The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1910-01-21

ON the launcn, ana, nearing q step on
the pier planl1ing, he glanced up, then
rose and asked the stranger his bust,
ness.
The man shook his head.
IF you have business it must be at
the house; the road is in the other di.
rection," and lima pointed to the
wood, but the stranger remained
stubbornly on the edge of the pier. I
now stepped out of the wood and
walked down to the pier.
What do you want here" de.
manded, sharply.
The man touched his hat, smiled.
and shook his head. The broad hand
he lifted in salute was that of a la.
borer, and its brown back was tat
tooed. He belonged, judged, to one
of the dark Mediterranean races, and
tried him in Italian.
These are private grounds; you
will do we'll to leave here very quick
ly," 1 said.
l saw his eyes light as spoke the
words slowly and distinctly. but he
waited until had finished, then shook
his head.
was sure he had understood, but as
1 addressed him again, ordering him
from the premises, he continued to
shake his head and grin foolishly.
Then pointed toward the road.
Go; and it will be best for you not
to come here again!" said, and, after
saluting, he walked slowly away into
the wood, with sort of logged inso.
lence in his slightly swaying gait. At
nod from me lima stole after him
while l waited, and in a few minutes
the boy came back and reported that
the man had passed the house and
left the grounds by the carriage en-.
trance, turning toward Annandale.
With my mind on Gillespie put OF
in the launch, determined to study the
lake geography. have, hope, a soul
for landscape, and the soft bubble of
water, the lush reeds in the shadows,
the rapidly moving panorama of field
and forest, the glimpses of wild flow.
ers, and the arched blue above, were
restful to mind and heart. It seemed
shameful that the whole world was
not af1Qat; then, as reflected that an.
other boat in these tranquil waters
would be an impertinence that I
should resent, was aware that l had
been thinking of Helen Holbrook all
the while; and the thought of this ir.
ritated me so that l criticised lima
most unjustly for running the launch
close to a bowlder that rose like
miniature Gibraltar near the shadowy
shore we were skirting
We gained the ultimate line of the
lower lake, and followed the shore in
search of its outlet, pleasingly set
down on the map as Tippecanoe creek,
which ran off and joined somewhere
a river of like name. The lakes wa
tiers ran away, like a truant child,
through a woody cleft, and in a mo-
ment we were as clean quit of the
lake as though it did not exist. After
a few rods the creek began to twist
and turn as though with the intention
of making the voyager earn his way.
In the narrow channel the beat of our
engine rang from the shores rebuking-
ly, and soon, as a punishment for dis
turbing the peace of the little stream,
we grounded on a sand-bar
This seems to be the head of navi-
cation, lima. believe this creek
was made for canoes, not battle
Ships"
Between us we got the launch of,
and l landed on convenient log and
crawled up the bank to observe the
country. I followed stake-and-rider
fence. half hidden in vines of various
sorts, and tramped along the bank, with
the creek still singing its tortuous way
below at my right hand. Soon the
rail fence gave way to barbed wire:
the path broadened and the under
brush was neatly cut away. Within
lay small vegetable garden. care.
fully titled; and farther on ! saw
dark green cottage almost shut in by
beeches. The path dipped sharply
down and away from the cottage, and
moment later had lost sight of it:
but below, at the edge of the creek.
stood long houseboat with an ex.
'enoeo plat1orm or deck on the water
side.
l can still feel, as 1 recall the day
and hour, the utter. peace of the scene
when first ! came upon that secluded
spot: The melodious flow of the
creek beneath; the frtter of homing
wings; even the hum of insects in the
sweet, thymy air. Then a step farther
and came to gate which opened on
flight of steps that led to the house
beneath; and through the intervening
tansle saw a man sprawled at ease
in steamer chair on the deck. his
arms under his head. AS I watched
him he sighed and turned restlessly,
and caught q glimpse of close.
trimmed beard and short thin. slight
~ gray hair. VI
(To BE coNTINUED)