Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1903-10-21
CHAPTER VII.

y
TOP inquired Joe Becraft as Rossiter
took his seat at the dinner-table when
the meal was more than half through
81 went for walk" replied Ros-
sitter Il didn't see you anywhere
about, and didn't know anyhow that
YOU would care to GO after our long
tramp of last evening"
II wish you'd waited an come along
with Jim an me-" said Becraft, Gin
stead of pol1in' off by yourself"
where did you go?"
''Over to Blue creek
Blue creek! where's that?"
''You follow the road that passes
the house for half mile or so, an
it brings you out over big gulch
through which the creek flows. It's
a fine stream. Trout in it, too, they
say"
III go over with you next Sun
day, if you like" said Rossiter, recog-
nizing from the description the place
where he had met Hart Dawson on
Thursday night.
Joe had seemed rather hurt by Ros-
STEERS desertion, but was appeased
by his promise for the coming Sun
day, and when they arose from the
dinner-table they went together into
the upper orchard for smoke. They
found a comfortable spot in the long
grass, and stretched at full length,
their pipes drawing just to suit them,
the leaves rustled softly above them,
catbird in an adjacent thorn-bush
scolding and singing alternately, they
enjoyed in brimming measure the
lassitude of simply existing. By and
by Becraft sought his cot for nap,
and Rossiter was left alone. Pres
emily he caught sight of Jack Par
melee near the hop-l1iln, and, hailing
him, asked for the loan of something
to read. Parmelee procured him
paper and cheap magazine, and
with these in hand he strolled to the
bottom of the large orchard. Not
seeing any nook there that took his
| fancy, and being attracted by the
woodland beyond the meadow, he
loitered towards it along clearly
defined path that ran parallel to the
| fence for some distance and then
swerved obliquely to meet an opening
| in the forest. As he neared the wood
| he discovered that the ground fell
away quite abruptly, and at the base
| of the declivity near the gap in the
| trees (this proved to be the entrance.
to an old logging-roadD was the most
crystal of springs shaded by a gil
| gantic willow. Beneath this had been
| placed rustic seat.
"Jove!" he exclaimed. give hit
| upon it this time:"
There was glass upon fat stone
at the brink of the spring, and Ros-
| sitter refreshed himself with deep
| draught from the cool well-head.
| Then he took possession of the seat.
tried several positions. and finally
leaned back with sigh of satisfac-
| ton. 1t had been days since he had
read line of print, and of reading
he had been always passionately
fond (indeed, in his rovings he missed
books more than any other luxury.
| yet he was now in no hurry to open
MAGAZINE or paper. The spot appealed
to him as so idyllic he preferred to
enjoy its sylvan beauty. Just before
him there was a short vista where
the logging-road penetrated the for
| est. Soon this woodman's highway
curved, however, so that he had no
| glimpse of the heart of the wood.
| The overflow from the spring, with
| its small, timbrel-like voice, followed
the bend of the road, and on it's edge.
few yards distant among the trees.
a late cardinal-fower displayed it's
scarlet robe. A woodpecker struck
up loud tattoo, a squirrel suddenly
grew garrulous and then lapsed into
silence, and far away from remote
swampy recesses came faint wall
ing as though plover cried.
Having brooded to his satisfaction
on his wild environment, Rossiter
| turned first to paper and then to
magazine. He was glancing with idle
curiosity at the faces of some of the
people of the day prominent in public
view when he fancied he caught the
sound of voices. Half rising, he lis
| tened with intentness. Yes, that was
Miss Merton's merry chatter and Miss
Densmore's answering laugh. He
could not see them, for the ridge be-
hind him hid them from view. They
were doubtless coming to the very
place where he had been reclining,
and would be disappointed if they dis
| covered the seat had an occupant. He
could not retreat along the logging
| road without being noticed, and he
| did not wish that they should observe
him. just at his left, however, was a
/ haZol-coIlSe that offered oor,no n l,,oe,,4