Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-28

Germ, that sometimse one has only a
choice OF evils, that when a man has
made q mess Of it which he can
straighten out by stepping off the
stage, he might as we'll do it--and that
he had had his share Of happiness
since she had been with him, anyhow,
and was far ahead Of the game! Tru'
deau could not know what foolish.
silly, tragic letter 1t was, this product,
Of insane commercialism. He thought
life and the woods enough. and won,
dered at the shaking Of the mans
shoulders, and was amazed to see the,
tears dropping through his fingers as.
he bowed his head upon his hands
a man with ffty.dollar sleeping
bag!
Over at the Loree headquarters
there were roaring fires, fresh ven
ison, a skilful chef, jolly companions.
and the perfection Of camp life. The
storm cleared. That strong old hunt
err, Loree. declaring that his business
was to stalk deer, marched of In the
solitary quest which is the only thing
that brings the haunch to the spit In
the Minnesota cutover forest. He was
briskly bearded, keen Of eye and Wig
orous, handled his gun cannily, and
craftily negotiated the fallen and tan
gled timbers, his glance sweeping
every open vista for game There
was no time to think of anything but
the making of his way, and Of the
chase. Troubles and triumphs retired
to the outer verge of consciousness.
Primeval problems claimed his
thoughts, and the primeval man rose
to meet them. 1t was in this ancient
and effective wise that he had sharp
ened his weapons set his snares, and
hunted down Foster Van Dorm and
left him in the money-jungle. appar-
emily unhurt, but really smitten to the
heart and staggering to his fall. 1t
was the Loree way. AS an old hunter.
he knew just where his shaft had
struck. and how long the quarry could
endure the hemorrhage. Had he not
said that the fellow should be made
to rue the Loree displeasure? rf' E
Like a fash these half-thoughts be-
came no thoughts as dark blotch
caught his eye, far off on the snow,
beyond a little thicket. -..... ..-
What is that?" he said to himself.
1t Is little hard to say, but the mat
ter is worth looking into. Just the
color of deer! Just where a deer
would rest! We must work up the
wind little closer, for some men are
so foolish as to wear those duns and
browns; but that!-that Is deer's
coat. 1t won't do to jump him and
trust shot as he goes-those frs will
hide him at the first leap. A long shot
at a standing target-there! He
moved! There's not second to lose!
A long shot, truly; but that graceful
rife thinks nothing of half mile.
There are many intervening bushes
and saplings; but the steel-jacketed
bullet would kill on the farther side
of the thickest pine, and even soft
nosed one will cut clearly to this
mark. The colonels practised left
hand immovably supported the barrel;
the coloneps keen eye through the
carefully adjusted sights saw plainly
| the biotch Of deerslkin down the little
glade; and the colonel's steady fore.
finger confidently pressed the lightly
set trigger Spat! The colonel felt
the rifleman's delicious gertrude that
his bullet had found It's mark, threw
ready to try the bisecting of the smit'
ten deer's first agonized bound-but
the blur of fur Just stirred little, and
slipped down out of sight.
Painting in the killers frenzy, Loree
struggled over the debris to reach his
game. How oddly the deer had fallen!
Heart, or brain, likely; as 1t went
and on the other side-yes, patch
Of Redeemed snow, and the body Of
no, not deer, but man, dead, 1t
seemed, clad in deerskin jacket, q
rifle by his side, and in his hand q
notebook full Of figures, its pages
all stained and crumpled! ~.-,.e.
There was a shout in the far dis.
lance, but Loree heard it not He
knew his solitude, and never looked
for aid. The white strangeness of the
face of the man he had shot overcame
the sense of something familiar in It.;
| and the colonel after moments
scrutiny, addressed himself frantic
ally to the stanching of the blood. A
deep groan seemed to warrant hope !;
and STOPPING beneath the body, Loree
took 1t up and began bearing 1t toward
the camp. He had an overwhelming
consciousness of thu terrible task be-
fore him; but the realization Of the hui.
man life dashed out, some home blast.
ed, some infinity of woe, and the bare
chance of rescue, rolled sickeningly
over him, and he set his teeth and at.