The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1915-01-14

I yet LnC LOlulnH VI TIC 0dJ wien Ao
truce must end haunted her thoughts.
She came close. and her voice sank
with her sinking heart
", hat air hit?" she tensely demand
ed What air hit, Samson? What
fer hev ye fetched yer gun ter the
field?"
The boy laughed ooh, hit amt
nothin' perticler." he treasured. Hit
hain't nothin' fer gal ter fret herself
erbout, only l kinder suspicious
strangers jest now"
Air the truce bustedz" She put the
qr estion In tense, deep-breathed
whisper, and the boy replied casually,
almost indifferently.
! mo, Sally, hit hain't Jest ter say
busted, but pears like hits right
smart cracked reckon. though" he
added In half-disgust, "nothin' won't
come Of hit"
Somewhat treasured, she bethought
herself again Of her mission.
This here furriner hain't got no
| harm In him, Samson" she pleaded.
He pears ter be more like gal than
man He's real puny. He's got
I white skin and a bow Of ribbon on
his neck-an' he paints pictchers."
The boys face had been hardening
with contempt as the description ad-
vanced, but at the last words glow
came to his eyes, and he demanded
almost breathlessly:
Paints pictchers? How do ye know
! that"
q seen EN- He was paintin' one
when he feE often the rock and busted
his arm. It's shore es beautiful es-"
she broke of, then added with sud
den peal OF iaughter-"es er FLETCHER"
The young man slipped down from
the fence, and reached for the rife.
The hoe he left where it stood.
I'll git the nag" he announced
briefly, and swung of without further
parley toward the curling spiral OF
smoke that marked cabin a quarter
of mile below. Ten minutes later
his bare feet swung against the ribs
Of a gray mule and his rife lay bal
anced across the unsaddled withers.
Sally sat mountain fashion behind
him, facing straight 20 the side.
So they came along the creek bed
and into the sight Of the man who
still sat propped against the messy
rock As Lescott looked up he closed
the case OF his watch and put it back
into his pocket with smile.
@Snappy work. thatl" he called out
Gust thirty-three minutes. l didn't
believe it could be done.
Samson's face was masklike, but
as he surveyed the foreigner, only the
ingrained dictates OF the country's
hospitable code kept out of his eyes
a CLEAN of scorn for this frail mem
Der OF a sex which should be stalwart
.Howdy?" he said Then ne added
suspiciously: What mout yer bust
ness be in these parts. stranger"
Lescott gave the Odyssey OF his wan
deriEgs, since he had rented a mule
at Hizon and ridden through the coun-
try, sketching where the mood prompt
ed and sleeping wherever he fou-d a
hospitable roof at the coming of the
evening.
we come from over on Cripple
shin?' The boy flashed the question
with a sudden hardening of the voice,
and, when he was affirmatively ans
swered, his eyes contracted and bored
searchingly into the strangers face
'Where'd ye put up last nlght?"
Red Bill Hollman's house, at the
mouth of Meeting House fork; do you
know the placer"
Samson's reply was curt
Il knows hit all right"
There was a moments pause
rather an awkward pause Lescott'e
mind began piecing together frag-
ments of conversation he had heard,
until he had assembled sort Of men
tai jigsaw puzzle.
The South-Hollman feud had been
mentioned by the more laxative of
his informers, and carefully tabooed
by others-notable among them his
host of last night. 1t now dawned on
him that he was crossing the boun-
a Holman to ask the hospitality Of
South.
Il didn't know whose house il was"
be fastened to explain. until l was
benighted and asked for lodging. They
were very kind to me. I'd never seen J
hem before. I'm a stranger here !
bouts"
Samson only nodded. If the explana- /
ion failed to satisfy him, it at least /
seemed to do so.
Il reckon ye'd better let me holp 4
re up on tibet old mule" he said; 4
hits a-comin on ter be night"
With the mountaineer's aid, Leseott
,lambered astride the mount. then he
urned obviously.
I'm sorry to trouble you" he ven
ured, but l have a paint box and
ome materials up there. II you'll
,ring them down here, I'll show you
low to pack the easel, and. by the
vay," he anxiously added. please
o handle that fresh canvas carefully
" the edge-it's not dry yet.
He had anticipated impatient con-
empt for his artists impedimenta.
,ut to his surprise the mountain boy
lir,hed the rock and halted before l