The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-07-09

CnpyFfghted. lSe, Oy Bret h1ffe.
1T was nj best merely . rock trail
- winding along shelf OF the east
vel the only road between the sea
ana the inland valley. The hoos
urfnts OF a whole century Cf Zig
-4n. invites were impressed on the soil.
ss6sssrfy soaked BY winter rams and dried
- sumsner Suns during that period; the
.s~asfonsi ruts of heavy. rude. wooden
-heeiS--iong oteoiete-~were nfiii pressry-
- ~ visible. weather-worn howiderS and
49, lying tn the unc1ouded glare % Al
..s,,ne sky. radpased . quiyeFinx heat that
- tntoserasle even while above them
- nasss IL 0gansic pines rocked their
- n IL cold southwestern trades from
~ .nneen ocean beyond. a red. burning
-, lay everywhere, an II the hea- were
saev4y and visibly precipitafing s.seif,
~ croaksnG of wheels and axiss. the
srnfsed piunxe OF hoofs and the cough Of
. hov.e In the dust thus sttrred. pres
s.sIv broke the profound woodland 81
49, Then q dirty. white canvas-cov-
- sutgrxns wagon slowly arose With
- dvst along the accent II WAS travel
sslned and worn. and with Its raw
49, horpes seemed TO have reached
~ ~ stage Of tfs journey and f1tuess.
- only occupants, . man and gsri.
scauered 70 be equally faded and exhaust
-
rr.Hsns IN their sallow ard badly nourinn-
- faces. Their voices. too. were not I'M
Ne the creaking they had been pitched
"a oveecome, and there was m aba nee
= reaerye and consciousness In .heir
sr.eech which told patheticaily o1 an equal
shpence Of society
.sIss no user talkin'. tell ye ye hain't
so4 no more sense than coyote! I'm sick
ara tired OF it--dog -goned I amt. Ye
-0SS- zrxA lAue
= Afuderin's II was along o. you that
n lost the stock at Laramie and ef ye'd
Nm II ell decent and takin' we'd hev had
hempany that helped. instead Of laggin'
on we're alone.'
.sWhas did ye bring me for?" reto-ted
tho stri shrfiiy. II might hev stayed with
amt Marty. ! wasn't hankertn' TO come"
.Brsng ye forT' repeated her father con-
temptuousiy II reckoned we might be- O.
a,ene account here, whAr wimmin folks IL
akeeree. In the way o. helptn'. and mebhe
reatin' yer married 10 some likely Teller.
N9Ghty much chance o. that. with yer yal-
tsr ace and skin and bones"
eye can't blame me for takin' arter you.
49, she said with shrsii laugh. but no
other resentment of his brutality.
l.Ys want somebody 10 take arfer you
with . club" he retorted angriiy. TIE
heart Vets that ye're dotn' now?
she had risen and walked to the tail Of
the wagon. Coin to get out and walk.
Tn bred o. bein' jawed at"
She jumped into the road. The act was
neither indignant nor vengeful- The fire.
osency Of such scenes had blunted their
sting; she was probably tired Of the
quarrel and ended II rudeiy. Her father.
however. let ny Parthian arrow.
sye needn't think I'm goin' to wsh for
ye-es I hev. Ye've got TO keep fetch with
the team or get left And good riddance
q bad rubbid9e-"
In reply the girl dived into the under
GOOD beside the trail picked a Wild berry
o. two. stripped . wand Of young hazel she
hal broken OF, and switching IL a. her
ssde, skipped along on the outskirts of the
WOOD and ambied after the wagon. Seen
In the full merciess glare OF Californian
ny she Justified her fathers description
thin and bony. her lank frame outstrtpped
the body Of her ragged calico dress. which
was only kept on her shoulders by straps
--possihly her fathers CASTOR braces. A
So0ss sofs felt hat covered her head. and
shadowed her only notable feature. . pair
u large dark Overlooking larger for the
hollow temples which narrowed the franc
IN which they werc Get.
% long as the wagon crawied up the
accent the girl knew she could easily keep
np with II. or even distance the tired
into the wood. returning like an animal
from quest Of food with something In her
mouth. which she was tentatively chewing.
and once only with some inedihle madrona
berries. plucked solely for their brilliant
cosofinG. II was very hot and sinsularly
close: the higher current OF air had sub
sided and. looking up. singular haze
seemed to have taken its place between the
tree tope. Suddenly she heard strange
ynmb,in9 sound: an odd gtddiness overlook
her. and she was obliged TO clutch at
sappiing 20 support herself. she laughed
vacantly, though little frightened. and
looked vaguely towards the summit Of the
.usd. but the wagon had already disap-
peased. A strange FEELING OF nausea then
overcame her. abe spat out the lcaves she
had been chewing. disEus,ediy. But tho
sensation as quickly passed and she once
pore sought the trail and began slowly to
fellow the tracks OF the wagon. The ar
Aaw ffeshiy the tree tops began again
70 rock over her head. and the incident
Vas forgotten.
Presently she paused: she must have
nisscd the trail for the wagon tracks
had ended abruptly before n large bowl
der that lay across the mountain trail.
NE dipped into the woods again. here
there were other wagon tracks that con-