Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-11-15

front of the store, the tin scoop in his
 hand still held recklessly upside down
 A pung was passing the grocery-t
 green pung drawn by milk white
 horse. On its quilt padded seat were
 two men. Above them as they slowly
 proceeded sagged high board cross.
 Lounsbury glanced inquiringly about
 him. His neighbors were also watch
 ing the strange sight. At the windows
 of the bunkhouse opposite and at the
 openings of other buildings near were
 many faces, wide with good natured
 grins. As Lounsbury turned to the
 travellers again his own mouth curved
 in a smile.
 But all at once he sobered. The pung
 was now so far away that the backs
 of the men were presented to him,
 and between them, projecting at a
 slant over the seat, were the curved
 tops of pair of crutches. Jocular opinions of the passersby
 were being freely exchanged back and forth. He paid no heed to them. The
 scoop dropped from his hand and clat-
 ter upon the floor He let it lie.
 Silent and troubled, unaware of the
 demands of an inslstent customer, he
 looked after the departing sleigh.
 At last he acted. Without waiting even to put on his cap he started at
 run up the street. His race, bare headed, increased the laughter of those who were Till watching. They yelled to him l~s erously, Sic 'em, Bud"
 "Sell 'em .,omethin', John" Drag 'em back aI skin 'em.' But the store keeper was deaf. Each yard made him more certain of the identity of one traveller His thoughts as he pursued were of him. He gained rapidly on the pung. At the edge of the camp, in the trough of a drift, he stopped it.
 Lancaster spoke first, for Lounsbury was too spent. "Waal, waal!' he said crabbedly.
 Excuse me- panted the other, giv- ing in his eagerress only q glance at David Bond. excuse me, but I see you're headed from home. I wonder ed-I thought maybe I could do turn for the young ladies while you're gone"
 For moment the section boss did not reply. He was still smarting over Dallas generalship and if anything was more disgusted and rebelG-us than when he left the shack z in the brief pause he gave ready ear to the whispering of the yellow harpy. His lids lowered. His lip curled.
 You understand, I'm sure." Louns- bury hastened to say. 'I thought they might be alone. that
 Thank y" answered Lancaster, snapping out each word, thank v, they is alone. An you'll oblige me d-n sight by leavin' 'em thet way" He settled himself in his seat. Cit ap" he said to Shadrach. The pung slipped slowly on.
 Lounsbury was too taken aback ei- ther to follow or to retreat For awhile he stayed where he was, busily coin ing forcible phrases for the relief of his mind. AS he retraced his steps the few men who saw him were discreetly silent, for the camp knew that there were rare moments when it was best l to give him wide berth.
 The interview in the trough of the : drift was so brief that David Bond | was shut out of 1t. But had it been | longer-had he been given chance to speak-the result might have been the same. The section boss had been | mute all the way to Clark's. The fact 1 story of the claim was the strongest . reason for his not doing so. David | Bond therefore was left in ignorance l md had no means of connecting the . evil companion of his journey north with the fortunes of the Lancasters. ' So as they left Lounsbury behind he even found some censure in his heart for the storekeeper.
 You were quite right" he said. licking Shadrach gently. That young nan should pay no visit to your daugh- CTS while you are absent. Yet'-he ,ould not refrain from putting a re- proof where 1t seemed due-''yet I re- yret your manner of addressing him. ,our oath
 Lancaster glared "Oh. you gran tortoise shell cat- he said For several hours there liter be added nothing to tkls.
 Back in his store Lounsbury was mixing brown sugar with white, 'olong tea with a green variety and putting thread In the pickle barrel. he was torturing him ielf. Had the section boss left home with no danger threatening: But-the .reen pung was undoubtedly bound or Bismarck What was it that had made him see the necessity If attending to the claim? Along with his came self arraignment- After all. le should have told Lancaster that a nan who claimed the quarter section n the peninsula had been called from Dodge City. LOunsbury had been cer- ain that Matthews could not reach fort Branron before the spring. But [ had never occurred to him that the iectiOn boss would leave his giris lone. Now. he vowed that if any arm befen Dallas and MarylyR he Lad only himself to blame
 He buckIed on his pistol belt and .adloekeli the door T don't care rhetber the old man Hkes il or not .e declared sIo-d. I'm going down here
 As hs szEnz thrO1zh the camp On is war 10 the o0rrzl he saw one of "a nrs~z..-r5z r,ar-a-x ---S-z <r--r7 .