Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-11-05

Bill regarded HIS hair critically.
what color do you put on to your
old brush?' he asked cautiously.
faint no difference. faint red,
anyhow"
Red! Well, not quite exactly" and
Bill went off into low, long, choking
chuckle, calculating now and then:
Red, Jce-mi.ny Ann! Redv'
mo. H." he went on. recovering him
self with the snme abruptness as he
used with his bronco. and looking at
his friend with n face even more than
usually solemn, your hayer mint red,
Iii; don't let any Of your relatives
persuade you to that. "rain't red"
and he threatened to 40 off again. but
pulled himself up with dangerous sud
denness. at may be blue, cerulyum
blue or even purple. but red He
paused violently, looking ut bis friend
as II he found him a new and interest
ing object Of study upon which he
could not trust himself to speak. Nor
could no be induced to proceed with
the description he had begun.
But Hi. paying no attention TO Bits
grafton, took up the subject with en-
thusiasm.
"She kin ride-shes n regular buster
to ride; amt she, Bile? Bill nodded
"She kin bunch cattle nm cut out an
yank steer up to any cowboy on the
range"
why, how big is sho?'
big? Why. she's just kid. 'Tain't
the bigness of her; it's the nerve. She's
got the coolest kind of nerve you ever
seen; hain't she, BiuT' And again Bin
nodded.
"Member the day she dropped that
steer, Bll?' went on HI
"What was that?" asked eager for
yarn.
ooh. nuthin." said Pill.
"Nuthn'." retorted Iii. "Pretty big
nuthin'"'
What was IT." | urged.
ooh, Bill here did some funny work
at old Mcrediths round up. but he
don't speak Of it, Hes shy, you see
and Hi grinncd.
"Well. there amt no occasion for
your proceedin' on to that tact" said
Bill disgustedly, and Hi Loyalty re-
Trained. so | have never yet got the
rights Of the story. But from what ]
did hear / gathered that Eli. at the
risk Of his life, had pulled the Duke
from under the hoofS If mad steer
and that little Gwen had in the cool
ost possible manner sailed in on her
bronco" and. by putting two bullets in
to the steers head. bad saved them
both from great danger. perhaps from
death. for the rest Of the cattle wore
crOwding near. or course Bill could
never be persuaded to speak Of the in
cident. a true western man will never
hesitate to tell you what he can d.
but of what he has done he does not
readily speak.
The only other item that Hi con-
tributcd 10 the sketch of Gwen was
that her temper could blaze if the occa-
sion demanded
Member young Hill, Bill?"
Bill 'membered."
'D'dn't she cut into him sudden?
Starved him right too
what did she dor
cut him across the face with her
puirt in good style"
What for;'
"Knockin' about her INDIAN Joe"
Joe was. as came TO learn. Ponka's
son and Owens most devoted slave.
"Oh. she amt no refrigerator"
YES assented Bill. she's a beetle
,wift."
Then. as If fearing he had been apol-
,gizng for hor lie added. with the air
" one settling the question: But
Dies good stock She suits me"
Tho Duke helped me TO another side
Of her character
she is a remarkable child" he said
one day; wild and shy MS a coyote.
but fearless, quite. aud with 4 heart
full of passions Mcredith-the Old
Timer, you know has kept her up
there among the hills. She secs no one
but himself and Ponka's Blackfoot re
lations, who treat her like a goddess
and help to spoil her utterly She
N'ON0 il'II illlbb anu tltii 6'cN
off with them for a week az time
wv hat, With the Buckfeet?'
"Ponka and Joe, Of course. go along.
but even without them sine is AS safe
as if surrounded by the Coldstrean
guards. But sne has given them up
for some time now"
And at hone!' | asked. HAS she
any education? Can she read OF
write"
mot she. She can make her own
dresses, uOccasins and leEgings She
can cook ana wash-that is, when she
feels in the mood And she knows all
about the birds and beasts and flowers
and that sort of thing, but education .
Why, she is hardly civilized"
What a shame" | said How old
is hne?'
"Oh a mere hild-fourteen or IF
teen, | imagine, but woman in many
things"
And what does her father say to
all this? can he control herr
"Control" said the Duke In utter
establishment why, bless your soul,
nothing in heaven or earth could con
troll her. Walt till you see her stand
with her proud little head thrown
back, giving orders to Joe. and yon
Will never again connect the idea Of
control with Gwen. She might be "A
princess for the pride of her. I've
seen some, too, in my day, but none
l.