The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1914-04-17
The Vigilance Committee.

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~HIS crisis in her life, the killing
Of her husband, Anderson Cree,
had brought to Judith some
thing new. Before a woman
MI gentle yielding and placidity. she
was become now me Of a hard, al
most a fierce determination. But it
was a determination walked, not Great
ed, by her calamity; unguessed it had
lain always at the back of her emo
tons, only heretofore there had been
nothing to call it into being.
Watching her as she came across the
yard toward him David felt the change
In her with the flashing intuition pos
sessed by some children: felt it and.
childllke, stored it in his mind as a
fact without fully knowing what it
was nor whence it came.
AS his mother reached him and start
ed to speak. suddenly. looking past his
shoulder, the words died on her lips,
her eyes dilated and in her throat was
a low sound Of fear and loathing as
though she had seen a snake. and,
turning about without q word, she al
most ran back into the house. David
spun round to look. There, through
the blue curtain Of smoke, he made
out Kip Ryerson ascending the hill
beside the house. evidently returning
to the sawmill after his o meal. At
the sight David dropped the ak he held
and, his whole small body %stiffening
with hate, he went swiftly into the
house after his mother.
He found her where she had drop
ped down on a chair, looking white
and shaken. and, walking straight up
to her, he laid his rough little hand on
her shoulder, a show of affection which
was rare with him.
HE sha'n't never 30 by this house
ergin, NANNY he said in a low voice
mufled by passion. mot never ergin
II promise yer"
His wonderful dark eyes looked at
her very young and full of tenderness
but about his mouth was a determined
look that was years older.
That night Robert Reddin's fences
were In danger, and many Of the mer
Of the Draft turned out to help him
fight FIRE. With rakes and forked
sticks they swept a path along all his
line Of fencing down to old man Leath
erbee's, where he and his three boys
turned out to meet them and carry thu
path around their own lines and OF
until it safely Joined the broad roat
looAjr~ <n <hn forvr~ ~, $ho ton ~
Drupe mountain, while the other mel
turned back along the path firing
against the wild fire as they went.
The usual dark mystery Of the noun
tain was changed that night to a blaz
Of lurid smoke and fame, and it's still
men as they called scraps Of news t
one another Y the crackle and roa
Of the fire; by halloos or an occasiona
Tilt Of song, as when Grin Snyder. i
bis usual boisterous spirits, heralde
his approach with a snatch Of col
Dan Tucker shouted out at the to
Of his lungs:
II be logged eff it amt ther fines
show er fire l eve seed" he erie
jovially. AN I've seed this ole mour
tain lit up more'n onct.'
"You oughtn't ter talk that kereles
way erbout this here fire. Orin," Lloy
Johnson, Anderson Cree's brother-il
law, broke in complainingly. II tax
hit this is er erfiction Their Almighty
sent down on this Draft. An eff the
Lords pleased ter send us erfiction h
don't seem right fer folks ter try t.
Kit pleasure out er hit"
"Hit amt no erfliction ter me yit
Snyder returned buoyantly. Hit ain
teched err rail er my fencin' SO fer"
"Waal, now, there's jest Their diffe
ence," a voice struck in out Of Il
nearby shadows; hits ct up for
panel e Lloyd's back fence, 50
~natchelly thinks hits an eraiction
Their whole ORATOR was hit tn
whole world you said?" The vol
paused in polite inquiry.