Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-10-29


and turn, Black Bolt, the splendid
horse that stamped and whinnied with
impotence in the lean-to behind the
filing shed. She could nc more let him
alone than she could refrain from lying
down to drink from a mountain rill.
He called to her blood with irresist-
ible force. Day after day she crept
shyly to the 1ean-to and dreamed,
watching the slope and the log-trail.
ooh, you beauty!" she whispered
with a soft hand on the arching neck.
"Oh, you beauty of the world God
made you strong to serve and beauti-
full to be loved!"
And at that moment, on that par
ticular day, Walter Sandry stepped
into the doorway of the lean-to. At
his foot on the sill the girl whirled
upon him, her dark eyes wide with
fright and confusion.
Il" she stammered like a child.
Sandry looked at her for the first
time keenly.
"You are fond of the horse?' he
asked.
But her tongue Glove suddenly to
the roof of her mouth and n of the
inherent silences that sometimes fell
upon her shut her lips.
She dropped her eyes, twisted her
fingers in Black Bolts name, and then,
with a gliding motion, soft-footed and
swift, went past MIN, running toward
the cook-shack.
The incident was nothing in itself.
but it set the man thinking of her.
He had seen alteration in the eyes she
bent on the splendid animal, heard 1t
in the words, stilted and incongruous.
Queer youngster." said Sandry to
himself.
That night after supper he came out,
contrary to his custom, from the little
south with its patchwork quilts,
its crocheted mat and its antique
Bible, into the big eating room.
He found Ma Daily rocking in the
little chair, her tired old hands lying
comfortably ON the Portland Weekly
spread out on her slanting lap. The
wall lamps in their tin refiectors sill
vered her white hair exquisitely and
brought out softly the thousand kindly
creases on her ruddy face.
On the end of the bench drawn up
to the stand Siletz was sitting, weav
ing a mat Of long grasses. and her
fingers were deft as an Indians.
Behind her ON the bench lay Coos
nah, head on paws, eyes blinking
sleepily.
Come in, Mr.. Sandry," said the old
lady in her rich voice. Draw up a
chair. We're restin'."
He sat down and bent a smile al
brilliant as his blue eyes on this hardy
old mother of the wilderness. From
the first he had felt her personality,
though he had no time to pay more
than a passing attention to 1t.
81 should think you'd need it." he
said. How do you manage to keep
up the strokes"
Law bless you'll" she laughed cas-
lily, 81 ben trained to It. I've cooked
in camp, young man. for forty-two
year straight ahead"
"Then you've seen the growth Of the
country, the coming of railroads, the
making of towns"
Fright from the bottom up. Seen
'em grow from three cabins an a Gov
cred wagon"
you've witnessed the inroads of
the world on this fine timber, too"
Eyes, an it hain't teched yet. I've
seen it cut up over the Range an
down this side, an they's double
stumpage for every acre that's ben
cut, between herein the coast"
Sandry was enjoying her succinct
precision of knowledge and express
sion.
And you've spent all these years in
the midst of this w~et-blanket eli
mater" he smiled, How in the world
did you do it-and keep your cheer
~fulness?"
Son." said Ma Daily kindly, you
can knock the country to me, but
don't you go dom it where the men'll
hear you. Us web-feet are used to
the rain, but we don't like to hear the
Fasteners talk about it. It's a chip
on every Oregonian's shoulder. You
don't want to queer yourself"
There was a note of genuine good
advice in the words and tone, and
Sandry got a sudden insight into sew
eral little happenings that had puzzled
him-for instance, the emphasized
wearing of blue shirts in a rain that
had soaked his o~vercoat, and a few
remarks about the fact that Oregon
rain didn't wet through.
THANK you, Mrs. Daily" he said
earnestly with a sudden feeling of
friendship between him and this
shrewd, kindly old general of men.
He turned presently to the girl,
busy in the lampiight, her black head
shining, a shadow over her eyes.
by the way" he said. "if you care
to you may ride Black Bolt whenever
you wish. He needs exercise and l
cannot use him enough. Would you