West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1907-10-17
CHATTER III.
CHAPTER III.
"V YELL. bcin' rs mo an Glen.
N lister is gougln' into the
wv bowels OF Anvil creek all
Inst summcr wc don't w..

last summer, we don't rc-
ally get tho fresh grub habit fastened
on us none. You see, the gamblers
downtown cop out the few eigs an
green vegetables that stray or the
ships, SO they never get out rs far as
tho creek none. except maybe I'm the
shape OF anecdotes.
"Wo don't get intimate with no nu-
triments except hog boosum an brown
beans. OF which luxuries we have un-
stinted measure. an, bein' as this is
our third year In the country. we han
kcr for bony fdo-grub somethin scan
'lous. Yes, ma'am, three years with
out taste OF fresh fruit nor meat nor
nuthin' except pork an beans. Why.
Two ct bacon tiil my immortal soul has
growcd n rlnd.
"When Il comes time 10 close down
tho claim. the boy is sick with tho fe-
vcr an the only ship In port is Point
Barrow whaleI bound for Seattle.
After book our passage l find they
have nothin' aboard to eat except can
nod salmon. Il bcin' the end OF two
years cruise. so when L land I'm tho
States after seventeen days OF fish
diet 1 am what you might call sated
with canned grub and have added
salmon to tho list OF things concernin'
which am goin' 20 economlzc.
"Soon's ever l get the boy into
hospital 1 gallop up 10 the best restn-
rawnt I'm town nn' prepare for the
huge potlatch. This here, determine,
is 10 be n gormandlzin' jag which shall
live I'm hist'ry an whnrof In later years
the natives OF Puget sound shall speak
with batod breath.
"First call for SO worth of pork an
beans an then n full grown platter of
canned salmon. when the waiter lays
'em out I'm front OF me. look them
vittles coldly In their disgustin' vlsages
an say In sarcastic accents:
set there, d you, an watch me
eat real grub which proceed 10 do,
clcanin' the menu from soda to hook.
When I have done my worst. 1 pile
bones an olive seeds an peelin's oil
over them articles OF nourlshmcnt,
stick toothpicks into 'em. an, havin'
offered 'em what other indignities oc-
cur 20 me, leave tho place"
Doxtry and the girl were leaning
over the stern rail, chatting idly I'm the
darkness II was tho second night out,
and the ship lay dead I'm the ice pack.
All about there was fiat, foe clogged
sea, leprous and notified I'm the deep
twilight that midnight brought I'm this
latitude. They had threaded into tho
leo field as long as the light lasted,
following the lanes of blue water till
they closed, then drifting idly till 9TH
ers appeared; worming out into Leagues
OF open sea, again creeping into tho
shifting labyrinth till darkness rem
dered progress perilous.
Occasionally they had passed herds
OF walrus buddled socinbly upon fee
pans, their wet hides gllstening I'm tho
sunlight. The air had been clear and
pleasant. while away on all quarters
they had seen the smoke OF other ships
toiliDg through the barrier. The spring
feet was knocking at the door OF tho
golden north.
Chsfing at her imprisonment, the girl
had asked the old man to take her out
on deck under the shelter OF darkness;
then she had led him TO speak OF his
own past experiences and OF Glenis-
ter's, which he had done freely. She
was frankly curious about them, and
she wondered at their apparent lack OF
interest In her own identity and her
secret mission. She even construed
their silence as indifference. not rcnllz-
ing that these northmen were Offering
her the truest evidence OF camaraderle.
The frontier is capable OF no finer
compliment than this utter disregard
Of - fol- .Is.N. A.
highest faith In ones fellow man, the
belief that he should be measured by
his present deeds, not by his past. 1t
says, translated: "This Is Gods free
country. where man is n man, moth
Ing more. Our land is new and pure,
our faces are TO the front. II you have
been square, so much the better: If
not, leave behind the taints OF artificial
things and start again on the level.
That's all"
IL had happened, therefore, that,
since the men had asked her no ques-
tions, she had allowed the hours to
pass and still bcsitated to explain fur
ther than she had explained to Captain
Stephens IL was much easier 20 let
things continue as they were. and
there was, after all, 80 little that sho
was at liberty TO tell them.
In the short time since meeting them
the girl had grown 30 like Dextry. with
his blunt chiyalry and bOyish. whimsl-
cal philosophy. but she avoided Glen
lister, feeling a shrinking. hidden ter
ror OF him, ever since her eayesdrop-
ping OF the previous night. AT tile
memory OF that scene she grew hot.
then cOld-hot with anger. icy at the
sinister power and surcness which
had yibrated in his voice, What Kind
OF life was she entering where men
spoke Of strange women with this as
surance and limited thus of ownership
That he was handsome and uncon-
scious Of II she acknowledged, and
had she met him I'm her accustomed
circle Of friends, garbcd I'm the con
ventionalitles. she would perhaps have
thought Of him az striking man, Wig
OrOus and intelligent, but here he seem
cd naturally TO take on the attributes
OF his surroundings, acquiring a pic
turcsque negligce Of dress and morals
and suggesting rugged, elemental,
chilling pOteutialities. While with
him-and he had sought her repeat
edly that day-she was uDcaslIy aware
OF his strong personality tugging at
her; aware OF the unbridled passion
ate food Of nature unbrooking OF
delay and Needless OF denial This II
was that antagonized her and set her
every mental sinew i'm rigid resistance.
During DeXtry's garruious ramblings
Glcnister emerged from the darkness
and silently took his place beside her
against the rail
What portent do you see that makes
you stare into the night so onxiouslyT'
he inquired