Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1911-01-06
CHAPTER VI.

oHe anu IuSSol dltCihO
when all the silent forest world was
stepped in the deep peace of early au-
tumn, Thomas Jefferson was fishing
luxuriously in the most distant OF the
upper pools. There were three fat
perch gill-strung on forked withe I'M
der the overhanging bank, and fourth
was rising to the bait, yhen the peace
full stiffness was rudely rent by
crashing in the underground. and
great dog, of a breed hitherto unknown
to Paradise, bounded into the little
glade to stand glaring at the fisherman,
his teeth barred and his black hairs
bristling.
ooh, please! Don't hurt my dog!"
said rather weak little voice out CT
the rearward void.
You come round here and call him
of O. me-"
HE is not wishing to hurt you, or
anybody" said the voice. Down, Hec-
tori"
The Great Dane passed from sus-
picious rightly and threatening lip
twitchings to mighty and frivolous
gambolings, and Thomas Jefferson got
up to give him room. A girl was try
ing to make the dog behave. So he
had chance to look her over before
the battle for sovereignty should be-
gin.
There was O little shock Of disdain-
full surprise to go with the first glance.
Somehow he had been expecting some
thing very different; something on the
order of the Queen of Sheba-done
small, of course-as that parsonage
was pictured in the family Bible-a
girl, proud and scornful, and possibly
wearing a silk dress and satin shoes.
Instead, she was only a pale, tired
baby in a brier-torn frock; girl
whose bones showed brazenly at every
angle, and whose only claim to a Sec
ond glance lay in her thick mop of
reddish brown hair and in pair OF
great, slate-blue eyes two sizes too
large for the thin face. A double con-
clusion came and sat in Thomas JEFF
ferson's mind: she was rather to be
contemptuously pitied than feared;
ind as for looks-well, she was not to
be thought of in the same day with
black-eyed Nan Brysrson. When the
dog was reduced to quietude, the small
one repaid Thomas Jefferson's stare
with a level gaze out of the over sized
eyes.
WAS It that you were afraid of
Hsctor?" she asked.
"Huh!" said Thomas Jefferson, and
the scorn was partly for her queer way
of speaking and partly for the, foolish
ness of the question. Huh! 1 reckon
you don't know who 1 am. I'd have
killed your dog II he'd jumped on me-
maybe"
you are Thomas Gordon. Your
mother took care of me and prayed
for me when I was sick. Hector is
AN extremely good dog. He would
not jump at you"
TITS mighty lucky for him he didn't"
Dragged Thomas Jefferson, with a very
creditable imitation of his fathers
grim frown. Then he sat down on the
bank OF the stream and busted himself
with his fishing tackle as IL he consid-
cred the incident closed.
What Is 1t that you are trying to
dor" asked Ardea, when the silence
had extended to the third worm I'm
paled on the hook and promptly abb
stracted therefrom by a willy sucker
lying at the bottom of the pool.
Il was f1shin some before you and
your dog came along and scared all
the perch away" he said. sourly. Then,
turning suddenly on her: why don't,
you go ahead and say 1t? Is it cause
you're afeard to-"
Il don't know what you mean"
Il know what you're going to say;
you are going to tell me this Is your
grandfather's land and run me off. But
1 amt amin to go till I'm good and
ready"
you are such a funny boy" she re-
marked. and there was something in
her way Of saying it that made Thorn
as Jefferson feel little and infantile
and inferior. though he was sure there
must be an immense age difference n
his favor. II think you are mean,
meant" she sobbed, with an angry
stamp Of her foot. II want to 70
ho-ome!"
We'll, reckon there amt anybody
holdin' you." said Thomas Jefferson,
brutaily. He was intent on fixing the
sixth worm on the hook in such fash
ion as permanently to discourage the
bait thief. and was coming to his own
In the matter Of self possession with
grateful facility. 1t was going to be
notably easy to bully her-another
point of difference between her and
nan Bryerson.
II know there isn't anybody holding
me. but-but can't find the way"
You want me to show your" he
asked. putting all the ungraciousness
he could muster into the query.
You might tell me, should think.
I've walked and Walked"
81 reckon I'd better take you: YOU
might get lost again." he said, with
gloomy sarcasm. Then he consumed
all the time he could for the method.
cal disposal Of his fishing tackle. 1t
would be good for her to learn that
she must wait on his motions.
She waited patiently, sitting on the
ground with one arm around the neck
of the Great Dane; and when Thomas
Jefferson stole a glance at her to see
how she was taking it, she looked so
tired and thin and woebegone that he
almost let the better part of him get
the upper hand. That made him sur
Tier than ever when he finally recoy-
cred his string of fish from the stream
and said: We'll, come on, il you're
comm"
He told himself. hypocritically, tina
II was only to show her what hard
ships she would have to face IL ali,
should try to tag him. that he dragge,
her such weary round over the hill
and through the worst brier patche