Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-11-19

ed, hastening to obey. Her voice was lowered apprehensively.
 He was wrapping some clothes over his shoes. Butcher Simon," he said curtly.
 Her face became white spot in the gloom.
 "Critter Il be tough, likes not" went on her father, ''but y c'n poun' tn meat"
 After a long wait she spoke. You can't reach him." she declared, half triumphantly.
 "Yas, An en-" he answered. "Ah c'n chop through with tn hatchet" He was between the fireplace and cor ner, feeling over the logs with his hands.
 She ran to him. "Oh, how can you think of it?" she demanded huskily. "Simon's so friendly and-came> to us for home. How can you kill him! Maybe you could eat him, but I couldn't. It d just choke mer'
 "Oh, ain't we sof'!" sneered her fa- ther He was fumbling about near the bunk, as if hunting something. "Mebbe y d like An should kill mule! Ha, ha! No mule meat fer me. Ah'll give thet bull a tunk tween tn eyes, an we'll hev steak" ":
 She stood in the 6irn fight, one arm crooked up to cover her face. Present 1y Marylyn moaned. Then Dallas low cred her arm and looked down at her sister. "One of the mules would be easier,' she said bitterly. But, remem- bering the brown eyes of the team and the long, gray whiskered noses, she covered her face again. "Ah don keer wat y say" declared her father 'WeIl hev steak" He se- lected a log and began to hack at it. : Shuddering. she sank to her knees, one hand reached out to touch Mary lyn. Maybe Charley Il come, honey" she whispered hopefully. Maybe, maybew
 And now it seemed as if she heard something outside She crept to the door. Around the latch was a little space. She put her ear to it, and the icy air blew against her cheek. There it was again! The shriek of the gale.
 She went back to the bed.
 Hack, hack, hack! Then muttered curses. And again the sound of chop ping
 When she could bear it no longer she got up and stumbled over to her fla ther. Dad" she said, If break up the mantel and fix something will you stop?'
 1 He sat back on his feet, pufing cross ly. Light fire" he said. use these chips. Ah'll res" He threw down the hatchet and crawled under the blan- kets He was glad of the interruption, for the duty ahead was assuming an ugly guise.
 Dallas had filled the coffee pail with snow. Now she gathered up the chips, lit them and pried up the wide board of the mantel. This she split with the hatchet.
 What are you going to maker? asked Marylyn from the bed.
 Pepper tea, honey. It'll warm you up."
 "Oh, I'm 50 glad. Ma made some once."
 Pepper tea it was. When the snow had melted and the water was boiling hot Dallas added pepper and salt. Then she spread a cloth and turned the wheat and corn sacks out upon 1t. She got a handful of four. With this she thickened the water. Three cups were sitting upon the floor. She took the coffee pail over, poured into two and handed them to her father and Marylyn.
 Don't spill drop" she cautioned.
 You got some?" queried Marylyn, sitting up.
 Dallas went back to the other cup. "Well, what do you think I'm doingT she asked and lifted it to her lips.
 Soon the three were lying shoulder to shoulder again, the section boss drawing little added comfort from his pipe. Before long he was asleep; Marylyn too. Then Dallas got up cautiously and brewed a cup of pep pered water for herself. The hot draft relieved the bangs of her hunger. She lay down again.
 Hours later she was awakened by hearing faint squeals directly over head. Hastily she lit the lantern and took down the Sharps, then stepped directly under the sounds and poked the rifles muzzle into the hay of the roof. Above, storm driven and crowd ing one another against the stones of the chimney, were some pigs!
 In her eagerness she trembled so violently that she became unsteady on her feet. It lost her the opportunity of firing, for as she waited, trying to get blild aim, the squeals suddenly died out. The pigs had gone over toward the edge of the lean-to.
 When next she awoke-awoke from dream of well spread tables-she could not guess how much time had passed or whether 1t was day or night The shack was pitch dark. Of one thing she could be sure-the storm had not atated, so there was no hops of aid.
 She knew something must be done. Simon and the team wrung her heart with their pleas. Beside her MarylyD was turning with fretful complaints. The younger girl rolled her head from side to side constantly and moistened her lips. Dallas chopped up the rife rack and made a fire of it, then piled Marylyn with more of the pepper tea The section boss refused to partake