Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1909-06-04

ar.s.-
huagN iiie bqa;eDhFrs' Hat n m'in' J.,
Tho uss Of ialesIng sbnas W Vhls u
youg country. and these are yoaF peR'
pie"
! morbid desire was upon her ~
track down this intangible racia' us
,inction but she saw Runnion, Whohl
she could not bear, coming toward
them so thanked Stark hurrledly ana
went On her way.
Been making friends with 'ha'
souaw, chg" remarked Runnion cas-
ually.
Yes" replied Stark. shes a nice
little girl. and | like her. | told her
didn't have any part in that miners
meeting affair"
Huh! What's the matter with you
1t was all your doing"
81 know it was. but didn't aim II
Mt her. wanted that ground next 10
Lees. and wanted to throw Il Jolt
into Old Man Gale. | couldn't let the
girl stand in my way. but now that
It's over I'm willing to be friends WITH
her"
me too. BY heaven, she's as grace
full as a fawn. She's white too. NO
body would ever know she was
breed"
"She's a good girl" said Stark mus
ingly In gentle tone that RunnIon
had never heard before.
Getting kind Of mushy, amt you!
/ thought you had passed that stage,
old man."
NO: don't like her in that way"
"Ill lay you little eight to five that
Burrel has thrown her down." chuc-
killed. Runnion.
81 never thought of that. You may
be right"
"If It's true I'll shuttle up hand for
that soldier"
Meanwhile Necia had passed on out
of the town and through the Indian
village at the mouth of the creek until
high up OH the slopes she saw Alluna
and the little ones. She climbed up to
them and seated herself where she
could look far out over the westward
valley, with the great stream flowing
half n mile beneath her. She stayed
there all the morning, and, although
the day was bright and the bushes
bending with their burden of blue, she
picked no berries, but fought resOlute-
" through dozen varying moods that
mirrored themselves in her delicate
face. 1t was her first soul struggle,
but in time the buoyancy Of youth and
the almighty optimism Of early love
prevailed. And so she was in a hap
pier frame of mind when the little
company made their descent at mid
day.
AS they approached the town they
heard the familiar cry of Steam
bo-o-o-atr' and by the time they had
reached home the little camp was noisy
with the plant Of wolf dogs. There
were few men to join in the welcome
today, every ablebodied mhabltant
having disappeared into the hills, but
the animals came trooping laZily to the
)ank and sat down on their launches
Watching the approaching steamer, IL
their soft eyes the sadness Of canine
race of slaves.
The deserted aspect Of the town puz-
zlcd the captain Of the steamer, and
upon landing he made his way ut once
to John Gales store, where he learned
from the trader of the strike and OF
the stampede that had resulted. Be-
fore the recital was finished a man ap-
preached and spoke excitedly:
Captain, my ticket reads to DaW-
son, but I'm getting off here. Won't
you have my outfit put ashore" He
was followed by Il group of fellow
passengers, who made a similar re-
quest
This place is good enough for me"
one of them said.
me, too" another volunteered. This
strike is new, and we've hit her just
in time"
Outside a dozen men had crowded
mo Creek" Lee against the wall OF the
store and were clamoring to hear
about his fiEd.
Stark wasted no time. With money
in his hands, he secured dozen men
WHO were willing to work for hire, for
there are always those who prefer the
surety Of ten coined dollars to the hope
of q hundred. He swooped down with
these helpers on his pile of merchan-
disc that had lain beneath tarpauliEs
on the river bank since the day he and
Runnion landed, and by midafternoon
great tent had been stretched over
framework of peeled poles built %
the lot where he and Necia had stood
earlier in the day. Before dark his
saloon was running. To be sure, there
was no floor, and his polished fixtures
looked strangely new and incongru-
Gus, but the town at large had as
suned q similar air Of incompleteness
and crude immaturity, and little won
der, for 1t had grown threefold in half
day. Stark swiftly unpacked his
gambling implements, keen to seen;
every advantage, and cut of the hand
full Of pale faced jackals who follow
at the heels Of healthy herd he hired
men to run themand to deal.
By night Flambeau was Il mining
camp.
DTIlD V