Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1912-01-18

waist.high on either side the wagon
road, and he shifted the warm aroma
of 1t with delighted nostrils. At the
base of the knobs he encountered q
tumble-down stake-and-rider fence.
He tethered the horse and wan.
dered on foot among the knobs. Their
tops were crowned with century-old
spruce trees, and their sides clothed
with oaks and madronos and native
holly. But to the perfect redwoods be-
longed the small but deep canyon that
threaded its way among the knolls.
Here he found no passage out for
his horse. and leading the animal, he
forced his way up the hillside. On
the crest he came through an amazing
thicket Of velvettrunked young ma
dronos. and emerged on an open hill
side that led down into tiny valley.
The sunshine was at first dazzling In
The young man laughed and shook
his head.
mo; I'm telegraph operator. But
the wife and decided to take C two
years vacation, and here we
are. But the times about up. I'm
going back into the Office this fall
after I get the grapes off"
AS Daylight listened. there came to
him sudden envy of this young fell
low living right in the midst of all
this which Daylight had travelled
through the last few hours.
What In thunder are you going
back to the telegraph office for?" he
demanded.
The young man smiled with GER
tain usefulness.
Because we can't get ahead here.
l.. :" Che hesitated an instantly,
"and because there are added ex-
penses coming The rent. small as 1t
Is. counts; and besides. I'm not strong
enough to effectually farm the place.
II I owned it. or If l were a real
husky like you, I'd ask nothing better.
Nor would the wife," Again the visit
full smile lowered on his face. ''You
see. we're country born. and after
bucking with cities for few years.
We kind of feel we like the country
best. We've planned to get ahead.
though. and then some day well buy
patch Of land and stay with It."
Daylight could not persuade him.
self to keep to the travelled roads
that day. and another cut across coun-
try to Glen Ellen brought him upon
canyon that SO blocked his way that
he was glad to follow friendly cow
path. This led him to a small frame
cabin. The doors and windows were
open. and a cat was nursing q litter
Of kittens In the doorway, but no one
seemed at home, He descended the
trail that evidently crossed the can.
yon. Part way down, he met an old
man coming up through the sunset.
In his hand he carried pail of foamy
milk. He wore no hat. and In his
face. framed with snow-white hair and
beard. was the rudy glow and con-
tent of the passing summer day.
Daylight thought that he had never
seen so contented looking being.
"How old are you. daddy?" he quer-
led.
"Eighty-four," was the reply. "Yes.
Stree. eighty-four. and spryer than
most"
you must a taken good care Of
yourself" Daylight suggested.
81 don't know about that. I amt
loafed none. walked across the
plains with an OK team and fit Injuns
In 81, and I was family man with
seven youngsters. reckon l was as
old then as you are now, or pretty
nigh on to it."
Don't you find II lonely here?"
The old man shifted the pail Of milk
and reflected.
That all depends" he said oracul-
arly. 81 amt never been lonely ex-
cept when the old wife died. Some
fellers are lonely In a crowd. and Pm
one of them. That's the only time
Pm lonely, is when go to Frisco.
But l don't go no more, thank you
most to death. This Is good enough
for me. I've been right here in this
valley since Stone Of the first set
tiers after the Spaniards.
The old man chuckled, and Day
light rode on, singularly at peace with
himself and all the world. 1t seemed
that the old contentment Of trail and
camp he had known on the Yukon
had come back to him. He could not
shake from his eyes the picture Of
the old pioneer coming up the trail
through the sunset light. He was GER
tainly going some for eighty-four. The
thought of following his example en-
tered Daylight's mind. but the big
game of San Francisco vetoed the
idea.
CHAPTER XII.