Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1905-02-03
"a EEB
THE WRONG MISS SHURTLEfF.
e.


TX to blame for it. Anybody might
SS have made the same mistake
Clifford was short and fat and new to
the big woods He had been in camp
a week and had spent most of the
time lying in hammock and reading
novel while the other men tramped
the trails and rowed eight or ten miles
through Eagle Creek to Virgin or Lake
Julia. Everybody said that Clifford
was too fat and lazy ever to make
wOOdsman.
But that was before Miss Shurtleff
and her mother came to the camp.
They had log cabin next to the big
cook shack, and it was announced that
Mr.. Shurtleff would come up to join
them later. The young woman was
tall and athletic looking, full Of life,
and eager to see and to do all there
was to be seen or done within twenty
miles of Big Lake.
Perhaps it was intentional-at any
rate Clifford got mixed up on the in
Productions. But that was nothing
against him. Anybody might easily
have made the same mistake.
Clifford fell desperately in love with
the younger Of the two women at first
sight. And his new love transformed
him. He became all at once the most
enthusiastic oarsman and wood-tramp-
er in the party. 1t made a hero of
him. What would have terrified him
before he now gladly undertook.
One evening when everybody in
camp was sitting under the birch trees
watching the sunset, curious animal
as large as a small dog ran stumbling
down in front of the shack and tried
to hide under a pile Of logs. Clifford
and Gifford's Irish terrier, both entire
ly new to the woods, were up and af-
ter it In a minute.
ooh, what in the world is it?' cried
Miss Shurtlem. do you suppose it is
dangerous?"
Clifford would show her he knew not
the meaning of fear. He ran directly
towards the beast, which, badly fright
ened as 1t was, made but poor progress
over the sand.
Chords dog was even before him.
1t attacked the animal with open
mouth. But it made but one bite and
then began to roll over and over, yelp-
ing with agony. "Look out" called
one Of the guides. "It's a porky hog.
Better not touch it."
But with Miss Shurtleff looking on
Clifford would have tackled a raging
lion. He raised a club he had picked
up from the ground in his right hand,
and with the other grasped the beast
by the back. But, like the dog, he did
not keep his hold. His hand felt as
If it were full of red hot needles, and
from his heroic lips came a groan of
pain.
But even that was worth while, for
bis sufferings called such expressions
Of tender sympathy from the red lips
Of his divinity that Clifford would glad
" have embraced another porcupine.
Tommy, the guide, pulled barbed Quils
put Of Clifford, who bore the pain like
4 Spartan, and then performed a SINH |
lar operation on the dog, which for the
of it's stay In the woods alb
lOlutely refused to go within reaching |
distance Of anything that had life.
Doubtless Clifford would have dis
covered his mistake earlier if the two |
women had not insisted in always re-
naming together. Doubtless also there
was a conspiracy to keep him in ig-
lorance Of his mistake, though no one
believes that either Miss or Mrs.
Shurtleff was party to it. And the
,act that the two women called each
'ther by their first names-Anne and
Iulia-prevented his making the dis
,overy in that way.
With his left hand done up in a
'andage to soothe the pain of the nor
'upine quilts, Clifford became more
han ever the slave of the young won-
n. She, on her part, was kind enough
0 him, though she seemed anxious
hat he should pay attention to the
,lder lady rather than to her. And
iifford obeyed her commands and
waited on the ancient person assidu-
usly. Once the old lady announced
hat she would like to drink some
lilk, fresh and warm from the milk
ng, and Clifford, at look from Miss
'hurtlen, volunteered to get up every
aorning at four o'clock, when Tommy
mixed. and get the milk for her. That