Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1902-04-28
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: By RALPH Common -
81
By RALPH COMMON
CHAPTER I.
CHRISTMAS EVE IN A LUMBER C.

##HA a penSat1on OF Providence and
S'S1MS6I a good deal to Leslie Graeme
S.szSzJ that / found myself in the
heart of the Selkirks for my Christmas
eTe as the year 1882 was dying. 1t had
neen my plan to spend my Christmas
ar away in Toronto with such bo-
''nemian and boon companions as could
dc found in that cosmopolitan and
indy city. But Leslie Graeme chang
~ all that, for, discovering me in the
illage Of Black Rock, with my traps
packed, waiting for the stage to
tart for the Landing, thirty miles
Iway, he bore down upon me with re-
istless force, and l found myself re-
covering from my surprise only after
Fe had gone in his lumber sleigh some
TX miles on our way to his camp up in
he mountains. was surprised and
much delighted, though l would not
How him to think so, to find that his
pld time power over me was still there.
lie could always in the old varsity
lhys-dear. wild days-make me do
Nhat he liked. He was so handsome
1hd so reckless, brilliant in his class
FORK and the prince of halfbacks on
be Rugby field and with such power
fascination as would extract the
eart out of a wheelbarrow," as Barney
.nndy used to say. And thus it was that
found myself just three weeks later
was to have spent two or three days
8n the afternoon of the Oath of Deem
&er, standing in Graeme's Lumber
Imp No. 2, wondering at myself. But
did not regret my changed plans, for
those three weeks l had raided a
nnamon bears den and had Weakened
b grizzly. But shall let the grizzly
hish the tale. He probably sees more
Anmor in 1t than l.
The camp stood in a little clearing
nd consisted Of group of three long,
NV shanties, with smaller shacks near
hem, all built of heavy, unhewn logs,
tn door and window in each. The
cub camp, with cook shed attached,
bod in the middle of the clearing; at
little distance was the sleeping camp
18th the Office built against it, and
bout hundred yards away on the
her side of the clearing stood the
v. l.
lOuntalns rose grandly on every side,
rowing up their great peaks into
be sky. The clearing in which the
amp stood was hewn out of q dense
Inc forest that filed the valley and
imbed half way up the mountain
les and then frayed out in scattered
nd stunted trees.
1t was one of those wonderful Cana
iAn winter days, bright and with a
bnch of sharpness in the air that did
Ot chill, but warmed the blood like
rnftS of wine. The men were up in
be woods, and the shrill scream of the
nejay flashing across the open, the
npudent chatter of the red squirrel
pm the top of the grub camp and the
BRIT chirp of the whisky jack hopping
bout on the rubbish heap, with the
ng, lone cry of the wolf far down the
alley, only made the silence felt the
hore.
AS l stood drinking in with all my
Nj the glorious beauty and silence of
ountain and forest. with the Christ
hs feeling stealing into me, Graeme
me out from his office and, catching
ght of me, called out, GLORIOUS
bristmas weather, old chapp and
ZEN, coming nearer, "Must you go to-
brrow?"
III fear So" I replied, knowing wei
bat the Christmas feeling was on hin
70.
pr wish I were going with you" ht
id quietly.
turned eagerly to persuade him, bu
the look of suffering in his face the
prds died on nay lips, for we boil
ere thinking of he awful night Of
prror when all his bright, brilian
Re crashed down about him in blacl
in and shame. could only throw m!
IN over his shoulder and stand silen
Pside him. A sudden jingle of bells
used him and, giving himself littl,
bake, he exclaimed:
There are the boys coming home"
Soon the camp was filed with mer
liking, laughing, chatting, like ligh
earted boys.
"They are q little wild tonight" sale
racine, "and tomorrow they'll pain
lack Rock red"
Before many minutes had gone tn,
st teamster was washed up" and al
ere standing about waiting impa
entity for the cooks signal-the sup
pr tonight was to be something of
ed'-when the sound of bells drew
cir attention to light sleigh draw
q buckskin broncho coming dow
e hillside at a great pace.
1.-THE preacher, I'll bet, by his driV
e." said one Of the men.
"Bedad, and it's him has the foin
bse for turkey" said Blaney, goo
ltured, jovial Irishman.
Eyes, or for pay day, more like,
id Keefe, a black browed, villainou
low countryman of Blaney's ant
range to say, his great friend.
Big Sandy McNaughton, Canada
ghlander from Glengarry, rose up
rath. "Bill Keefe," said he, with d.