Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1909-07-30

now Ual ain TT for her. I'm beeg.
rough. fghtin' Teller wat can't read,
an she's de beam of sunlight wat bin
my eyes"
"If was fool I'd say you'd forget
in time. but I've lived my life in the
open, and know you won't. didn't"
81 don want to forget the brown
man cried hurriedly. lie bon Dieu
would not let ne forget. It's all I've
got TO keep Wit me wen I'm lookin'
for my new countree.'
You're not goin to look for that
new country any more" Gale replied.
To-day" said the other quietly.
dis afternoon. De blood In me Is
calm for travel, John. I'm Twin here
on dis place five year dis fall, an OATS
long tam for voyageur. I'm hongry
for hear de AK in de woods an de
moose blow at shutdown. want for
see the campfire trough de brush wen
come from trap de fox an dem little
wild fcllers. | want to smell smoke In
de dusk. My work she's finish here.
SO I'm paddle away today. an I'll I'm
dat place dis tam for sure. She's
over derc." He raised his long arm
and pointed to the dim mountains that
hid the valley of the Koyukuk. the val
ley that called good men and strong
year after year and took them to IT.,
self.
..IIoyo yo,, boord tho neu-a from tho
creeks? Y,a,ir claims are blanks. Your
men have qrt."
The FrencAman shook his head sad
ly, then smile ia wistful little smile.
"Waal, it's netter ! lose dan you or
Necia. / ain fle lucky kin. OATS all,
an, after all, wat good to me Is richie
COL 1iinc? ain got no use for money
any more"
They stood in the doorway together.
two rugged, stalwart figures, different
in blood and birth and every other
thing. yet brothers withal whom the
ebb and flow of the far places had
thrown together and now drew apart
again. And they were sad, these two,
for their love was deeper than comes
to other people. and they knew this
was farewell, so they remained thus
side By side. two dumb, sorrowful men,
until they were addressed by a person
who hurried from the town.
He came as an apparitOn bearing
the voice Of mo Creek" Lee, the min
ing king, but In no other way showing
sign or symbol Of their old friend. Its
style of face and curious outfit were
utterly foreign to the miner, for he
had been bearded with the robust. uD-
kempt growth of many years. tanned
TO a leathery hue and CARRIED peren-
nially In the habit Of scarecrow,
while this creature was shaved and
CLIPPED and curried. and the clothes 1t
stood up in were Of many startling
hues. Its face was scraped so clean OF
Uhigkers as to be pallid white, but
lack Of adornment ended at this point.
and the rest was oyerladen wondrous-
". while from the center Of the half
brown, half white face the long, red
nose of Lee ran out. Beside 1t rolled
his lonesome eye, alive with excite
ment
He came up with strut, illuminine
the landscape, and inquired:
well. how do look?"
I'm darned if know" said Gale
But IT'S plumb unusual"
"These here shoes leak" said the
spectacle. pulling up his baggy trou-
sers TO display his tan footgear. be
cause they was made for dry goin'.
That's why they left the tops off. but
they've got nice. healthy color, amt
they? AS whole, 1t seems to me I'm
sort Of nifty. But I'm q plain man
without conceit. Now let's proceed
with the obseQuies."
1t was a very simple, unpretentious
ceremony that took place inside the
long. low house Of logs, and yet 1t was