The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1905-09-14
CHAPTER ".
THE COPPER


sapposing he had just been face TO face
with one whose presence he feared.
Not much changed after all these
years" he murmured. as he looked 20
right and left over the smiling land
scape. Thank heaven. ~ was In the
country and not IN the city. for. In the
latter case. all traces might have been
lost"
Evidently the beauties OF nnt>te did
o appeal To him particularly on that
occasion. though the glorics OF sum-
mer rested on the land.
He seemed to be In quest OF some
t;irg. and anxious lest he should not
iG3 IL.
When at last a wood came In sight
HIS STEPS quickencd and his furrowed
brow ne more deeply lined with
anxiety. From right to left he glanced
with his sharp eyes. examining the
trees on each side searchingly and
carefully.
The forest Is standing yet. much as
! left H." he muttered "a himself. 1T
has stood stu. looking o "A bit older.
while l have been aging. Well, things
promise well. for ~ might have been
laid waste by n forest lire. or cut down
and n town built on the site. Matters
are not so "A as might be. You VIII
come u ahead think. job. from the
appearance OF things"
lie began To walk more slowly now.
and occasionally paused To consider.
rubbing his nose thoughtfully the while.
as he examined the trees Gnd bushes
with the keen eye OF a naturalist. IL
was In one OF these stops that. looking
up. he "a something that drew "A
startled exclamation from his lips. IL
was "a bit OF red fanncl iiuttering from
the limb OF a maple.
The sight OF such an unimportant OBJ
ject seemed to worry him greatly. then
he drew near the bushes that lined the
edge of the road like a green wall. and.
pushing them aside. plunged into the
underground.
Il would just as leave not have such
people nosing about" he muttered. but
they know me better than To interfere
with my work" He forced his way
through the thlckcst OF the u~nderbrush
and entered "A little glade In the midst
OF which rose the stump OF what must
have been "A great tree.
The man smiled at the sight. and
waving his hand toward IL. said: Bless
ye, old fellow. for standing sentinel 40
long. Your usefulness did not cease
when you were struck by lightning
lie passed the tree and went on his
way down one OF the aislcs OF the forest
which at ore time must have been a
wagon road. but was now overrun with
grasses. Now and then he paused TO
rcconnoiter and to look around.
From time to time he smiled and
nodded his head. as " satisfied that he
was pursuing the right path.
Suddenly. in the midst OF his walk.
without warming. n sharp shot rang out
and his hat fell 60 the ground. He
stopped calmly. picked IL up and exam
ined IL carefully. Not n bad shot" ex-
aiming the holes. which had evidently
been produced by buckshot. "A little
nearer and should have had consider
able OF a headache" and. replacing the
hat on his head. without even stopping
to look for his assailant. he continued
on his way. turning neither To right
nor left.
THAT must have been the work OF n
grecnhorn." he said To himself. He
must be demonstrated with before i go
any further. / might stand a chance OF
being potted against wnen his aim was
trucr."
Nothing further happened: the In
visible marksman did not attempt TO
repeat his experiment. The little man
had now come 20 an opening In the
woods. Beyond. 20 his right. his sharp
eyes detected a slender thread Of smoke
drifting laziiy up through the warm air.
ard IL was In this direction that he now
bent his steps.
Entering a little glade he Ia beyond
him what seemed to be the foundations
90 n house rooted over with old tar
paulins and bark. IL was out OF a hole
In this roof that the smoke was drifting.
and which had attracted his attention.
There seemed to be no opening To this
building. but nea the front wall. set
In the ground. was a square slab of
wood like the covering to n well.
without a moments hesitation ne
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 n ce;larlike feebly lt and
filed with sitting smoke and green
boughs with which h fire had been
fed.
Alloy. there. Anybody at homer
for. In hat 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. ard finally resolved itself into
the form Of a little woman bent with
age. who came hobbling forward with
surprising agaility.
"rou know me. mother" bending his
, head down near to hers for "A moment,
while she examined his features keenly
and then passed u withered hand over
his face.
Yes. WIN. I know you. what do you
he-e?"
1T matters not" roughly. And lei
me tell you. I am not to be potted like
u bird by you people. Just now. as
wac coming through the woods. some
ore fired on me"
1t will not happen again." she said
timIdly. 1T was the youngSter. he IA
new and hrs much To learn
1T will be well * you tell him there
are Lessons I n teach him that art
net learned In schools" said he. harsh.
~ lessons that, onc learned. are Eev.
! er forgotten. You understand. mother,
Let the lad know tina. once l forgive
for his youth. but again"
"Yol Il y nothing To fear" sh,
s;anmered.
lie nrokc out again into n loud laugh
tha; reused TRANCE echoes In the
| place.
"Fclr-.felr did you cay? 4 pleasant
word. ard solt on the tongue. but what
does II mcan?" and he laughed again.
Seeing a pick standing agninst III,
wall be took II. Il have need OF this
mother" she nodded.
"yNiil you be here iong?"
That may be as business calls for
I simply stopped here now that yoI
might give hat rian a warming" HI
stepping back a few pnccs. laid hi
1 hrrG on her arm while he looked dowi
g. her fGcc siarchingly.
There was a trouble IN the big hous'
yoEGer. waving his hand In the direc
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