Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1908-02-17


feet. There came whirring dutter, a
I twittering shower Of sweet notes, soft
wings beating almost in their very
faces, a distant shadow against the
sky, and the woodcock was gone.
Quieting the astounded dog, gun
Graded in the hollow of his left arm.
he turned to the girl beside him. THAT
sort of thing wins no cups" he said
at wins something else, Mr.. ST.
ward-my very warm regard for you"
There is no choice between that and
the Shotover cup" he admitted, con-
sidering her.
lido you mean it?'
"Of course l dol"
'Then you are much nicer than l
thought you. And, after all, if the
| price of a cup is the life of that brave
little bird / had rather shoot clay
| pigeons. Now you will scorn me, /
suppose. Begin
MY ideal woman has never been
life taker," he said coolly. "OAce
when / was boy there was a girl,
very lovely, my first sweetheart.
saw her at the traps once just after
she had killed her seventh pigeon
straight, pulling it down from over
head, you know, very clever. The lit
| tie thing was breathing on the grass,
and 1t made sounds He shrugged
and walked on. "She killed her TWEEN
| ty-frst bird straight 1t was hand
some cup too"
And after a silence, $50 you didn't
love her any more, Mr.. SiwardY'
mockingly sweet.
They laughed, and at the sound of
| laughter the tall stemmed alders echo
| ed with the rushing roar of a cock
grouse laundering skyward. Crack!
| Crack! Whirling over and over through
cloud of floating feathers, heavy
weight struck the springy earth. There
lay the big notified bird, splendid silky
ruffs spread, dead eyes closing, a sin
| gle tiny crimson bead twinkling like a
ruby on the gaping beak.
| "Deadr' said Siward to the dog who
had dropped to shot. "Fetch! And,
signaling the boy behind, he relieved
| the dog of his burden and tossed the
dead weight of ruftied plumage to-
|
and as the empty shells few rafting
backward slipped in fresh cartridges,
locked the barrels and walked for
ward, the flush of excitement still
staining his sunburned face.
"You deal death mercifully," said
the girl In a low voice. II wonder
what your ci-devant sweetheart would
think of you"
| "A bungler had better stick to the
traps" he assented, ignoring the badi-
mage.
81 am wondering" she said thought
/ fully, what think of men who kill"
He turned sharply, hesitated, shrug-
ged wild things lives are brief at
best-fox or flying tick, wet nests or
mink, owl, hawk, weasel or man. But
the death man deals is the most mer-
ciful. Besides" he added, laughing,
"ours is not a case of sweetheartS."
MY argument is purely in the alb
stract, Mr.. Siward. l am asking you
whether the death men deal is more
justifable than a woman's gift of
DEATH"
'Oh, well, life taking. the giving OF
life-there can be only one answer to
the mystery, and l don't know it," he
replied, smiling
Il do"
'Tell me, then, he said," still amused
They had passed swale after swale
of silver birches, waist deep In per-
fumed fern and brake. The big tim
Der lay before them. She moved for
ward, light gun swung easily across
her leather padded shoulder, and on
the woods sunny edge she seated her
self. straight young back against a
giant pine, gun balanced across heI
fattened knees.
"You are feeling the pace a little,
he said, coming up and standing IL
front of her.
THE pace? No, Mr.. Siward."
She sat, bright head pillowed in hel
arms, idly attentive to his low running
comment ON beast and bird and tree
on forest stiffness and forest sounds
on life and the wild laws of life and
death governing the great out world
'twixt sky and earth.
Somewhere In the woodland world
the crows were holding noisy ses
sion, and she told him that was the
jury debating the degree of his guilt II
killing the birds.
Because you're guilty, of course,
she continued. 81 wonder what your
sentence is to be2"
}, I'm leave it TO you," he suggested
laZily.
suppose 1 sentenced you to slay NJ
more?"
"Oh, I'd appeal
NO use am the tribunal of las
resort"
Then I throw myself upon the ner
cy of the court"
''You do well, Mr.. Siward. Thi:
court is very merciful. How much d
you care for bird murder? Very much
Is there anything you care for more