Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1915-12-09
CHAPTER I.
Out of the Vine MapIes.


her chin, on the fat top of fir
stump. Beside her lay Coosnah. heavy
muzzle on huge paws, his eyes as pale
as the girls were dark. They were
hill-bred both. Perhaps that account
ed for the delight both found In the
solitude of this aerie, where they
could look down toward the west on
the feathery, green sea of close-packed
pine and fir. of spruce and hemlock-
and toward the east on the narrow
strip Of tide-water slough and the I'M
painted shacks of the lumber camp
huddled above its rollway. 1t was
the magnificent timber country of the
great Northwest.
Siletz was wondering, as she always
did, how far the mountains ran to the
south. how far it was to that Frisco
of which she had heard so much from
the tramp loggers who came and went
with the seasons, their turkeys" on
their backs and the joyous liberty OF
the irresponsible forever Juggling at
their eccentric souls.
Over the facing ridge she knew
that the cold Pacific roared and
coaxed on the ships. to play with them
in the hell of Vancouver coast. She
could hear 1t sometimes when the
pines were still; yet she had never
seen IT,
She had pictures of 1t in her mind
many pictures. She knew we'll how
1t would look when she should see
TIA gray floor. a world of 1t, shot
through with the reds and puppies of
a tardy sun. OF the cities she had
no clear pictures. They were artificial,
man-made, therefore alien to her, who
knew only nature, though she had
listened intently to roamers from ev-
cry corner of the globe; for Daily's
lumber camp had seen queer lot.
1t all resolved itself into these
dreams when she sat on the edge OF
a fir stump. or. better yet, in the ex-
allied cloud-high airiness of the very
apex of the Hog Back
There had been no sun, neither to-
day nor for many days; and yet there
was as surely precedence of approach
ing night as II shadows forewarned
Siletz had hoped for a break. one OF
those short pageants when the sun
should shoot for a moment into the
gloom, transferring the world. Now,
as she scanned the west, the dog sud.
denly rose from beside her, peering
down with his huge head thrust for
ward, his pendulous ears swaying. A
hundred feet below In tangle of vine
maple something was laboring. Pres.
emily the slim trees parted and out
of their tangle struggled a horse, q
magnificent black beast with haring
nostrils and full, excited eyes. After
every few steps 1t turned its head to
right or left with the instinct of the
mountain breed to zigzag. and as often
the man in the saddle pulled 1t sharp
iy back
With the first sight of the intruders
the girl on the high stump had sprung
up, leaning forward, a growing excite
ment in her face. It was the horse
that caused it. Something was stir
ring within her all suddenly and her
heart beat hard. She gripped her
braids tight in both hands and swal.
lowed.
"Blunderer." she said aloud. "Oh.
the blunderer!"
Then she cupped her hands at her
lips and called down: Let him alone!
He knows how to climb! Let him
alone!"
The man looked up startled, and
frightened his grip on the rein. The
gallant animal went down upon its
side, rolling completely over, to lodge
feet downward. against a stone. The
man swung sidewise out OF the saddle.
saving himself with a splendid quick.
ness. Before he could gather him.
self for action the girl tore down upon
him. -
What have you done?" she cried
wildly, what have you done to III"
She dropped on her knees and her
hands went fiuttering over the black
head in very passion of pity, touch.
ms Iho WhilO oLui VII Tue LOTeQedQ,
smoothing the quivering nostrils.
why didn't you let him climb his
own way? He knew-he's j bunch.
grasser. Nothing could go straight
up!"
She raised her eyes to him anC he
saw they were burning behind a film
of tears. He saw also what gave him
a strange feeling of shJck-a faint,
blue tracery extending from the left
corner of her lips downward nearly
to the point of the chin, a sharply
broken fragment of tattooed design.
Her eyes were very dark and her hair,
parted after the first fashion of wom-
an. was straight and very dark also.
Tn, accusing words lrritated him.
You're right" he said coldly. moth
ing could-in such country. Stanl
back, please
Siletz looked up at him and Instinc-
lively rose to her feet. though az
slim body was alert with an uncon-
scious readiness for prevention OF
something.
But the man only stepped 10 the
blacks head. frightened the rein a hit