Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-12-09
re. WHO war met feIIerye

fer me ter name his name.
The boy picked up his battered hat.
Give me my grist, he said shortly.
He stood by, breathing heavily but
silently while the sack was being tied.
then, putting it down by the door, ne
wheeled and faced the older man.
Now ye're a-goin' ter tell me what
| needs ter know he said quietly ''or
I'm a-goin' ter Kill We whar ye stands"
Uncle Bob laughed. He had meant
all the while to imparL that sIcculent
bit OF information, which was no infor-
nation at all, but misunderstanding sus-
riate and envenom the boy with the
cumulative force Of climax.
Hit warn't nobody but" After a
pause he went on, but old Milt Nc
Br1ar's own son, Young Milt."
"Thet's ALL said Jeb soberly; I'm
obleeged ter ye,"
He went out with the sack On his
shoulders and the rife under his arm,
but when he had reached place in
the woods where a blind trail struck
back he deposited his sack carefully
under a ledge Of overhanging rock, for
the clouds were mounting and banking
now in a threat of rain and it was not
his own meal, so he must be careful
Of it's safety.
Then he crossed the ridge until he
came to a point where the thicket
grew down close and tangled to the
road. He had seen Young Milt going
west along that road this morning and
by nightfall he would be riding back.
The gods Of chance were playing INTO
his hands.
So he lay down, closely hugging the
earth, and cooked his rife. For hours
he crouched there with unspeakable
patience, while his muscles cramped
and his feet and hands grew cold I'M
der the pelting of rain which was
strangely raw and chilling for the sea-
son. The sun sank in an angry bank
Of thunder-heads and the west grew
lurid. The drenching dOwnpOur blind
ed him and trickled down his spine I'm,
der his clothes, but at last he saw the
figure he awaited riding a horse he
knew. 1t was the same roam mare that
Bad Anse had restored to MiIt Nc
Briar.
When young Milt rode slowly by,
fifty yards away, with his mount at a
walk and his reins hanging, he was
untroubled by any anxiety, because he
was in his own territory and was at
heart fearless. The older boy from
Tribulation felt his temples throb and
the rife came slowly up and the one
eye which was not closed looked point
blank across immovable sights and
along a steady barrel into the placid
face of his intended victim.
He could see the white of MiIt's eye
and the ragged lock of ha1r under the
hat-brim which looked like a smudge
OF SCOT across his brow. Then slowly
Jeb McNash Shook his head A spasm
of battle went through him and shook
him like a CONFUSION to the sOles OF
his feet. He mad but to crook his fin
ger to appease his blood-lust-and
break his pledge.
81 done give AnSe my hand ter bide
my time 'CweIl [ war dead sartain E" ne
told himself 4 hain't quite dead sar.
tain he told himself q nain|t quite
dead sartain yit. | reckon I've got ter
wait spell"
He unlocked the rife and the other
boy rode on, out young Jeb folded mis-
arms on the wet earth anu buried his
facs in them ann 7"bbed, and II was
an hour later thai he stumbled to his
feet and went groggIly back, drunk
with bitterness and emotion, coward
the house Of Anse Havey. Yet when
he arrived after nightfau his tongue
told nothing and his features told less.
Juanita. living in the cabin she had
built with the girl who had become her
companion and satellite, making fire.
quent hard journeys to some house
which the shadow OF illness had in
vaded, found it hard to believe that
this life had been hers only a few
months. Suspense seemed to stretch
weeks to years, and she awoke each
new day braced to hear the news of
some fresh outbreak, and wondered
why she did not. A few neighbo1hood
children were already learning their
rud1ments, and plans for more build
ings were going forward.
Sometimes Jeb came over from the
brick house to see his sister and on
the boys face was always dark cloud
OF settled resolve If Juanita never
questioned him on the topic that she
knew was nearest his heart it was De.
cause she realized that to do so would
be the surest way to estrange his
friendship and confidence.
In one thing she had gained a point.
She had bought as much property as
she should need. Back somewhere be-
hind the veil Of mysteries Anse Havey
had pressed button or spoken word,
and all the hindrance that had lain
across her path straightway evaporat-
ed. Men had come to her, with no
further solicitation on her part, and
now it seemed that many were animal
ed by desire to turn an honest penny
by the sale Of land. In every convey
ance that was drawn-deeds of ninety
nlne-year lease instead of saIe-she
read a thrifty and careful knowledge
OF land laws and reservation of min
eral and timber rights which she
traced to the head of the clan.
AS summer spent itself there was
opportunity for telling timber, and the
little sawmiH- down in the valley sent
up its drone and whine in prOclama-