The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1915-07-15

ish the notion of being so close to the
frankly amorous driver. who neglect
ed no opportunity to be personal.
Therefore he helped her to her seat |
inside and resumed his place in front |
Bill, now broadly communicative, |
minutely detailed his tastes in food, |
horses, liquors and saddlers in mono
logue which would have been tiresome
to any one but an imaginative young
eastern student Bill had a vast
knowledge of the west. but distress
ing habit Of repetition.
In this informing way some ten miles
were traversed. the road climbing ever
higher and the mountains to right and
left increasing in grandeur each hour.
till of sudden and in deep valley
on the bank of another swift stream
they came upon squalid saloon and
a minute postofhce. This was the town
of Moskow.
Bill, numbering down over the wheel.
took bag Of mail from the boot and
dragged it into the cabin. The girl rose,
stretched herself and said: This stag
in is slow business. Pm cramped. I'm
going to walk on ahead"
May go with you" asked Nor
cross.
"Sure thing! Come along"
AS they crossed the little pole bridge
which spanned the food the tourist
exclaimed: What exquisite water!
It's like melted opals."
Comes right down from the snow"
she answered. impressed by the poetry
Of his simile.
He would gladly have fingered, lis
tening to the song of the water, but as
she passed on he followed The oppo-
site hill was sharp and the road stony.
but as they reached the top the young
easterner called out, "See the savins"
Before them stood a grove of cedars.
old, gray and drear, as weirdly impress
sive as the cacti in a Mexican desert
Torn by winds, SCARED by lightnings.
deeply rooted. tenacious as tradition,
unlovely as Egyptian mummies, fantas-
tic, dwarfed and blackened. these un-
accountable creatures clung to the
lodges. "What do you suppose planted
those trees thereF"
The girl was deeply impressed by the
novelty of this query. 81 never thought
to ask ] reckon they just grew"
mo, there's reason for all these
paintings" he insisted.
I'VE don't worry ourselves much
about such things out here" she re-
piled. with charming humor. 1--WE
don't even worry about the weather
We just take things as they come"
They walked on talking with new in.
timacy. Where is your homer he
asked
"A few miles out of Bear Tooth. You
are from the east. Bill says-'the far
east we call it,
From New Haven. I've just finished
at Yale. Have you ever been in q
city?"
"Oh, yes! go to Denver once in
awhile, and l saw st. Louis once. but
was only IL yearling and don't remem.
ber much about it. What are you do
| | Z,
He looked away at the mountains
II got rather used up last spring, and
my doctor said I'd better come out here
for awhile and build up. I'm going uI
to Meeker's mill. Do you know where
that is?"
Il know every stovepipe in this park.
she answered Joe Meeker is kind o
related to me-uncle by marriage. He
lives about fifteen miles over the hill
from Bear Tooth"
This fact seemed to bring them still
It closer together. "I'm glad of that" HI
:: said pointedly. Perhaps ! shall b.
t permitted to see you now and again
Pm going to he lonesome for awhile
+ I'm. afraid"
Don't you believe it.! Joe Meeker'
n boys will keep you Interested" she as
sured him
Il The stage overlook them at this pOin
l. and Bill surlily remarked. IF you,
been alone. young feller, I'd "a Civ
: you chase" His resentment of til
IL outsiders growing favor with the gir
was ludicrously evident.
g AS they rose into the higher level
s. the aspen shook its yellowish leaves il
" the breeze and the purple foothill
'e gained in majesty. Great new peak
T. came into view on the right, and til
III lofty cliffs of the Bear Tooth rang
III loomed in naked grandeur high abov
+ the blue green of the pines which clott
ed their sloping eastern sides.
At intervals the road passed sma
log ranches crouching low on the bank
IL Of creeks. but aside from these-an
- the sparse animal life around them
no sign of settlement could be seel
The valley lay as it had lain for tho,
y sands Of years. repeating its forests q
. the meadows of the lower levels sen
=. forth their annual grasses Norcros
said to himself, Il have circled I'll
-, track of progress and have re-entere
:. the border America, where the stag
=. coach is still the one stirring thing b
-. meath the sun"
n At last the driver, with note Of C.
~ ultation. called out. "Grab root, ever
he body; it's all the way down hill al
,h time to feed
to And so as the dusk came over ii
be mighty spread of the hills to the ca
and the peaks to the west darkene
Of from violet to purple black the sta:
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