Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-24
<<xXY YE'vE had trouble and trib-
"A ulation sence tn stranger
M bought Bull Tongue
w ranges old Squire Gray


w ranges" old Squire Gray
complained gloomily. as
he took his gun from the hooks. Molly.
my girl. dunno Is It's right for you to be
OUT huntin' with me so much-but"-catch-
ing the shade of disappointment in the
young face-"reckon you can go this time.
But. mind you. it's tn last.''
Yes. father. the veryalast," Molly &C.
auiesced slipping on a discarded coat of
the squire, but the buck we saw on the
Rainbow mountain we mustn't miss
him.
True enough, I m;strust they aire
feedin' in tn big timber of nights, daugh-
ter"
Squire interrupted a shrill voice from
the kitchen. you're raisin' Molly mighty
tr.fiin'-shootin' en- trompin' arfter you
like es she were yo' boykind, es were
kilt endurin' tn war
.'Jes SO. Hannah Hanks; jes So" the
squire agreed. Il done-done lost my
boys: then Molly's born so long arter.
and there's no one else. But this aire tn
last time Hannah. Come along. Molly
If yo're mother'd lived, she'd raised you
es female girl oughter be raised
And the old man. with Molly tripping
along beside him and laughing softly to
herself, wendell his way down the hill
path Every time was the last" until
Molly wanted to go again. They went
down through the pines, the squire and
Molly. without .glfmpsing the game
only the scurrying of a red fox into
the bush. or the fight of cartridges
flushed from the dead grass by the dogs.
Suddenly the squire stopped and rubbed
his eyes as though to clear an obscured
vision
'Mebbe your sight aire better'n mine.
daughter" he said; look south in tn
cove neighboring Rainbow mountaing-
aire that Grohsman en- passed. OF men
or no?'
Its him. father-the stranger on our
land-cuttfng away the brush. Oh.
father. he's going TO take Rainbow and
the Fighting Ground"
The old man stood still a moment.
then blew shrill. echoing blast upon
his hunting horn.
Dunno ss he will" he drawled. strid-
Ing rapidly forward.
In the cove the loud. rather sharp
voice Of the new owner Of the Bull
Tongue ranges could be heard giving or
ders to his men. and the steady accom-
paniment of axes Telling trees. The
sounds were exasperating. Molly's eyes
blazed. Her cheeks glowed into red-hot
brilliancy by the time they emerged from
the thickets. close to the invaders
No one knew much OF the stranger
except that he was from the west. and
was seeking health and sport for his
grandson Martin in the mountain coun-
try Molly constantly encountered Mar
tin hunting on the ridge. In fact. he
the Gray lands than on his own Buii
Tongue. and so altogether forgot that ne
was not mountain born: Molly had
profound pity for people who had 10
live anywhere else. Molly also defined
the atmosphere of antagonism about
Martins grandfather. No one would
have troubled about his affairs, Tor
there is no curiosity in the mountains.
tut for his nsistent claim to the loca-
tion Of the dividing line between his own
land and that of Squire Gray.
What aire you about, cuttin brnsh on
my land?r demanded the old Squire.
I'm cutting the line between your land
and mine IL you want to know the
stranger retorted. Extensively. Il want
YOU 10 understand fully what belongs TO
GRAY and what belongs 20 Grohsman.
You don't seem TO know. There was
an insulting accent to the half-sneering
words.
"Mebbe / don't" replied the noun
taipeer but Rainbow mountGin aire
mine I've helt ii. man and boy. these
sixty year Ny father helt 1t afo me,
en- nv grandpap afo' him. Whenst | m
gone. my gal therell l.old II arter me-"
Well see about that. My claim in
cludes the Rainbow, and ] propose to hold
It, When I'm gone. my grandson Martin
will hold II after me-" Grohsman flung
back.
Molly listened to her fathers level
drawl becoming milder and apparently
more conciliatory as the stranger be-
came more aggressive. She was vividly