The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1915-11-05
VI.
A Young Mans Fancy.

~" ~
went on Brick, in reply to La
homa's query. And when I'm
old and no count you'd need
somebody to take care Of you. and
you'd go full equipped and ready to
stand up to any civilized person that
tried to run a bluff on you"
But, oh. I want to go-I want to 60
and alkali and buffalo grass-where
they's pavements and policemen and
people in beautiful clothes! l don't
mean now. l mean when I've got civ.
ilized." She drew herself up proudly
II wouldn't go till l was c~ivilized-till
l was like them" She turned impul-
sively to Brick: But you've got to go
with me when l go! I'm going to
stay with you till I'm At to go, and
then you're going to stay with me the
rest Of my life."
Am I fit to go with herr" Brick ap-
pealed to Bill Atkins.
"You amt" Bill replied.
II amt flt,' Brick declared firmly.
The tears were in Lahoma's eyes. She
looked from one to the other, her lit
tie face deeply troubled. Suddenly she
grabbed up her books and started to-
ward the stove. ''Then this here civ
ilizing is going to stop!" she declared.
"Lahoma.'' Brick cried in dismay.
Eyes, it is-unless you promise to
stay with me when | go to live in the
big world"
"Honey, I'll promise you this: When
you are ready to live out there I'll sure
60 with you and stay with you'll
you want me. when the time comes
Lahoma seized his hand and jumped
up and down in delight.
Its a safe PROMISE" remarked Bill
Atkins dryly.
One evening in May a tall 1.-the fig
ure crept along the southern base of
the mountain range, following It's
curves with cautious feet as If fearful
of discovery. He was a young man of
twenty-one or two. bronzed. free OF
movement, agile Of step. His face was
firm, handsome and open. A few yards
from Brick Willock's dugout now stood
a neat log cabin. and not far from the
door of this cabin was a girl of about
fifteen seated on the grass.
She had been reading. but her book
had slipped to her feet. With hands
clasped about her knee and head tilted
back she was watching the lazy white
clouds that stretched like wisps of
scattered cotton across the blue field
of the sky. The young man stretched
himself where a block Of granite and.
below it. a cedar tree e%ffectually pro
tected him from discovery. Thus hid
den he stared at the girl unblinkingly.
For two years he had led the life
Of a cowboy, exiled from his kind, go
ing with the boys from lower Texas to
Kansas along the Chisholm trail, over
seeing great herds Of cattle, caring for
them day and night. scarcely ever I'M
der a roof, even that Of a dugout.
Through rain and storm the ground
had been his bed. During these two
years Of hard life, reckless companions
and exacting duties he had easily
slipped into the grooves of speech and
thought common to his fellows. Only
his face, his unconscious movements
and accents distinguished him from the
other boys of "Old Man Walker" the
boss of the Char outfit On no Other
condition but that Of apparent assimi
lation could he have retained his place
with Walkers ranchmen.
For two years he had seen no ont
like the girl Of the cove:
That was wonderful hair, its brown
tresses cleaning, though untouched b!
the sun, as II in 1t were enmeshed In
Vulnerable particles of light. The fac
was more wonderful. There was tn
seal Of innocence on the lips, the proc
Of fearlessness in the eyes, the toucl
of thought OH the brow, the sign o
purpose about the resOlute little CHR
The slender brown hands spoke Of lif
in the open air. and the glow Of tn
cheeks told of burning suns Her form
her attitude. spoke not only of instint
tive grace. but Of a certain wildness i
admira BILE harmony with the surround
ing scene.
1t seemed to him that in this yOun
girl, who had the look and pOise Of
woman. he had found what hithert
he had vainly sought in the wilderness