Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-24
IN TWO PARTS-Part ii.

TT would never have happened had Wells not looked
such sulenly satisfied Il told you So. Had he
not thoroughly lost his patience after two blow
outs in as many hours that he let his mans supercll
orsness crop out those awful midnight hours in that
house of mystery in the rolling hills of Southern Sas
katchewan would never have happened.
This is automobile story; but must say that
| cannot understand why inanimate thing like an
automobile always manage to choose the most in
convenient environment IN which to have case OF acute
indigestion appendicitis, and of all lonely spots OF
all inaccessible places, of all temper trying conditions.
nothing surely ever matched those in which found
myself late one July afternoon.
Not that the land itself dreary. Far from it.
On every side bllowing, rounded hills richly en-
erald green, while the winding valley of the George
showed here and there clumps of tall timber outlook
that IDEAL who loves land for itself. but was
as inhospabe the heart of the Sahara itself so tar
was concerned
Now, though l cs.1n-1 hear sound long ago
learned the look that always accompanies the use OF
Language when anything goes wrong with the lnsldes
of an automobile. So when 1 that expression set
ting on Wells face before he clambered stif1y
from behind the wheel decided flee his vicinity,
and aimessly headed for the highest HILL about half
mile distant.
have seen much of Canada since then and know her
inexhaustble fund of SURPRISES but my establishment
was complete when l reached the crest of the HILL to
long, low struggling ranchhouse with huge barns
corals and various outbuildngs, lying snugy in the
lee of another hill which was, perhaps, two miles away
In the clear atmosphere of the plains distances are very
deceptive. And it here that elected to
pass the night, relying upon the open handed hospl-
we'll as English.
Yet when Wells and 1 were once bowling along
in the automobile found that, far reaching that
particular haven it might have sunk into the earth
There not much cowpath leading from the
valley road anywhere within SIX miles OF where we had
been halted by the blowout There was not so much
column of smoke stray dog to indicate that
human beings had their home anywhere in those hills
That comfortable ranchhouse those huge barns those
great corrals might have been but haucnation or
mirage Back and forth ran striving to find some
faintest tra-and all the time that SNUG 81 told you
so" look grew much of Wells face as was visible
below his goggles.
Run to the top of that hill over there" said at
length when could stand his supercious satisfaction
no longer. l did not what happened to the ma
chine, so long as managed to prove that was right
Il am sure can it from there; for cannot be
far beyond where it seemed to be when saw it.
Wells gruned cyncaly, yanked at one of the levers.
and with slow careful turning into the grass
began to climb the slope
well, I'll be shot into Conshohocken!' exclaimed
Wells as we topped the HILL for there, lying spread
out at very feet the ranch that we had been
so vanly seeking.
CAN you make the run down the hill?" asked.
Wells nodded CURLY, the machine gave jerk. and
bumpily and dizzily rolled down the slope turned
in at the gate and stopped neatly before the door
l knew from a word he uttered and from the
preston in his when he out that were
welcome guests
This amt tavern" he said ungraciously in
Spouse to an inquiry by Wells I'VE don't want trip
pers stoppin off How'd you come to get along this
way?" he ended suspiciously.
Il the ranch from the top of hill / said, and
country hoping to find shelter
night"
1--WE don't tavern. he insisted, dull spark
of anger growing in his eyes.
But can't you take in just for the nighto Our
machine is crippled and it is so near dark we don't
want to 60 on.
"Of course we'll take you in" said woman appear
ing suddenly the threshold. And such queer figure
of woman as she was, clad in complete cowboy
tune, even to snaps, and topping it all her grizzled
gray hair twisted and skewered into hard knot on top
of her head! "Of we'll take you in, she