Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1910-03-18

lqy-- and everything else could think
Of but she never took in a reef. We
l,unned over hummockS and ridges.
ard every time we done 1t we spilled
something out Of that wagon. First
twas Il lot of huckleberry pals. then
a basket Of groceries and such, then
tin pan with some potatoes In 1t. then
a jug done up in blanket. Out Of the
tail Of lay eye | see Lonesome. well OUT
Ia sea. heading the Creased Lightning
for the beach
/ When YOU drive down to Lonesome
u'iut YOU have to ford the Cut
Through. It's strip of water between
the bay and the ocean, and faint very
wide or deep at low tide. But the tide
was coming in now. and, more'n that,
! the mare want headed for the ford.
/ She was cuttin' cross lots on her own
! hook and wouldn't answer the helm.
/ We struck that Cut Through about a
| hundred yards east of the ford, and in
! two shakes we was hub deep in salt
water. Fore the Todds could do any
! thing but holler the wagon was atioat
| and the mare was all but swimming.
But she kept right on. Bless her, you
couldn't stop her!
! We crossed the first channel and
come out on a fiat where 'twasnt
moren two foot deep then. l COM
menced to feel better There was an
other channel ahead Of us, but l fig
ured we'd navigate that same as we
had the first one. And then the most
outrageous thing happened.
| If you'll blieve 1t. that pesky mare
oalked and wouldn't stir another step.
Drive on" says Clarissa. pretty
average vinegary. Haven't you made
trouble enough for us already, you
dreadful man? Drive on"'
Hadn't made trouble enough! What
do you think Of that?
"You want to drown US" says Miss
Todd, confusing her chatty remarks.
II see it all! It's plot between you
and that murderer. ! give you warn
ing. If we reach the hotel my brother
and l will commence suit for dam
ages"
NV temper's fairly long suffering.
but twas travelling some by this time.
I'd about got to thirdly when James
give n screech and pinted. And II
there want Lonesome in the launch
headed right for US and coming a-bIl-
ing. He'd run her along abreast Of the
beach and turned In ut the upper end
of the Cut Through.
You never in your life heard such a
row as there was In that wagon, Cla-
rissa and me yelling to Lonesome to
keep off, forgetting that he was stone
def and dumb. and James vOwing
that he was going to be slaughtered in
cold blood. And the Creased Light
ming p'inted just SO she'd split that
cart amidships and cOming-well, you
know how she can so.
She never budged until she was
within ten foot Of the fat, and then
she sheered off and went past In a
wide curve. with Lonesome steering
with enc hand and shaking his pitch
fork at Todd with t'Other. And such
faces as he made up. They'd have got
him hung In any court in the world.
He run up the Cut Through little
ways and then come about, and back
he comes again. never Stacking speed a
mite and running c:OSe to the s.ioal as
he could shave and all the time going
through the bloodiest kind Of pantO-
mines. And past he goes to wheel
round and commence all over again.
Thinks L: why don't he ease up
| MI In oh yasc oil hn
weapons there is. Is he scarty'
And then 1t come to me-the reason
why. He didn't know how to stop her
He could steer first rate, being used to
sailbOats, but an electric auto launch
was new idea for him, and he didn't
understand her works. And he dasn't
run her aground at the speed she was
making. 'TwOuld have finished her
and. more N likely, him too.
don't s'pose there ever was another
mess just like 1t afore or sence Here
was Us, stranded with u horse we
couldn't make go, being chased by a
Teller who was run away with in a
boat lie couldn't stop.
Just as I'd about give up hope l
heard somebody calling from the beach
behind US. l turned, and there was
Becky HuckleLarries, Lonesome )
daughter. She had the dead decoys
by the legs in one hand.
-1i!' says she.
"Ii.' says l. "IIOw do you get this
giraffe Of yours under wayY'
She held up the decOys.
"WbO kill-a dem ducks?" says she.
p'inted to the reverend. HE did"
says l. And then l carlate l must
have had one Of them things they call
an inspiration. "And he's willing to
pay for 'em, says.
"Pay thirty-ivc Golla? 2" says she.
"YOu betw says l.
But I'd forgot Clarissa. She rose up
in that waterlogged cart like a statue
2 Of Liberty. Never" says She We
: will never submit to such extortion.
Wen drown first"
: Becky heard her She didn't look
disappointed nor nothing. Just turned
and begun to walk up the beach. "All
right" says he. "GOO'by."
The Todds stood 1t for jiffy. Then
: James give in. IN pay itw he hollers.
I'm pay itv'
Even then Becky didn't smile. She
Just come about again and walked
back to the shore. Then she took up
that tin pan and one Of the potaters
f. we'd jounced out Of the cart.
: "Hi. ROsaw she hollers. That mare
turned her head and looked. And fOr
the first time sence she hove anchor on
J that fat the crltter unfurled her ears
and histed 'em to the masthead.
III ~