Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1911-05-19

ner. She didn't count. Mods bossed
this Job, too. He acted as II he had
forgotten something besides the bow
and arrows, and about three yards of
string, which he had already brought
out in the way of baggage. He
craWled between Sandy's legs, where
the latter stood In the door of the
tepee, put his arms around the old
woman's neck, and she made one
quick grab and held him close to her
breast. Some folks have an idea
squaws aren't like other women when
you get clear down below their outer
skin. Well, they are. Sandy was up
against 1t again, because he under
stood how she felt.
Then he argued with himself in this
fashion: Although l do know how
to care for mules and dogs, amt
much up on kids. Onc't when I made
shirt out Of buckskin for kid, 1t
took me six months. This old dame
would be mighty handy. So she's in
the play. She's goin' to be Mods
little nursery maid, because he likes
her; even If she is a hundred and
nifty years old"
The chief didn't care. It meant one
mouth less to feed, and saved some
body from knocking her on the head.
And she, poor wretch, divided be-
tween affection for her tribe, dis
trust Of the white man, and love for
Mods, finally gave in to the latter, and
went along.
Well, in the course of time, they
all landed in Canada gulch. and set
tied down into the happiest little par
ty you ever saw. Before they came,
the only partner Sandy had was a
three-legged dog. Before they came,
an eight-by-ten shack had been big
enough. Now all this was changed.
Sandy had the finest cabin ON the
gulch. The biggest In all the dis.
trict. Had three rooms and a big
porch, and some store furniture. Quit
using tin plates and tin cups and tin
spoons. Swore off on tin, and got SO
that real china. half-inch thick, the
real, fine kind they use in restaurants
in big cities, wasn't any too good.
Mods brought an addition into the
family, not being satisfied with loaf
ing around with the dog and Re-
becky. 1t was shaggy little burro
He called 1t Pete. although Sandy
thought Jane would be more appro.
pirate, because It wasn't a pete"
kind of burro.
Sandy, wanting to give Mods an
dedication" used to come in at night
and laboriously teach him his A B
C's, until the little yellow head would
get the droops, and the eyes would
lose their velvety brightness. Then
any one passing the cabin would see
the glow of pipe, and, II he took
the trouble to walk up the path be-
tween the sweet-smelling flowers, he
would find big, lank man sitting
on bench in the darkness of his
porch, looking far out over the hills
and the lights of other cabins, and
either telling stories or holding tight
tired little boy who had gone asleep
very fast asleep. Most always at
their feet was curled a three-legged
dog, ready to fight for them both If
harm offered If you looked farther
where the lamp shone through the
cabin door, you would probably see
bent old squaw, squatted on the
floor, making something out of beads
When one Is happier than ever be-
fore in all his life, and has every.
thing he wants, and all the love he
has starved for through all the years
the heels of Times moceasins are
creased. Then Time is young and
travels fast. The fellow who first
pictured him as slow. dragging old
man, with gait like a turtle. and
toting scythe, must have known him
only In trouble. That's when he goes
slow. Two years, which didn't seem
more than an hour long, had passed
over before Time went slow in Can
ada gulch. then stopped and made
each day month, each week an age
and lifetime pack too heavy for
the shoulders.
Sandy had piece of pipe to mend,
and came up to the cabin. on the
point Of the hill, when he heard steps
He turned round inquiringly to see
man as big as himself. And he
wasn't the sort of man you like. One
Of those bull-necked, thick-lipped
coarse-looking fellows, who leers in
stead of smiles. and brags when he
talks.
I've come to get my boy-the one
you call Mods" he said.
The wrench dropped from Sandy's
clay-covered hands. A minute be-
fore the birds had sung, the flowers
bloomed, and the sun shone. Now the
birds were voiceless, the posies with
out color, and the sun had slipped
from sight. It was very still. and all
the world was unreal and full of
bloom. A blow in Sandy's face would
have brought instant response, but
this stranger, In a dozen words, had
hit full In the heart, so that 1t al
most stopped beating. and. for the
first time In all his life, Sandy trem-
bled and was afraid, and couldn't
strike back. He looked at the stran.
ger, at the cabin, and then up into
the sky 1t didn't seem that God
could be so unkindi
This was something he had never
thought of. He swallowed several
times before he could get sneech the,,