Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1912-10-03
cHApreR xlI.

Instead of returning to the city on
Monday, Daylight rented the butchers
horse for another day and crossed the
bed of the valley to its eastern hills.
AS on the previous day, just for the
joy of 1t, he followed cattle-trails at
haphazard and worked his way up to-
ward the SUBMITS. Coming out upon
wagon road that led upward. he fol-
lowed it for several miles, emerging
in small, mountain-encircled valley,
where half a dozen poor ranchers
farmed the wine-grapes on the steep
slopes. Beyond, the road pitched up
ward. Dense chaparral covered the
exposed hillsides, but in the creases
of the canyons huge spruce trees
grew, and wild oats and flowers.
Late in the afternoon he broke
through, and followed well-defined
trail down a dry canyon. The dry
canyon gave place to one with o slen-
der ribbon Of running water The
trail ran into a wood-road; and the
wood-road emergediacross a small fiat
upon a slightly Travelled country road
There were no farms in this immedi-
ate section, and no houses. The soil
was meager, the bedrock either close
to the surface or constituting the sur
face itself. Manzanita and scrub-oak,
however, fiourished and walled the
road on either side with a jungle
growth. And out runway through
this growth a man suddenly scuttled
in way that reminded Daylight Of q
rabbit.
He was a little man. In patched
overalls; bareheaded. with a cotton
shirt open at the throat and down the
chest. The sun was ruddy-brown In
his face, and by 1t his sandy hair was
bleached on the ends to peroxide
blonde. He signed to Daylight tc
halt, and held up letter.
IF you're going to town, I'd be
obliged II you mail this" he said,
II sure WILL" Daylight put It into
his coat pocket. do you live here
abouts, stranger?"
But the little man did not answer
He was gazing at Daylight in a sur
prlsed and steadfast fashion.
81 know you" the little man an
nounced. You're Elan Harnish-
Burning Daylight, the papers call you
Am | right?"
Daylight nodded.
We'll I'm glad | wrote that Letter
this afternoon" the little man wen
on, "or else I'd have missed seeing
you. I've seen your photo in the pa
pers many time, and I've a good
memory for faces. | recognized yor
at once, My names Ferguson"
do you live hereabouts?" Daylight
repeated his query,
"oh, yes. I've got a little shacl
back here In the bush hundred yard:
and a pretty spring, and few fruit
trees and berry bushes Come In ant
take q look, And that spring Is Q
dandy You never tasted water like
1t. Come In and try It"
Walking and leading his horse, Day
light followed the qulck.stepplng
eager little man through the greer
tunnel and emerged abruptly upon the
clearing Il clearing 1t might be called
where wild nature and mans earth
scratching were inextrlcably blended
It was tiny nook in the hills, pro
tected by the steep walls Of a canyor
mouth. Here were several large oaks
evldencing a richer soil. The erosion
of ages from the hillside had slowly
formed this deposit of fat earth. I'm
der the oaks, almost buried in them
stood q rough, implanted cabin, thu
wide veranda of which, with chairs
and hammooks. advertised an out.of
doors bedchamber. Dayllght's keer
eyes took In everything, The clearing
was irregular, following the patches
Of the best soil, and every fruit tree
and berry bush, and even each voge
table plant, had the water PERSONAL!
conducted to it. Tho tiny irrigation
channels were everywhere, and alQni
some of them the water was running
Ferguson looked eagerly into hi
visitors face for signs Of appreciation
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