Kootenai County Republican. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1899-1903, 1899-07-14
CHAPTER VIII.
AN UGLY INCIDE NT


.ne macarthur river "Trip We heb
the teamsters to look over the hans
grease the wagons weigh out SOM
tions, and on the following mor,,
shortly after day break we were stee,J
north again down the creek savile
in the lead; Norah Mackenzie. y
Elsie and Gordon, rode behind NJ
while SNOWFALL and another black }
low brought up the rear bf the CAV
cade, which included few spare hwJ
The squatter had started out that mn
ing to certain point where he exn,I
ed to meet the surveyors l felt .
for him as l caught sight Of his anxjI
face when he babe his daug hter good
Jack and | rode our own horses }
Daily rode with one Of the teamsten
the front wagon.
1t was glorious morning, and 4
faint breeze was blowing not unps
antly warm. 1t was toward the end
August now. The cool " eather-r'
as it was-would be over before suoaI
month had passed.
l rode on, until my horse was abre'
of Norah Mackenzie's.
"By the way. Miss Mackenzie,
asked, ''what'll you do If the pol
magistrates wife has not come ron
with her husband to the Macartj
river?' 1t was a question that
causing me some anxiety lust then
"Why, I'll take the place of the D
mans wife" she answere I'd. trying
look as if she really meant it when
saw the look of horror col he into e
Gordon's face.
''But soberly speaking. p she cont!
ued after pause, 81 do hope the 20
! lady has staid behind at Port DarwI
don't know why I couldn have {
i manned at the station. until my fsa1
came back. but he wished me to lead
and Of course he always d. es know b
However, If she has not arrived III
back again with you to the station
wait until he comes. wac eory
leave; it is such beautiful place, 8
so wished that we might have b
able to explore those great cliffs VIII I
father said were like Sydney hes
I'll tell you what-if we have to
back to the station. we'll make up
party and 60 there. It's such a \
that my father had to go away on
trip"
Then. it Is to be feared, l betrsy
myself just little, for l said somethl
about hoping that the worthy pol
magistrate > wife had changed her mi
about coming to the gulf. Whetha
not the quick witted girl interpre
Alright the uncalled for earnestncss IA
marked the expression Of the wish
was impossible to tell As it was 1!
changed the subject by re marking til
she was glad had receives good rsS
on the previous day. She was sorry Y
Tyndall had not got any, for that u
hard to bear, despite what they n
about mo news being good news.
We talked about many things, and
discovered that despite what she
said about books her knowledge rega
ing them was-by no means inconsid
able; only. her practical knowledge /
the life around US made her infinit
more interesting than any book. "a
lied what miserable fund of SO cal
knowledge university man posses
concerning natural history compared
bush bred girl who had not only ra
but was naturally observaut. She sha
81 me sensitive plants that curled !
and writhed as If in agony at the SLID
est touch, like living things. and Sd
ers that at MONDAY folded their pet
close. so as to protect themselves III
the vertical rays Of the sun. Not oi
that, but she named and classified ths<9
showing how they were the survivak Z
still more wonderful type of Aust
liam fora.
Despite false alarm of blacks on y
second night out. caused by the Ar5
stampeding into the camp, we reach
the Macarthur river in thu Zee days vii
ont mishap We camped at the Cru
ing. about two miles abo we the TOW
ship. Gordon forded the river and n
II TO it. He had asked Jack to acc0
pany him. but the latter made some
cuse. and one Of the men went instel
They came back by moonlight. !
not turn in for the mis- lit urxil III
came back
1.-THE dell. in that Mao arthur,
heve," said Gordon to me as setcs
him a pair of hobbies. The gove
ment cutter has come ron nd from p
Darwin. but no police magistrate vi
and I don t wonder that any decent 4
IMAM should refuse to live In place y
that. But the boat in the river
can load up in the morning. and "
take the women folk back again"
II was news for which it was wa
having waited mp. In my satisfactis
told Gordon not to bother about
horse, but to throw some fresh tea u
the billy that had inst started to bsis
The new township of Booroolooloo
Gordon told me. had earned a most
enviable notoriWy.
Sleep was sol ,ewhat tickle in her ms
istrations that night. Jack and l pitdI
ed our mosquito curtains within o n
yards of one another. where we coz
see Days cleaning white in tho mod
light some 80 yards or SO m. aIoni~l9
a little match OF golden waffle. IL u.c