ed, I caught We! I caught ye nowr' end
ing with mumbling chuckles and threats.
What shall we do! Oh. what can we
do?" cried Olive. Don't you suppose her
daughter will stop her? Let's call"
They called, but with no effect. Then
Adele had another inspiration. Here are
some matches on the mantel," she an
nounced, suppose We set fire to the house
and burn our way outv
You mad girl" answered Olive, laugh
ing little Historically through her tears,
would be any breach big enough for us to
get out through. And then, possibly the
Browns might object, too.
Listen, Adele she exclaimed, cutting
snort the others arguments in favor of the
firing idea, whats that wretch doing
now?"
The girls crouched down by the door
and listened. The bag had gone to the
dancing and grooming a strange sort OF
chant.
Adele turned with eyes the size of sauc-
ers, Its the death chant of the Apaches, -
she breathed. "Oh. it is as Olive seemed
about to question:; its the song they chant
when they're going to kill some one-and
l-hark-what's that?'
There vas the sound of horses hoofs,
then a "halloo'' and some laughter.
Whats up here, Yellow Feather?' a
mans. voice, which Olive recognized as
Phillips Adams, called out cheerily.
yellow Feather want whisky. please,
good gentlemens. Want whisky plenty
bad screamed the old woman
Whisky, eh?' echoed the man: and
there was chorus of laughter. You've
just had a little too much of that same
continued the speaker. and I'll warrant
you've been up TO some mischief"
This speech recalled the girls 10 their own
situation, and they called for release but
to no avail. The men were joking the old
woman, she was shouting, and altogether
there seemed to be too much noise for the
prisoners within the house to be able to
make themselves heard. Up to this time
they had supposed that the men were going
to stop at the Flying M, and that they
themselves would certainly be discovered
and released. Olive was comforting herself
that it would, after all, be rather roman
tic situation, and favorable introduction;
but 1t began to appear that as the men
found no one at home, they were prepar-
ing to ride on. The girls became almost
frantic.
Olive pounded wildly on the wall with a
book, caught up from the center table,
screaming, Please wait! We're in here,
and can't get out! HallOo. Halloo-oO-oo!
oh. Adele! Can't you think of anything to
do?''
Yes" replied Adele, firmly. I'm going
up the chimney
You can't-youll-. Oh. Adele-you'll-''
But Olive spoke to an empty room.
The chimney at the Flying NJ was big and
wide. built of stone, and with capacous
fireplace. 1.-the, slender Adele had ducked
her dark head, and vanished up the sooty
hume
Olive heard her climbing and scramblins
and she leaned against the mantelpiece
and laughed till she was too weak to give
Adele the assistance for which she heard
her begging in muffled tones.
"Oh, Adele. Are you stuck up there?
What do you want me to dog
Light fire there in the fireplace and
SIN EN-
excitement. Its chimney swallows The
chimney's full of nests, and the old birds
are fighting me. Oh! Wow! Ow!'
Smoke them out?" gaSped Olive between
laughing and crying. why, what would
you do? You're"
But what Adele's reply was will never be
known, for two full-grown swifts in eager
flight struck Olive right in the inQuirinS
countenance, which she had turned up to
watch her friends movements, and sent
her back, covered with SCOT and Tying
ashes into the middle Of the room.
The men had grown tired of chafiing ell
low Feather, and were preparing to depart,
when their attention was attracted by a
commotion in one of the ranch house chim-
neys, from the top of which, as they looked.
a flight of angry birds burst twittering out
whats that?" cried Burt Maynard, who
having gotten back earlier than he expect
ed to, had fallen in with this party on his
way home
Adele got firm footing on a higher proJec-
ton; two grlmy arms. which scattered scot
like a black caricature or snow. were
waved wildly, and the apparition shrieked-
..Oh BOYS! Oh Burt! Don't go away
We're shut up in here.' Then, as though
the inadequacy of these tame words to eX-
press the tragic situation mad Just Struck
the speaker, she stretched out Appearing
hands and cried, Help! Help! Fire.! and
collapsing, missed her footing and vanished
down the chimney, sending up a cloud OF
SCOT and twittering birds.
The other boys were SO wild with laugh
ter that nothing was to be gotten OUT OF
them; but Burt thought he recognized
Adele in the distressful chimney sweep
(who but Dele would pop her head out OF
a neighbCrs chimney as you rode past, ana
Shrek to you for help and rescue2 ana ,
he ran toward the house, cali
ing to the others to keep the old woman,
as he believed she had been in mischief.
But Yellow Feather had fled at the first
sight of the chimney climber, and was not
found, then or later.
The other boys were too weak from
laughter to give much assistance. and it
was Phillips Adams who helped Burt dis
lodge the clothespole, push up the window
and rescue his wife and sister, sooty,
bruised, but able to tell their story.
Poor Olive! 1t seemed to her that humil-
iation could go no further Yet. when they
were cleansed of SCOT and ashes, washed
and repaired, and once more seated In their
blackboard, she found it could. Adele, re-
freshed and in her right mind once more,
looked SO distractingly pretty that she
was beginning to pluck up some courage
again Uhough Phillips had appeared to her
during the entire episode more silent than
she had ever known him), when Burt be-
gan asking them about the adventure, and
Adele who was naif a child, related
the history of all the days horrors.
The boys, riding in a cavalcade about
the blackboard. all Joined their voices to
Burt's and received the narration with guf
flaws and whoops of delight-nobody was
ever backward about laughing at Adele.
All but Phillips Adams. He scarcely
smiled, and Olive, sitting in acute discom-
fort and wishing there was some way to
silence Adele or reach that husband of
hers, who kept bringing out new and ludi-
crous points every few minutes, reflected
dolefully that Phillips appeared utterly dis
gusted.
Their Christmas was rescued. They were
going to range dinner gotten up by Phil
lips Adams in their honor, when he heard
of the collapse of the Brown festivities,
and cooked by Arizona Sam, the best range
cook in the Panhandle.
They had rib roast. broiled steaks and
outlets, the lightest of sour dough biscuits,
chilli con carne, stewed fruits, pies baked
in Dutch ovens and that piece de resist
ance of a cow camp feast, the wonderful
Calf's head roast.
As thew sat in the criSD clear dusx-like