News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1913-10-01

GA Eggs2 II Y III M SEaxY7SS SggssAs
1.-TWO more buckets of water, and yev
jest git move on. And how long hey
yew bin promisin' to white me then
clothes-pins? Now jest yew hustle
Pete, or I'll set right ugly"
Pete only cut from the plug into
| his palm, and rolled the tobacco small
for his corn-cob pipe. His winter
servitude was snded, and he was mas
| ter, the cargador before whom al
men bow in the dread northlands
Mother went off content to carry heI
own water, and Pete, with something
Of flourish, lighted his pipe.
"Mother!" Pete let out a sharp call
anc forgetting her business, mother
came quite humbly, as though to heel.
Yes, Peter"
He pointed with his pipe at a dis.
tant horseman rounding the flank Of
the hill.
"Brooke?" she whispered, both
gnarled rheumatic hands clutched at
her heart.
81 recken," said Pete cheerfully.
sorrels gathering a loose near-hind
shoe, and her mouth just bleeding as
he saws with that spade bit. He's a
sure polecat. Trots down-hill, too, and
suffers in his tail. Incompetent, moth
er. Look at his feet. He's bad as a
fol rnttnn IN The hnnnQ
Peen drinking. too"
Brooke drew up and dismounted.
leaving his rein on the horses neck,
instead of dropping it to the ground.
When Brooke moved to sit on an
apareio Pete ordered him to one of
the kitchen boxes. mot Bolt hisself
may sit on my riggings," said the old
gray cargador.
81 thought" said Brooke quite kind
ly, that this harness was nine
"a half-interest," said mother.
surely"
81 fear" said Brooke, you sort OF
misunderstood. Old Taylor did say
something about your usefulness as a
working partner. and, Of course. if we
hadn't Cancelled that preposterous con-
tract with the Mudson's Bay Company,
there's do doubt your knowledge or
the country up north would have been
worth paying for. 1t was, as you say,
damned awkward about his being
blind as bat; in fact, I was put to
quite lot of trouble getting the agree
ment witnessed However" he pro-
uuced a document which mother
snatched, 'it's all there in black and
white, and there's the old FOOLS sig
nature-holds sood in any court of
law-proves that I've bought and paid
for the whole atajo. You needn't
claim | haven't a clear title-so you
needn't stare at me as if I'd forged the
signature. It's straight goods, 1 tell
you"
Mother reeled backward, while she
grabbed Pete's shoulders so that the
agreement fltttered to Brooke's feet
She steadied herself, then with
husky croak, You made Bolt sign
that-blind, dying, so he dunno what's
on the paper"
Can you prove that?" asked
Brooke indulgently, as though he
spoke to children. eff you say things
like that, it's criminal libel, and you're
both liable to the Skookum House.
However" he shrugged his shoulders,
and put the agreement away, Il don't
want TO be hard on you, Pete"
Mister Mathson," mother Kissed at
him.
Pete, with a whispered word to
mother, rose frem his bench, and with
out appearing to see Mr.. Brooke,
walked past him across the sunlit
yard, and on slowly up the great lift
Ing curve of the road to Hundred Mile
House.
The sun was setting behind him
when Pete. rsssed at last upon the
snowclad summit, and dusk lay in
lakes of shadow far below him. At
the Hundred he found the lamps
alight, and, as usual, Billy offered him
drink. 81 amt drinking" said Pete
huskily, as he lurched past the bar
into the dining-hall, and on to the lit
tie room on the right where Captain
Taylor lay.
"Bolt!" he whispered.
THAT you, Pete? Sit down." said
The boss cheerily. "How's the claim.