Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1908-12-18
He Moved No More.

IOriginal.l


IOriginal.l
A man with red beard and hair, the
latter p%rotruding in front from a hole
in his wooden hat. freckled, homely,
stood on a crest peering at something
In the distance. His attitude denoted
surprise. He ~nervously ran his thumb
under his left gallus, thrust the other
hand in his pocket, took 1t out and
shaded his eyes with 1t. His had been
the only cabin within ten miles, and
now, since he had visited this part of
his domain, a log hut had gone up
within two miles of him and smoke
was curling from the chimney.
Starting forward, he triangulated his
fee. When he reached 1t he looked In
at the open door. The only sound was
from a loud ticking clock. A child
about six months old lay asleep in a
crib manufactured from the limbs of
the trees growing on the ground, the
bark remaining where nature had
placed It The man entered the
AOOhh was Jul
the child and looked down upon it
with a singular expression on his
weather beaten face. Then he put his
brown forefnger under Its pink and
white dimpled hand, and the little
ones fingers frightened on it.
Presently he went to the door and
looked out. No one was in sight. He
turned. A flour barrel stood In a cor
ner. Dipping his finger In SCOT IN the
chimney, he wrote or the barrel head:
Dere Sur. I don't want no naburs. Ef
you wont sell out to me l got to move.
SIRIUS MOFFATI.
Mr.. Moffatt, having written his mes
sage left the premises, casting a part
ing glance at the slumbering child.
That night he slept but little. For
years he had been moving away from
his fellow men. He didn't mind bears
or coyotes or snakes, for they were his
legitimate prey, If not companionable,
but he didn't like men, because he said
there's a law agin shootin' EN-"
He had moved many times and now,
being over forty years old, was be-
coming ayerse to change. Yet here
was a family settled right under his
nose.
He waited a week, thinking that his
neighbor would communicate with
him, but he didn't. So at the same
time of day e In the morning. as he
had made his first visit he made an
other. He found the same conditions.
The door stood open; the clock ratified
off the seconds; the child slept. But
there was n thing new. On a board
I'VE the fireplace intended for a man
tel rested the lid of a cracker box on
which was written:
WON'T BUY OR SELL
Cyrus looked disappointed. He turn
ed to the child. Five rosy toes peeped
from under a blanket. The man took
thqnSig toe between his thumb
finger Very singeliy. IT seemed nidoo'
of wax, and he was afraid of crushing
it. Then he put his foref1nger again
in the little palm to feel the clutch of
the pink fingers, and when 1t anne a
grin overspread his ugly features.
Then he walked to the fireplace, read
the message again and grew serious.
1t angered him. Turning the box lid
ONCAy LC NAOIC Oh liz OIAHN w
I'm cumin to morrer mornen at this
time to drive you out.
AS he was leaving he again caught
sight of the child, paused, glanced
back at the message he had written.
pondered, then stalked out of the house
and away.
The next morning, taking down his
rifle from the wall, he went to his
neighbours cabin. He expected that
this time he would find his man and
what other members of the family
there might be. He was surprised to
find only the child. 1t was awake. It
had kicked off its blanket, and a pair
of chubby little legs were high in the
air. 1t smiled at him. Approaching,
he clasped its two ankles In his great
wrinkled fists. The child made a grab
for his red beard and pulled sturdily.
The noisy clock had licked away
some twenty minutes when the child
suddenly took it into It's head to squat.
Cyrus looked about for something to
appease it, and, seeing a nursing bottle
half full of milk, he put the nipple
into the little ones mouth. But 1t
NOilhiuOu W 5qudh, III uobAHS lis TINS
forward. Cyrus took it up. sat down
in the only chair In the room. gave it
the bottle, and it was happy. So was
he.
Now. Cyrus had set his rifle against
the chimney and was not In q position
either offensive or defensive. He was
ta-ta-ing and ba-ba-ing to the child as
women do when suddenly he heard a
voice say:
"Han's up. strangerl'
The voice was a soft one, but Cyrus
started. Looking up he saw a woman
standing IN the doorway. covering him
with a revolver.