The state herald., 1915-05-28

What air hit1' she tenoely demand
ed. What ar hit, samsoni What
fer hsv ye fotched yer gun tar the
feldf"
The boy laughed. "Oh, hit amt
nothin' pertic1er." he treasured. "Hit
hain't nothin' fer . gal ter fret herself
erbout. only kinder suspicious
strangers Jest now"
Air the truce bustedT She put the
question in a tense. deep.breathed
whisper. and the boy replied casually,
almost indifferently.
No. Sally. hit hain't Jest ter say
busted. but pears like hits right
smart cracked. l reckon. though" he
added in halfdisgust. "nothin' won't
come of hit"
Somewhat reassured, she bethought
herself again Of her mission.
This here 'furriner hain't got no
harm in him, Samson" she pleaded.
He pears ter be moro like gal than
a man. He's real puny. He's got
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 a glow
came to his eyes, and he demanded
almost breathlessly:
Paints pictchers? How do ye know
that7"
II seen EN-. He was paintin' one
when he fell often the rock and busted
his arm It's shore es beautiful es-"
she broke of, then added with sud.
den peal of laughter-"es er FLETCHER"
The young man slipped down from
the fence, and reached for the rife.
The hoe he left where 1t 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 rifle lay bal
anced across the unsaddled withers.
Sally sat mountain fashion behind
him. facing straight to the side.
So they came along the creek bed
and into the sight of the man who
still sat propped against the mossy
rock. AS Lescott looked up he closed
the case of his watch and put 1t back
into his pocket with smile.
"Snappy work. that!" he called out
Just thirty-three minutes. l didn't
believe 1t 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
ber OF sex which should be stalwart.
"Howdy?" he said. Then he added
suspiciously: What mout yer bust.
ness be in these parts, stranger"
Lescott gave the Odyssey Of his wan
derings, since he had rented a mule
at Hixon and ridden through the coun.
try. sketching where the mood prompt.
ed and sleeping wherever he found q
hospitable roof at the coming OF the
evening.
"Ye come from over on Cripple
shin?" The boy flashed the question
with a sudden hardening OF the voice,
and, when he was atiirmatively ans.
swered. his eyes contracted and bored
searchingly into the strangers face.
"Where'd ye put up last night?"
RED Bill Hollman's house. at the
mouth OF Meeting House fork; do you
know the placer"
Samson's reply was curt.
II knows hit all right"
There was n moments pause
rather an awkward pause. Lescott's
mind began piecing together frag.
ments OF conversation he had heard,
until he had assembled n sort OF men.
tai jigsaw puzzle.
The South.Hollman feud had been
mentioned by the more talkative Of
his informers. and carefully tabooed
by Understandable among them his
host OF last night. II now dawned on
him that he was crossing the boun.
dary and coming as the late guest OF
a HOLMAN to ask the hospitality OF
South.
II didn't know whose house II was"
he hastened TO explain. until was
benighted and asked for lodging. They
were very kind TO me. I'D never seen
them before. I'm n stranger here.
abouts."
Samson only nodded. II the eYplana.
ton failed to satisfy him. II at leas,
seemed TO do so.
~ reckon ye'd better let me holp
ye up on thet old mule" he said:
hits a-comin' on ter be night"
with the mountaineer's aid. Lcscott
clambered astride the mount, then he
turned dubiously.
"i'm sorry to trouble you." no ven.
tured. but have n paint box and
some materials up there. II you'll
bring them down here. III show you
how to pack tho casei. and. by tho
way" he nnxiously added, please
TO handle that fresh canvas carefully
by the cdgc-it's not dry yet.
He had anticipated impatient con.
tempt for his artists impcdimentn.
hut In his HuYnrise thu maintain hov