Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1910-02-04
CHAPTER XIV

By the time we had finished our repairs
the morning was still not far advanced
towards noon. l had lighted pipe and
was smoking In the full joy of rest after
battle, when Rodney came up to me with
a puckered line between his eyebrows.
I'm afraid" he remarked, "we're going
to get let down for the rest of the day."
why, man ~ l calculated, You
wouldn't be going through that sort Of
racket each hour in the twenty-four,
would your
He smiled at my answer. mot exactly
but just at present we're playing the part
of lot Of cooped up rats too realistical-
y to suit your humble servant. I'll be
expecting them to set fire to the house
next Besides that, | shouldn't be sur
prised If the club would start search for
me at any moment. Anything may hap
pened In my Office, the market may have
gone to pot, and my customers be ready
to tar and feather me-"
"Well,"I agreed, that's all true, and
yet if you go it leaves Duponceau just so
much more unprotected"
Il know" he unused thoughtfully, rub
bling his cheek with his hand. 81 wish to
the deuce knew who the man was" He
looked at me sharply. Haven't you an
inkling, FelixI"
/ shook my head. IAN know is that
ne came out of the sea in a storm. with
his precious treasure-box, and that Fate
has apparently appointed us to protect
him from his enemies until he sees at to
return into the sea again. On one subject
he's absolutely unapproachable his ante
cedents."
Then why" pursued Rodney, ibid you
ever take such an internal liking to him ~
I considered. why did your?
Our eyes met, and we both smiled,
chuckled, and then laughed.
''There's an old French adage," said
Rodney" 'cheschez la femme" He
took turn or two up and down the room
Then "See here, Felix" he said, there's
no denying the fact that we're both Of
us In the same boat, fguratively speaking
even If no longer physically. You had q
great drag from the start, because you
were living such an unusual sort Of life
and were probably a woman-hater, Ger
tainly had no use for society. Those
things take with girl brought up in New
York"
smoked stolidly. "You won the frs
wound, and that takes with a woman any
where"
He looked at his bandaged arm and
smiled reminiscentlyh He was probably
thinking of that half-hour VIXEN she hat
dressed 1t.
"But the main point is" he resumed
''that we both knew that the particular
girl In question loved romance better thar
anything else In the world"
"And that Duponceau was romano,
personifed," I added, (which fully ex
plains our actions"
Rodney pulled at his cigarette in 81
lence.
yet I've grown very fond of the man,
he said presently. Hes brave, and be-
a gentleman"
"I'm fond Of him, too. l wouldn't Civ
him up now for the world. I intend t
stay right here until something happens.
Rodney finished his cigarette and threv
1t away If you don't mind" he sale
"I'I steal over to your farmers and rid
horse to the club. I've feeling tina
something may be doing in the QUITE
world, and that 1 ought to get next to
ticket. III not be long, and don't thin
they'll come back before afternoon"
) go, by all means. The man will Civ
+ you the horse and show you an milan
: road, 50 you'll not fall in with these pc,
. pie. We can get on all right until nigh
3 fall"
t Rodney started to leave, then turns
Y again.
e II was sore" he said. that first afte