Evening star., 1909-06-30
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| Half-rotted logs that would smOlde
| like peat, huge tree branches that mus
| be dragged instead of carried, to thu
! fire; bulky length of lumber overlooked
| carted away. These and lesser fne
| served in an amazingly short time tC
turn the sputtering flamelets into a roar
| ing campfire.
Piece after piece of his gathered wood
| Caleb fed to the blaze; Desiree leaning
courage the labor. A second journey into
the dark and Conover was back with
| more fuel, which he piled in reserve be
yond the reach of the flame tongues.
You work like a veteran woodsman,' .
she praised
In new bunch of long boughs for the
reserve pile. Il had to hustle fires an
grub for the section gang, ten months or
more, when ! was youngster. That's
why 1t seems funny to me that folks
should pay big money for a chance OF
chasin' out to the wilderness an doin
the chores I used to get $1.S5 day for.
Still, once in a lifetime, it comes in handy
to know how
The heat was fierce. Caleb drew back
from the fire, mopping his red face. Then
he took off his tweed jacket Crossing
to Desiree he lifted his macintosh from
her shoulders and made her put on the
jacket. The latter's hem fell to her
knees. Conover rolled back it's sleeves
until her engulfed hands We're once more
visible. Then he spread the macintosh
on the ground near the fire, incidentally
dislodging Rex from carefully chosen
bed.
There proclaimed the Fighter.
That's done. Now, you've camp bed.
Lay down on that macintosh an I'll
cold, even if the fire dies out Which
same 1t won't. for I'm goin' to set up
an keep it burnin'''
I'm other Words she said with the
stern air of rebuke that he loved II am
going TO curl UP in all the wraps there
are and go fast to sleep. while you sit up
all night long and keep the fire. going
l think I see myself doing it,
IF We had looking-glass along he
answered, unruff1ed. you could. AS it
it. I'll set back on that stump where
you are now. an. I'll have that big trunk
to rest my head on An I'll sleep a
blamed sight better'n / ever do in a Pull
man. When l feel cold I'll know the
fires dyin' down an I'll get up an tend
it, an then go to sleep again. It's "a
You'll do nothing of the sort.' con-
tradicted Desiree. TIL
Listen. you little girl put in Caleb
with rough tenderness. Il like nothin'
so well, as a rule, as to let you boss me-
But here's the one time that I'm gon'
to do the bossin You're tired out, an
you're li'ble to take cold unless you keep
wrapped up an get a good conf Ia Bile
sleep. An you're goin' to get IT, Don't
you worry bout me, neither. BY the time
I've been restin 'gainst that tree trunk
five minutes III De in the arms Of old
Morpheus. 1t seems a kind of measly
trick to put up on Morpheus. whoever
he may be. But it's what I'm goin' to
do
The quiet mastery of the man per-
mitted no argument Indeed. Desiree for
some strange reason felt herself. unac-
countably stirred by it.
Now he went on, lone more armful
of this stuff on the pile an then I'll
warm the macintosh for you by the fire
an let you go to sleep | wish I'd wore
vest today
Why? Oh. you're cold. You need
this
mo. I'd like it to roll up into pillow
for you. I'm warm. all right An this
fre'll stay gon' all night if feed it up
once or twice before mornin,.''
He picked up one of the longer boughs
and swung 1t onto the blaze. The sweep
of his arm sent the end of the branch
against Desiree. She was rising from her
tree-stump seat, at the moment: and the
impact of the strong-swung bushy end