The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1908-03-20
CHAPTER XII.
waitind.

Lazy s was burned out was not east
ly identified. He was half-kreed,
but half breeds were many west Of the
river, and the places where they laid
their heads at night were as shifting
as the sands Of that rapid, ondnous.
changing stream of theirs. which ever
I cut them OF from the world of their
fathers and kept them bound, but rest
less, chatting, in that same land where
their mothers had stared stolidly at a
strange little boatload tugging UP the
river that was the forerunner of the
ultimate destiny of this broad north,
west country, but which brought in.
incidentally do all big destinies In
the great scheme bring sorrow to
some one wrong, misund nding
forgetfulness, to once proud, free
people now in subsection.
At last the authorities found trace
of him far away at Standing Rock.
through the agent there, who knew
him as of an ugly reputation-a dis.
sipated, rowing profiigate, who had
long since squandered his government
patrimony, He had<been mixed up in
sundry bad affairs in the past, and
i had been an inveterate gambler. So
much only were the Kemah county
authorities able to uncover Of the way
ward earthly career of the dead man.
OF his haunts and cronies of the
period Immediately preceding his
death, the agent could tell nothing.
He had not been seen at the agency
for nearly year. The reprobate band
had covered it's tracks well. There
was nothing to do but lay the dead
body away and shovel Oblivion over
its secret. h. s
In the early morning after the re-
turn of the men from their unsuccess.
full man hunt, Gordon, gray and bag,
gard from loss Of sleep and from hard
thought, stepped out into the kitchen
to stretch his cramped limbs. He
stumbled over the figure Of Langford
prone upon the floor, dead asleep in
utter exhaustion. He smiled under.
standingly and opened the outerdoor
quietly, hoping he had not aroused the
wornout boss. The air was fresh and
cool, with hint of autumn sharpness,
/ and a premature Indian summer haze,
that softened the gauntness Of the
landscape, and made the distances
blue and rest-giving. He felt the need
Z Of inauguration after his nights virgil,
and struck off down the road with
I long strides, in pleasant anticipation
of a coming appetite for breakfast.
Thus it was that Langford strug-
cling to a sitting posture, rubbing his
heavy eyes with a dim consciousness
that he had been disturbed, and won.
dering drowsily why he was SO stupid,
felt something seeping through his
senses that told him he did not do
well to sleep. So he decided he would
take a plunge into the cold artesian
pond, and with such drastic measures
I Danish once and for all the elusive vet
sallpervading cobWebs which chung to
him. Rising to his feet with unusual
sawkwardness, he looked with scorn
upon the bare door and accused It
blindly and bitterly as the direct
cause OF the strange soreness that be-
set his whole anatomy The lay of the
floor had changed Ia asnight. Where
was he He glanced helplessly
about. Then he knew.
Thus It was, that when NJ ary Ian
guidly opened her eyes q little later
it was the boss who sat beside her
and smiled 5reassuringly.
5ssS You have not slept 4 wink z, she
@creid accusfngly
Indeed have, x he said Three
whole hours, feel ttip &
ls gu AZ bbing q she said. our
eyes look So tired, and your lace Is ali
sWorn. az ass IEs!
His heart ieaped with the joyI 81 her
so1icitude.
81 al are n ron & be laughed.
teasingly slept % the oor ana Is
good bed it va TOO. Hiss WINS.
am not n any
His new con 81 ousn new
orlnality scrept into lhlis wa of ia.
ressing heI lId eem o
si|s| ioro |l III M