Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-02-11

| Silyerton. TimberIine picked up his
bundle CT washing and stalked on In
the direction OF the mine.
The weeks came and went. On
Timberline's first visit TO Mother
Nag's modcst but attractive home In
| :silyerton, for thanks to the boys free
heartedncss she had been able to save
n fair sum from her earnings. he was
strangely startled. Instead OF the
merry-eyed little playfelIow he had
tcased and petted he found tall
young lady. with fluffy dark hair he
admired immensely. and grave eyes,
whiclA lighted up wonderfully when
she smiled.
He seemed to grow strangely awk-
wnrd and unwieidy. mentally abusing
himself roundly for his lack OF man
ners. Notwithstanding he came to
see them agnin and again--indeed.
as often as he could get away.
Some eight months later things
were still unchanged save that to
| Timberiine Nora seemed to grow love
licr every day, Just then she was
teaching In the public schools and
apparently very happy and content.
ed in her work. II she looked for
ward To TimberIine's visits and miss
ed him soreIy when he failed to come
who could blame hori She made no
complaint. As to Timberline him
| self. he hated to hazard his chances
by speaking too soon. SO time wore
on.
One afternoon TimberIine and
comrade were given permission. as
the trail was lmpassable. TO go down
over the tram. 1he latter niclmamea
Shorty. was two or three buckets
ahead OF Timberline. The two call
| ed back and forth TO each other as
they went. making merry sallies Mt
| each others expense. At length they
| reached the most dangerous place on
| the way. where the bucket hung In
mid.air some two hundred feet above
| the ground Suddenly. without any
| warning. the speed OF Timberline's
| bucket Increased and to his horror
| the man ahead of him saw 1t run of
and then down. down. to destruction.
To the anxious watcher 1t seemed
| long until far below he saw dark
agurc doubled up on the snow. while
some distance away lay the inverted
| iran-buoket.
My God. he's killed." burst from
| the pale lips OF the man In the swing
| Ing. swaying bucket above. He bur.
led HIS face In his hands and wept
4 for In ba -.
alive again.
| Quickly the rescuing party sped on
| anowahoea To where the body lay, a
limp. inert mass, sunken deeply into
| the snow. Some OF them stood look
Ing on ms two of their number tender
| ly raised the dropping head and felt
TO sec II the generous heart still beat.
| Looks Almost as II he was asleep,
don't hef" said tall. slim young
follow TO Shorty, who stood next to
him. Lord, man. what's the matterg'
| Shortys teeth chattered as he
slrove to reply and failed. his voice
| dying away In articuinte murmurs.
Leave him alone. youngstcr. IT'S
his cbum-he saw II ALL" put In a
bfawny fellow by them.
Here the man bending over the
body raised up, saying shortly, He's
alive. Gimme the brandy"
a mnrmur went through the little
group of mon II they had voiced IL
| Il would have been. Poor old chan.
II can, be for long A cripple? Not
Timherlinc, surely'-or something to
that effect.
Breathlcssly they watched the ef.
fofts 20 restore him to consciousness.
~ length his eyes opened
What's the NATTER" he said. fec.
bly,,
Nobody answered and there was 81
icnec for long moment, Each man
waited for the other to speak.
wen, the injured man said at
length. you're a soelable lot, amt
YOU It's confoundcd cold here. Je-
tuaalom' how my head hurtsl"
Surprise, astonishment, amazement
struck the group. Every one thought
he must be dollrious. There could
be no hope aftcr a fall like that.
What the deuce is the matter with
you people, anyway" Timberline
said, after pause. MY heads 20
IN round a hundred miles "A minute
and you're all as close ms clam.
Can't you tell a fellow what's upg"
Here his eyes fell on shorty. In
answer TO the earnest but mute ap-
peal the latter said:
You've had a fall, old fellow"
Well" grunted Timberline, help
me up then"
with some difficulty he rose TO his
ttet. bur of course broke through i'm.
mcdiately, Somebody gave him a
snowshoe, some one else another.
and soon he stood erect, but shalSy. |
among them
The group watched him anxiously.
Feel all right?' some one asked :.
him.
Pretty stiff and shaly, and I'm
not quite sure my heads in the right
place, But guess you fellows know