The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-08-06

J dashed out blindly into the peace of
the spring morning. He cut across
his mothers flower beds, leaving be-
hind a trail Of tender young plants,
trampled and broken, and ran into the
barn to whcre his horse 3 head was
thrust in greeting to him over the bars
Of box-stall. Tom flung both arms
about Club g neck, then the tears came
tears all born of rage, humiliation,
and more dangerous passions. The drops
fell slowly, dropping off the horse S
cream -colored name into the straw.
"Pa licked me-awful, this time!"
gasped the boy He shan t do it again.
In-I'n get even. III" His hand
went to his pocket and touched the
knifo there, and as his fingers curled
round it, the confusion in his thoughts
cleared. Suddenly his mind seemed
possessed Of a definite resolve. He
shuddered and the tears dried quickly
on his face.
The bars of the box-stall were bent
. and the horse was taxing their frail re-
sistancc. AT last Tom took the old
bride from peg, but before he led
his treasure out into the sunshine, he
pressed his cheek, with kind of fur
tive tenderness, against the warm, vel
vet-like nostrils.
The farmhouse showed white and
freshly painted at the end of a short
path, between tall stalks of hollyhocks
in bloom. Tom lodged around the
barn and made for the lower meadow.
He would be out Of call of his moth
er's voice there. He dropped astride
rock and allowed his horse to crop the
grass near.
After futile effort to recall details
of his fight of the previous day with
Ted Cutheral, in the school yard-he
could remember nothing but thuds and
blood and dust, then being shown the
brick he had hurled after Ted 8 re.
treating form-he fell to considering
for the thousandth time Club s fine
points. A better mood touched him.
1t neutralized his passion, temporarily,
passion that was like physical pain.
Wash t he the owner Of the best horse
in tho county! A horse that was
swifter, sounder, smarter than any of
which he had ever read or heard! Was
there ever such slender, arched neck,
when it was raised like that; and the
ears pricked. Then Tom saw what the
horse had been quicker to notice. A
young man had crept through the
bushes bordering the creek, stumbled
forward and stopped.
All the morning was peace, yet the
mans face showed haggard and dark,
with eyes that cleaned like the eyes
Of trapped animal. His hair was
black, ragged, damp with dew, and the
whole of him appeared dTenched and
torn as if with heavy storms.
Tom came suddenly to his feet.
"What d you wanti" he stammered.
"Where-where d you come 'FRONT.'"
There was no answer. The dark face
quivered, and there was such over
whelming terror in the eyes that Tom
forgot his own.
"Are you sick-hurt7 Is somebody
after youi" Tom approached step
or two nearer tho stranger.
"No. Nobody's after me-not that
I know of. The words were uttered
uncertainty, heavily, as from mind
bending under a burden beyond its
strength. The young man swayed a
little, but steadied himself again by a
hand on the horses flank. All the
ragged length of him denoted muscular
power, yet he was bent, and moved as
an old man moves.
"Sit down here" the boy said,
quickly compassionate.
The wild eyes shifted to the rock an
instant, then returned to Tom S sympa-
thetic face and stayed there. 81 can
rest," he muttered. ~ m beat out,
but I can't rest. I've walked from
Fulton, where I live. It's twenty five
miles-over that mountain at the end of
the valley, but I'can't sleep nor rest. !"
eff something's thoubln' you, it
might help--to tell" Tom urged. 81