The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1900-05-24
V.
a BROKEN REED.

The threatened notice for Darcie to
pack his blankets was not, in his case,
delivered in person. 1t appeared with
out visible human agency on the out
side of the door Of the Black Dwarf, and
the language was such that it cannot be
repeated here.
Darcie and Mike worked close to-
gether, and were never unarmed or off
their guard When Mike, two or three
days after the storm, was obliged to go
to Wallace for supplies, he avoided the
the railroad track an took the oldtrai,.
and Darcie remained in the tunnel, with
his Winchester handy,and an ore-car on
d the track by way of barricade. He was
in his working-clothes, but he was not
making wages, not even the wages of
a trammer, according to company
prices. He was still grinding away at
that equivocal position from which, as
: had volunteered to Miss Bingham.
next eastern mail was to release
n. He was already free in intention,
is conscience toward her was
ar, but evidence of his previous po-
ton was still upon his person in the
pntents of certain letter which he
I'D written on the very day before
e day that brought her to the cabin.
b send it, or not to send it, that was
Ae question. To whom did that letter
81 hong?
se I'm broken reed" he, said aloud,
~ then he could not help laughing,
~ he was in curious case. His medi-
tation went on in the silence somewhat
to the following effect:
s. II can't do their work, and 1 won't
81 Ike their money. They must send out
Al other man; better not send young
one. BY Jove, it's rough on the old
eompany! I'm the fourth one, and I've
slccumbed,' as Mike says, like my pred
Predecessors. I thank the Lord I'm
podle-proof, and drinll-proof anG
toof, at pinch, against the seductions
" the elk and the big-horn in their
ntive wilds. When Singleton came
1t, the foxy old manager took him
mt. z. Happy thought: hunt first
festigate afterward. Big time they
ID They got so chummy over their
np fire that Singleton felt like Il
bther to the whole outfit; by the time
d shot brace of big-horn and lost
money regularly at poker with the
g, there wasn't spot on the sun of
regard. 1t was a simple matter to
festigate after that. Took Bingham's
I'd for everything
Poor Langley went down with a
b: what with the altitude, and the
Icy rotations they seduced' him with,
drank himself silly, and was shipped
4ne like q sheep.
Grant, they claim, never got any
rearer the Big Horn than New York.
That was SANDER, dare say. didn't
stop in New York; l never tempted the
gods, and denied my weakness; I never
professed to be girl-proof. 1 came
straight on; thought I'd be safe when
I'd got into the mountains.
Comes a knock at the door one pitch
black night, and in she steps in her wet
skirt like lily inits sheath-a rose and
lily in one. And l am gone, all at once
like snowslide in March; chinook is
nothing to it: there's not enough left
Of me to wipe up the floor with.
What shall call it, mountain fever
No; Langley said he had. mountain
fever: mine is not the same kind. Sa,
I've struck it rich in the Black Dwarf
No; the governor will ask for assays
and want to organize company: nc
company wanted here. No: I'll give j
to 'em straight: say that thirgs are rot
ten, rotten as the devil; but I'm not the
man for committee of one to investi
gate Manager Bingham's admiristra
ton. Let them discover the reason fo'
themselves; they wouldn't believe min'
gave it. have told them there's {
miners war toward, and the time is mo-
good for Investigations"
Again Darcie spoke aloud, using,
regret to say. strong expression in re