Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1905-01-05
CHAPTER XII.
GwEN's CHALLENGE.

GWEN CHALLENGE.
- 0WEN was undoubtedly wild
" and, as the Sky Pilot said,
- willful and wicked, Even
@ Bronco Bill and Hi Kendall
would say so. without, Of course, abat-
ing one jot Of their admiration for her.
For fourteen years she had lived
chiefly with wild things. The cattle
on the range. Wild rs deer, the coyotes.
the jack rabbits and the timber wolves
were her mates and her instructors.
From these she learned her Wild ways.
The rolling prairie of the foothill coun-
try was her home. She loved 1t and
all things that moved upon it with
passionate love. the only kind she was
capable Of. And all summer long she
spent her days riding up and dowD
the range alone or with her father or
with Joe or. best Of all, with the Duke,
her hero and her friend. SO she grew
up strong. wholesome and self reliant,
tearing nothing alive and as untamed
as Il yearung range colt.
She was not beautiful. The winds
and sun had left her no complexion to
speak Of, but the glory Of her red hair,
gold red, with purple sheen. nothing
could tarnish. Her eyes, too, deep
blue with rims Of gray, that flashed
with the CLINT Of steel or shone with
melting light as Of the stars. accord
ing to her mood-those Irish, warm,
deep eyes Of hers We're worth q mans
looking at.
OF course, all spoiled her. ponka and
her son Joe groveled In abjectest adora-
ton. while her father and all who
came within touch Of her simply did
her will. Even the Duke, who loved
her better than anything else, yielded
lazy, admiring homage to his Little
Princess, and certainly, when she stood
straight up, with her proud little gold
crowned head thrown back, flashing
forth wrath or Issuing imperious COM
mands, she looked a princess. all of
BIER.
1t was a great day and a good day
for her when she 1shed the Sky Pilot
put of the Swan and brought him home,
and the night Of Ovens first
prayers" when she heard for the first
lime the story of the Man Of Nazareth,
was the best of all her nights up to
that time. All through the winter,
snder the Pilots guidance, she, with
her father, the Old Timer, listening
near. went V and oyer that story so
old now to many but ever becoming
new. till q whole new world Of mysteri-
GUS powers and presences lay open to
her Imagination and became the home
Of great realities. She was rich In
Imagination and, when the Pilot read
old "Pilgrim's Progress" she moved
and lived beside the hero of that tale,
backing him up in his fights and con
sumed with anxiety over his many i'm
pending perils, till she had him safely
across the river and delivered into the
charge Of the shining ones.
The Pilot himself, too, was a new
the first thing she had yet encountered
that refused submission and the first
human being that had failed to fall
down and worship. There was some
thing in him that would not always
yield, and, indeed, her pride and her
lmperious tempers he met with surprise
and sometimes with a pity that verged
toward contempt. With this she was
not we'll pleased and not i~nfrequently
she broke forth upon him. One Of
these %outbursts is stamped Upon my
mind. not only because Of its unusual
violence, but chiefly because of the
events which followed. The original
cause of her rage was some tdfing
misdeed of the unfortunate Joe; but
when l came upon the scene it was
the Pilot who was occupying her at
t%ention. The expression of surprise
and pity on his face appeared to stir
her up.
How dare you look at me like
that" she cried.
How very extraordinary that you
can't keep hold Of yourself better!!" he
answered.
II CAM" she stamped. And / shall
do as I like!'
ut is a great pity" he said, with
provoking calm, land, besides, it is
weak and silly" His words were IN
fortunate.
Weak she gasped, when her
breath came back to her. "Weakl"
yes" he said; Every weak and child
ish."
Then she could have cheerfully put
him to a slow and cruel death. When
she had recovered a little she cried
vehemently:
I'm not, weak! I'm strong! I'm
stronger than you are! I'm strong as
asa man,
do not suppose she meant the In
situation. AT any rate the Pilot ig-
nored 1t and went on.
YOU'RE not strong enough to keep
your temper down." And then, as she
had no reply ready, he went on: "And
really, Gwen, 1t is not right. You must
not go on in this way"
Again his words were unfortunate.
Must not" she cried. adding an inch
to her height. who says so?'
"God!' was the simple, short answer.