Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1911-02-10

LOU She6T6Q!'
Jumping to catch the lip of the cav
ern's mouth, he assembled cat-like, and
a moment later he had drawn her up
after him.
I'D like to know what got the mat
| ter with you all at once" he said Sc
| verely, when they were crowded to-
| gether in the narrow rock cell; and
| then, without waiting for her answer:
You stay here while I drop down and
keep those fellows away from this side
| of things
But it was too late. The men were
already at the barrel spring as an in
| distinct murmur of voices testified. The
| girl had another trembling fit when
she heard them, and Toms wonder was
fast lapsing into contempt or some
thing like it.
"Oh-h-h!" she shuddered. DO you
reckon they saw us, Tom-Jeff?"
Il shouldn't wonder" he whispered
back unfeelingly. I'VE could see them
plain enough"
He'll kill me, for shore, Tom jeff"
Toms lip curled. The wRN does not
mate with the jackal N& all her
beauty could atone for such spiritless
cringing. Love would have pitied her,
but passion is not moved by qualities
opposite to those which have evoked it.
"Then you know them-or one of
them, at least" he said. who is he?"
She would not tell; and since the
murmur of voices was still spainly au-
| dible, she begged in dumb show for
| silence. Whereupon Tom shut his
mouth and did not open it again until
the sound of the voices had died away
and the fainter tappings of the ham
mers on the pipeline advertised the
retreat of the inspection party.
They're gone now" he said, short
ly. Lets get out of here before we
stifle"
But second time i'll chance inter-
vened. Tom had a leg over the brink
and was looking for soft leaf bed to
drop into, when the baying of a hound
broke on the restored quiet of the
mountain side. He drew back into
hiding.
The girls ague fit Of fear had passed
and she seemed less concerned about
the equivocal situation than a girl
should be; at least, this is the way
Toms thought was shaping itself. He
| tried to imagine Ardea in Mans place,
but the thing was badly unimagina-
BILE. A daughter of the Dabneys would
never run and cover and beg to be
hidden at the possible cost of her good
name. And Mans word did not help
| matters.
what makes you so cross to me
Tom ?" she asked, when he drew
| back with an impatient exclamation
II haint done nothin to make you lei
on like you hate me- have -"
II don't hate you," said Tom, frown-
ing IF did, I shouldn't care" Just
then the hound burst out of the laurel
thicket on the brow of the lower slope
running with it's nose to the ground
and he added: That's Japhe Petit
grass dog; I hope to goodness he isn't
anywhere behind it."
But the horse trader was behind the
dog; so close behind that he came out
on the continuation of the pipe-lin
path while the hound was still nosing
among the leaves where Tom had lain
summing himself and telling his tale of
woe.
Good dog-seek him! What is It.
old boy?" Pettigrass came up, patted
the hound. and sat down on the fiat
stone to look on curiously while the
dog coursed back and forth among the
dead leaves. Find him, Caesar; find
him, boy!" encouraged Japheth; and
finally the bounded pointed a sensitive
nose toward the rift in the side of the
great boulder and yelped conclusively
Dye reckon he climm up thar, Gaze
sar?" Pettigrass unfolded his long legs
and stood up on the fiat stone to at
tain an eye-level with the interior o
the little cavern. Tom crushed Mar
into the larthest Granny. and f1attenet
himself lizard like against the nearer
side wall. The horse trader looked
long and hard, and they could hear
him still talking to the dog.
You're an old fool, Caesar-that':
about what you are-and Solomon al
lowed thar wasn't no fool like an ole
one. But you needn't to swaller tina
whole. old boy; I've knowed somt
young ones in my time-sometime
gals, sometimes boys, sometimes both
But thar amt no 'possum up yonder
Caesar; you've flew the track this time
for certain. Come on, old dog; let's b.
gettin'- down the mountain"
| The baying dog and the whistlin,
man were still within hearing whel
Tom swung Nan lightly to the groun
e'A0 NAOPPCo DC9ANS llSls 4NO WOIu wa
spoken until she had emptied and re
: filled her bucket at the spring, the
, Tom said, with the pickering tang still
> on his tongue:
Say, Nan, I want to know who it /
that's going to kill you if he happen
:, to find you talking to me-"
;" She shook her head despondently. "
n cayn't new tell you that, Tom-Jeff."
h I'D like to know why you can't"
e Because he'd shore kill me then.
/, Then I'll find out some other way.
: What differ does it make to you ?
8 she asked; and again the dark eve
searched him till he was fain to loo
= away from her.
e Il reckon it doesn't make any differ
e ence, If you don't want it to. But on
n time you were willing enough to tel
a. me your troubles, and"
u And I'll new do it naree 'nothe
n time; never, never. And let me te
81 you somethin' else, Tom-Jeff Gordon
: II you know what's good for you, don
&c you new come anigh me again. On
10 time we usen to be a boy and a eli,
together; you're nothin but a bow We
: but l-oh, Tom Jeff-rm a womanI"
II And with that saying she snatche