Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-02-10
CHAPTER II.

railway. ....F.
 CHAPTER II.
 BILLY BRUE FINDS HIS MAN,
 Each spring old Peter Zines grew restive and raw like an unbroken colt And when the distant mountain peaks began to swim in the summer haze, and the little rushing rivers sang to him, pleading that he come once more to follow them up, he became uncon- trollable. Every year at this time he alleged. with a show of irritation, that his health was being sapped by the pernicious indulgence of sleeping on . bed inside a house. He alleged, fur ther. that stocks and bonds were but shadows of wealth, that the old mines might any day become exhausted, and that security for the future lay only in having one member of the family, at least. looking up new pay rock against the ever possible time of diversity.
 And SO he loitered through the moun- tains. resting here. climbing there, making always a shrewd, close reading of the rocks.
 It was thus Billy Brue found him at the end of his second days search. A little on the trail. at the entrance to a pocket of the canyon. he lowered erect to peer down when he heard the noise of the messengers ascent.
 Billy Brue. riding up the trail. halted, nodded, and was silent. The old man returned his salutation as briefly. These things by men who stay much alone come to be managed with verbal economy. They would talk presently, but greetings were awkward.
 Billy Brue took one foot from its stirrup and turned in his saddle, pull ing the leg up to a restful position. Then he spat. musingly. and looked back down the canyon aimlessly, throwing his eyes from side to side where the gray granite lodges showed through the tall spruce and pine trees.
 But the old man knew he had been sent for.
 Well. Billy Brue. what's doin'." Billy Brue sauirmed in the saddle. spat again. as with sudden resolve, and said:
 "why-uh-Dan1 J.-he's dead"
 The old man repeated the words. dazedly.
 "Dan1 J.-he's dead;-why, who else is dead. too?"
 Billy Brueis emphasis. cunningly con- trived by him 10 avoid giving prom thence to the word dead" had sug- gested this inquiry in the first mo- ment of stupefaction.
 Nobody else dead-jest Danl J. hes dead"
 Jest Dan1 J.-my boy-my boy Danl desd,"
 His mighty shape was stricken witn a curious rigidity. erected there as il it were a part of the mountain. flung up Of old from the earth's inner trag edy. confouDded. desOlate. ancient.
 Billy Brue turned from the stony interrogation Of his eyes and took q few steps away. waiting. A little Vint sprang up among the higher trees. th, moments passed. and still the grea figure stood transfxed in it's curioui silence. The feathers cTsaked as th, horse turned. The messenger. with ar air of surveying the canyon. stole ar anxious glance st the old face Tn, sorrorfuI old eyes ~ere fixed on thing that were not: they looked vaguely a if ia ssarch.
 "Dan1," he said.
 IL uss not a cry: there vas nothini plsintive fin 1t. It pss only the old man calling his son. David rslliSI upon Absslom- Then there Sas [ change. He came stsrnly forward Who killed my boyZ
 Nobody. Uncle Peter. twas a s;rozs He Nss goin' over the line. and they lssd out st Kasio fer a day sos Dan' J. could see about a spur the 'Luckl Cuss- people psnfed-and maybe vas the eIinbin' brought | on
 The old man looked his years Al he cane nearer Billy Brus ssS tear irsnsss ia his eyes and roll unnots' 6osn his ehssks Tst his yoioe "a 1nbroksu and hs vz<. indeed H1cO1 scio1s of ths tszrz-
 vzs afraid Of that He lived to' high He ss too zzch ssd he drznl too n1ch snd Eas too soft-szs Dan -tco soft--
 The old voice trsuble1 a bit s1. ! hs stopped to look szi5e into the httl poxkst hs hss bes. exYiorizg Bih'