The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-06-26

He stopped again and looked down
over the whispering pine tops to TIL
roaring river.
ITO you more than to those others"
she said. nodding her head toward the
bend ahead which hid the scattered
groups. land a common man might an
swer it. You are of better fiber.
They both fell silent, while the rivet
roared and the little winds played in
the pine tops.
He did not look up again. and She
watched his broad shoulders and lith':
hips give and take with the motion vi
the pick for a long time.
Her gray eyes were speculative and
very tender. while a tense line OF anx
iety drew in around her lips. Pres
emily she shifted her position u triie
AS she did so Il tiny stone under her
foot became dislodged. starting to rol!
down the sharp decline. Watching. she
saw it suddenly disappear in a narrow
crack in the worm rock OF the hillside
A moment later there came a tiny
thud as it struck bottom. a thud that
reverberated with a strangely hollow
sound.
The man did not seem to notice it
and looked up as she rose after awhile
to 60 On her way.
"Goodby." he said gently. but she
did not speak.
At supper time the men came strag-
Cling in. some weary and hopeless. 9TH
crs singing. 4 pathetic file in the high
blue shadow of the mountains. and
crowded about the basins and the
towels.
the crowd. busy at some task. but COW
ertly watching for the figure that was
not like those others.
And she long before her IA
Their stood at the cool shack door and
checked them off by number as they
filed in to the evening meal--she knew.
She did not need the sudden halt ia
the roll call. the repetition Of his mum.
Der. its iteration, the glances Of in.
Quiry. the questions. to tell her that II
had happened.
There was sudden confusion. The
supper sat untasted ON the tables while
a search was made OF the shacks and
| tents.
Then there was order. and squads
were made up and details given. and
she saw a gun suddenly spring into
sight on her fathers hip.
In ten minutes the honor camp was
out OF the hillsides starting the first
man hunt, for this was the first time
a nan had broken his parole.
The girl ran at her fathers side
1.-the and strong in her short skirt and
trim mountain boots. silent. listening
to the buzz Of comment and specula
ton.
Like ~bloodhounds the squads went
first to the wash below the high archeG
culvert which carried Off the mosI
threatening Of the big mountains rush
ing rivulets in the rains. Here lay his
tools. but of himself or the way ht
had gone there was no sign.
Skipped" said her father disdain
fully, land him a 'trusty'-the frs,
man to play the internal fool, for it'll
mean a long addition to his term whel
he's caught. And he'll be caught. Nov
we'll spread out from here"
But here the girl pushed through an(
stood just over the long crack in tn,
slanting rock. She leaned forward
bit. as If she wished her ringing youn,
voice to carry downward.
You're wrong. dad!' she erie,
strongly. II tell you you're wrong
The mans been a hunter-a fisher
He's the putteed. gauntleted. tailoret
khaki kind. and the pull Of the hill
and woods has been too strong: He
gone for a time. but he'll come back
The freedom and the wild have wake,
the old longings in him. and he's dunn
out to the woods. but he'll come bach
know. for my rife and my steel a.
rod r gone"
Rosie" said her father gravely
you've been q fool before. G.
on back to your mother"
Qbediently. having fallen c~ontentedl'