Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1910-12-31

noise OF kissing steam when the cross
cut was reached But the parked
wooding of the pasture still screened
it. How near could he go without be-
ing near" In the transgressing sense
of the word? There was only one way
of finding QUITO keep on going until
his conscience pricked sharply enough
to stop him. 1t was a great convent
ence, Thomas Jefferson's conscience
AS long as 1t kept quiet he could be
| reasonably sure there was no sin in
sight Yet he had to confess that it
was not always above playing mean
tricks; as that of sleeping like a log
till after the fact, and then rising up
to stab him till the blood ran.
He was halfway across the pasture
when the crash of a falling tree stop
ped him in mid-rush And in the vista
opened by the felled tree he saw a
sight to make him turn and race home
ward faster than he had come. The
| invaders. hundreds strong, had torn
down the boundary wall and the earth
| for the advancing embankment was
| flying from uncounted shovels.
Caleb Gordon was at work in the
blacksmith shop. Sunday repairing
while the furnace was cool. when
Thomas Jefferson came flying with his
news. The iron master dropped his
hammer and cast aside the leather
apron.
you hear that Bucl?" he said,
| frowning across the anvil at his helper,
white man and the foreman of the
pouring floor.
The helder nodded. being a mai OF
as few words as the master
| well, l reckon we-all hain't got any
call to stand by and see them nightly
ers ride it roughshod over Major Dab
ney hathaway" said Gordon, briefly.
Go down to the shanties and hustle
out the day shift. Get Turk and Hard
away and every white man you can lay
hands on, and all the guns you can
find. And send one O. the black boys
up the hill to tell the Major. Like as
not, he amt up yet"
Helgerson FASTENED away to obey
his orders, and Caleb Gordon went out
| to the foundry scrap yard. In the
heap of broken metal lay an old cast
iron field piece, a relic of the battle
which had one day ragged holly on the
hillside across the creek. A hundred
times the ironmaster had been on the
point OF breaking 1t up for remelting,
and as often the old artilleryman In
him had stayed his hand.
Now 1t was quickly hoisted in the
crane shackle Thomas jefferson
clamped on the axle of pair of wag-
on wheels, cleaned. swabbed, loaded
with quarry blasting powder and pieces
of broken iron to serve for grape, and
trundled out on the pike at the heels
of the ore team.
BY this time Helgerson had come up
with the furnace men, motley crew
in all stages OF Sunday morning dis
hevelment. and armed only as a mob
I
Caleb, the veteran, looked the squad
over with a slow smile gathering the
wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.
You boys'l have to make up In
ferceness what-all you're lacking In
soldier-looks," he observed. mildly.
Then he gave the word of command
to Helgerson. Take the gun and put
out for the Majors hawss-lot. I'll be
along as soon as 1 can saddle the
mare"
Thomas Jefferson went with his
father to the stable and helped silent
, ly with the saddling. Afterward he
held the mare, gentling her in sup
pressed excitement while his father
went into the house for his rife.
''Thatll do. Buddy" he said. when he
, came back. Run along in to your
nanny, now"
But Thomas Jefferson caught again
at the bride and held on. choking.
, 20 pappyi-take me with you! In
die IL you don't take me with you'll"
. Who can tell what Caleb Gordon saw
in his sons eyes when he bent to Zoos
en- the grip of the small brown hand
! on the rein? Was 1t some sympathet-
ic reincarnation OF his own militant
soul striving to break its bonds? With
out a word he bent lower and swung
| to hah ~, -
, on tight, Buddy" he cautioned. 'rll
have to run the mare some to catch III
, with the boys"
! When the one-piece battery dashed
at a clumsy gallop through the open
/, gate of the Dabney pasture and swung
= with a sharp turn into the vista OF
felled trees. Thomas Jefferson beheld 9
I thing to set his heritage of soldier
blood dancing through his veins
! Standing fair in the midst of the ak
! d-shovel havoc and clearing a wide
> circle to right and left with the sweeI
OF his old service cavalry saber. was
E tho Major. coatless. hatless. and cryint
them to come on, the unnumbered hos
r Of them against one man.
I Opposed to him the men OF the con-
r struction force. generated by the young
y engineer in brown duck and buttonet
= leggings. were deploying cautiously e
9 surround him. Gordon spoke to his
= mare; and when he drew rein an.
wheeled to shout to the gun crew
|. Thomas Jefferson heard the engineer.
z low-toned order to the shovelers: "B'
= careful and don't hurt him, boys. Hel
the old maniac who threw me off th'
T. veranda of his house. Two of you tax,
: him behind. and
{ The break came on the uprush OF tn
e unanticipated reinforcements. Wit;
Il the battle readiness of disciplined
u soldier. Caleb Gordon whipped from
" the saddle and ran TO help the gun
crew sluo the malSeshift feldpiece int,
u position.
5 Fall back, Majori" he shouted; "fal
n back on your front line and give tn