Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-07-16

| lNey were tOucleu 10 tne nedEt Dy
the whole thing, and they looked al
Jimmie with big. smiling eyes. jim
mie, blown out like balloon fish will
pride of his performance, staggered
to the fire and took seat on some wet
hemlock bOughs. "Fetch some more
wood, one of you kids" he murmured
negligently. One of the twins came
fortunately upon a small cedar tree
the lower branches of which were dead
and dry. An armful Of these branches
flung upon the sick fire soon made d
high, ruddy. warm blaze, which was
like an illumination in honor Of jim
mics success.
The boys sprawled about the fire
and talked the regular language Of the
game. "Waal. pards," remarked the
chief, "it's many night we've had to.
gether here In the Rockies among the
bars an the Indyuns, hey"
"Yes, pard," replied Jimmie Tres.
colt, 81 reckon you're right. Our wild
free life is-there amt nOthin' to COM
pare with our wild. free life"
| Whereupon the two lads arose and
magniticently shook hands, while the
others watched them in an ecstasy.
"I'll allus stick by We, pard," said jim
mie earnestly. "When yer in trouble,
don't forgit that Lightnin' Lou Is at
yer back"
"Thanky. pard," quoth Willie Dalzel,
deeply affected. "I'll not forgit 1t,
pard. An don't you forgit either that
Dead Shot Demon, the leader of the
Red Raiders, never forgits friend"
But Homer Phelps was having none
Of this great fun. Since his disgrace
| full refusal to be seized and executed
he had been lowering unheeded Oh the
outskirts Of the band. He seemed very
sorry. He cast wistful eye ut the
romantic scene. He knew too well
that If he went near at that particular
time he would be certain to encounter
a pitiless snubbing. so he vaclllated
modestly in the background.
At last the moment came when he
dared venture near enough to the fire
to gain some warmth, for he was now
bitterly suffering with the cold. He
sldled close to Willie Dalzel No one
needed him. Eventually he looked at
his chief and, with bright face, said:
"Now-if I was seized now to be ex-
ecuted l could do 1t as well as Jimmie
Trescott, could"
The chief gave crow Of scorn, in
which he was followed by the other
boys. "Ho," he cried, "why didn't
you do 1t, then? Why didn't you do
it?" Homer Phelps felt upon him
many pairs of disdainful eyes. He
wagged his shoulders in misery.
you're dead" said the chief frank
ly. ''That's what you are. We exc
cuted you. we did"
"WhenT demanded the Phelps boy,
with some spirit.
"Just a little while 900. Didn't we,
fellers? Hey, felIers, u.SA't weT
The trained chorus cried: "Yes, Of
course we did. You're dead, Homer.
You can't play any more. You're
dead"
"That wasn't me. 1t was Jimmie
Trescott," he said In low and bitter
voice, his eyes on the ground. He
would have given the world if he could
have retracted his mad refusals Of the
early part of the drama.
NO." said the chief; ut was you.
We're playin' 1t was you, an 1t was
you. You're dead, you are" And see
ing the cruel effect Of his words he did
not refrain from administering some
advice, 1.-The next time don't be such a
chuckle head"
Presently the camp imagined that 1t
was attacked by Indians, and the boys
lodged behind trees with their stick
rifles, shouting out, Bang" and en-
couragng each other to resist until the
last. In the meantime the dead lad
lowered near the fire, looking m00dily
at the gay and exciting scene. After
the fight the gallant defenders return
ed one by one to the fire, where they
grandly clasped hands, calling each
other "old pard" and boasting Of their
deeds.
Parenthetically, one Of the twins had
an unfortunate inspiration. II killed
the Indy-un chief, fellers! Did you see
me kill the Indy-un chief"
But Willie Dalzel, his own chief
turned upon him wrathfully: "You
didn't kill no chief. killed i'm with
me own hand"
"Ohw said the twin apologetically at
once. "It must have been some other
Indy-un."
"Whos wounded| cried Willie Dial
eel. "Ain't anybody wounded?" The
party professed themselves well and
sound. The rowing and inventive eye
Of the chief chanced upon Homer
Phelps. "Ho! Here's dead man
Come OH, fellers, here's dead man
We've got to bury him, you know
And at his bidding they pounced upon
the dead Phelps lad. The unhappy boy
saw clearly his road to rehabilitation
but mind and body revolted at the idea
of burial, even as they had revolted a
the thought Of execution. "No! he
said stubbornly. mo; don't want t.
be buried! don't want to be buried!
you've got to be buried? yelled thu
chief passlonately. "Tain't goin' tt
hurt ye, is It? Think you're made o.
glass? Come on, fellers, get the grave
ready"
They scattered hemlock boughs up
on the snow in the form Of rectangl'
and piled other bOughs near at hand