Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1898-04-08

with part of his own clothing.
Il wish you wouldn't sit there and
stare like night owl, Grammel," Lee
Carson was saying fretfully. II like
being alone when I've go OF this
mongrel malaria. If you would push
on to the higher ground you might save
us BOTH"
'I'll start when the moon rises" re-
piled Grammel with ready untruthful-
ness.
'That's all right" said the sick man
Growsily; "pile up those reeds at my
elbow and I'll keep the fire going. I'll
do"
Grammel rose at once and began to
arrange the heap of reeds to humor his
companions fancy.
Lee-Carson leaned against them and
dozed and Grammel, Selling the oppor-
tunity, added his own blanket to the
others coverings.
| Lee-Carson opened his eyes with an
effort.
"Once too often, Friend Grammel!"
he said.
Grammel glanced confusedly at the
offending blanket.
''I'm not sleepy" he replied; ''be-
sides, I'll be starting presently"
''Tal1e it Off" was the peremptory
rejoinder.
LET me make up the fire first,' said
Gram1nel, temporizing; but he was
saved further argument, for the fever
was gaining upon the sick man.
"What's that?" exclaimed Lee Carson
nervously, struggling to sit up. ''They
are coming! That's the trampling of
the hoofs!"
Dare say they are" said Grammel,
with vague wish that there was hoof
within 200 miles of them. ''You might
try to rest now"
Lee-Carson made no reply, but sank
back obediently ON his blankets, where
he lay moaning and muttering in an
uneasy half-consciousness.
Thus the night wore on.
| Then, because the desolation was so
intense, Grammel began to grumble;
his voice rang like minor undertone
through the resonant booming of the
bitterns and the harsh chorus of the
frogs in the pools and fens around
! them.
''Half this tobacco's soaked," he said,
shifting contemptuously at the hollow
of his hand, land the rest tastes like
smoked porridge steam; but I suppose
it's better than breathing in this fetid
fog in it's native nastiness. Pah! it's
chilly too. 1 don't think" He
stopped.
Lee-Carson was singing, Il broken line
| l..
clearly:
''Thus as the spreading ocean
| Conquers a sandy coast,
! Each tide has borne US further
| To man a lonelier post
cts only doggerel," he went on with
weak laugh, but it warns a mans
veins, and it's true; l tell you, it's true!"
The big man opposite sat very still
and listened. Lee-Carson ran on in the
irascible monotone of deiirium:
! ''Fordison and Chester died, you
know-wipcd out with fever. Ford1son
died just at dawn. a wet, low dawn only
as high us the tops of the trees. That
was in the forest, when we were MAX
ing for higher ground. And Grammei
good old manufactured him and
planted a rock on his chest"
\ squirting blaze famed out of the
reeds, and Lee-Carson half rose.
"You must do it to keep the hyenas
off, you know" he proceeded, soiemnly.
do you think we'll find it All impede
mcnt on Resurrection day? But sup
pose it's no worse than a coffin with ten
| penny nails is it, Graln?''
''Of course not!" answered Gramrncl.
do shut up!"
! But Lee-CarsOn wandered on.
"And Chester-the hyenas have, him
If the crocodiles left any. They're
birds Of q feather, crocs and hyenas
What's one mans meat-one mans
1neat-how does it go?--I can't remem-
ber!' he sobbed petulantly.
The red glow OF the fire burnt like a
plague-spot on the broad dark breast
Of the waste as Grammel fed it 81
lently.
The weary, hollow voice went on:
| you're looking very pretty this
morning, Alice, with the sun shining in
your hair. You knew I'd come back,
didn't you, dar!ing?" He looked across
admiringly into Grammel's bearded
|
stable-where is it? l can't find it,"
Then from the far distance of the
marshes come indescribable noises
that sounded like i'itans laughing, and
balls Of fen-fre rolled, dimIy seen,
through the fog, while Lee-Carson got
exceedingly afraid because he fanccd
that he was on board u steamer on
thick night, and that a collision was
imminent, and the skipper not proper
ly certifcated.
II tell you, man, I see her lights!
There"' he cried, strung like a harp
with excitement, pointing Il shaking
| hand into the darkness.
''She's working round all right" said
Grammel, soothingly. Cant you hear
the sailors singing?" adding to him
self: ''If I can only get him on his
songs, that will quiet him down, per-
hapS.''