The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-05-08
CHAPTER w.
THE COPPER

t5E#.H II 1919 SO1 L a
Job Hendricks passed on his way
much mysti1ed with what he had seen,
but as he found himself alone on the
country road his spirits revived and he
though. that he must be mistaken in
sSupposing he had just been face to face
with one whose presence he feared
NOT much changed after all these
years he murmured. as he locke to
fright and left over the smiling land
|scape. Thank heaven! 1t was in the
country and not In the city, for, In the
latter case, all traces might have been
lost"
Evidently the beauties of nat>re did
not appeal to him particularly on that
occasion, though the glories Of sum-
tmer rested on the land.
He seemed to be in quest of some
thing, and anxious lest he should not
find it.
When at last a wood came in sight
his steps quickened and his furrowed
brow became more deeply lined with
lanxiety. From right to left he glanced
with his sharp eyes, examining the
trees on each i ~searchingly and
carefully.
The forest is standing yet, much as
p left it," he muttered to himself. 1T
has stood still, looking not a bit older,
while l v been aging. Well, things
promise well, for it might have been
laid waste by a forest fire, or cut down
and a town built on the site. Matters
are not SO bad as might be. You will
come out ahead | think, Job, from the
appearance Of things"
He began to walk more slowly now,
land occasionally paused to consider,
rubbing his nose th%oughtfully the while,
las he examined the trees and bushes
with the keen eye Of a naturalist. 1t
was in one of these stops that, looking
Fup, he saw something that drew a
startled exclamation from his lips. It
was a bit Of red flannel luttering from
the limb of a maple.
The sight of such an unimportant OBJ
1ect seemed to worry him greatly, then
lhe drew near the bushes that ined the
ledge of the road like a green wall, and,
pushing them aside, plunged into the
underground.
II would just as leave not have sue
people nosing about" he muttered. But
they know me better than to interfere
with my work" He forced his way
through the thickest of the underbrush
and entered a little glade in the midst
OF which rose the stump of what must
have been c. great tree.
The man smiled at the sight, and
ye, old fellow, for standing sentinel SO
long. Your usefulness did not cease
when you were struck by lightning"
He passed the tree and went on his
way dow n Of the aisles Of the forest
which at one time must have been a
wagon road, but was now overrun with
grasses. Now and then he paused to
lreconnoiter n to look around.
From time to time he smiled and
nodded his head, as If satisfied that he
was pursuing the right path.
Suddenly, in the midst OF his walk,
without warning, a sharp shot rang out
and his hat fell to the ground. He
irfN ~1e,J, rsoI,Nl - ,-~ r,I
ined it carefully. Not a bad shot" eX-
laminlng the holes, which had evidently
been produced by buckshot. "a little
nearer and l should W. had consider
able of a headache" and, replacing the
hat on his head, without ever stopping
to look for his assailant. he continued
on his way, turning neither to right
nor left.
THAT must have been the work of a
greenhorn," he said to himself. He
must be demonstrated with before l go
any further. I might stand a chance Of
being potted against when his aim was
trucr."
Nothing further happened; the in
visible marksman did not attempt to
repeat his experiment. The little mar
had now come to an opening in the
woods. Beyond, to his right, his sharp
yes detected a slende thread of smoke
drifting lazily up through the warm air.
~ dlId ! I d II ILLS u1lSCllOIt lldl lac "
bent his steps.
Entering a little glade he saw beyond
him what seemed to be the dat
Of a house rooted over with old tar
paulins and bark. 1t was out Of a hole
in this roof that the smoke was drifting,
and which a attracted his attention.
There seemed to be no opening to this
building, but near the front wall, set
in the ground, was a squar slab of
wood like the covering to a we'll.
Without a moments hesitation he
lifted this. disclosing a burrowlike hole
that evidently communicated with the
interior Of the place. Carefully he
climbed down into the hole, and, pass
Ing through a dark passage, found him
self in q cellarlike room feebly lit and
filled with sitting smoke n green
boughs with which the fire had been
fed.
"Ahoy, there! Anybody at home?"
for, in that light, there was no human
being visible.
Then what he had taken to be a
bundle Of fagots lying by the fire,
seemed to become suddenly endowed
with life. n finally resolved itself into
the form Of a little woman bent with
age, who came hobbling Onward with
surprising agaility.
you know me-, mother" bending his
head down near to hers for a moment,
while she examined his features keenly
and then passed a withered hand over
his face.
yes, Will, I know you. What do you
here?"
1T matters not" roughly. "And let
me tell you, I am not to be ported like
a bird by your people. Just now, as
was coming through the woods. some
one fired on me-"
1t will not happen again." she said,
tinidly. "1tswas the youngster; he is
new and has much to learn"
1T will be we'll if you tell him there
are. lessons I can teach him that are
not learned in schools" said he, harsh
ly; lessons that, once learned, are new.
er forgotten. You understand, mother
Let the lad know that once 1 forgive
for his youth, but again.
You have nothing to fear" she
Stanmered.
He broke out again into a loud laugh
That reused strange echoes in the
place.
"Fear--fear. did you say? A pleasant