Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1916-01-26

1
called ais Indians. and there was an
guish in his heart.
''Koottah! Snamishtal Memmiloo!"
From here and there voices an
swered, some far, some near. and pres
emily figures crept fearfully into the
moonlight from the matted ferns, gath
ering about the foreman.
Here one dragged an injured ankle.
another stanched the blood from a
ragged scalp with his hands, and there
one wavered drunkenly from the fall
he had got. but all eight accounted for
themselves.
Boys" said Daily tensely. "aIl who
can swim get into the water quick!
Sandry was standin' alone at her nose.
Us hundred to one he's done fort"
No one asked a question. the Indians
accepting with their pathetic fatalism
this disaster which would have set the
tongues of white men flying
Silently the five who were unframed
except for bruises slipped into the
heavily running tidewater and disap-
peared amid the fiotsam and jetsam Of
the long bay which travelled always
aimlessly back and forth.
The groaning of the raft grew in vol
ume for a few minutes, then subsidized
as it locked and settled. Daily on the
shore began threshing the ferns. filling
the night with his stentorian voice as
he called upon Sandry's name. From
time to time he listened. Then he
| lighted torch and widened his circle.
peering into every covert Of fern. be-
hind every log, and even searching the
| branches of the trees. He had seen
the pines bear CHASTITY fruit time or
two when blast Of giant powder had
gone wrong.
After a long time he Strengthened
and his muddy face was blanched.
Done for!" he said aloud to the
dusk of the forest, bitterly. Down an
done for-an' him so damned good for
an Easterner!"
But even as he spoke a cry sounded
from the water far ahead--another an
swered, another and another, as the
Siletz drew in to each other some
where out in the dim moonwash. and
he knew they had found him.
So they had-a limp body lying bent
back across a floating log, the pearl
buttons on its breast shining and its
hair dabbling in the water. They
pushed the log with its burden in to
shore and big John Daily. wadias out.
| picked up his employer as a mother
lifts a child, carried him back up the
bank and bent to listen for life in the
still breast. 1t was there. The timber
man ran a great hand, experienced and
gentle, over the sprawling arms.
Busted" he said bitterly, legs too!
He's crumpled like broken tule! If
/ don't take this out of Hampden, l
hope I'll burn in hell!"
He gathered the scattered blankets
from bush and tree branch and laid
the fastener upon them. Then this
simple son of the big country went off
by himself into the shadows to think.
What should he do?
Here was his employer, this East
erner who was going through the or
deal by fire to win his right to live
and fight in the wild land. and he was
all but worsted. down and out. His
life was not worth copper-that coin
Of which the large West takes no no
tice-and far on the shores of the
other ocean was that old father OF
whom he had told Daily in the quiet
talks at night. 1t would take quick
work to get Sandry to a doctor and
word should be sent Esst at once.
On the other hand, # Sandry should
live and the contract had been lost his
fight would be over. Those mort
cages of which he had spoken vaguely
would be foreclosed and the Dilling.
worth would become a thing of the
past. the East Belt go by the board and
Hampden would be supreme in the
hills.
mo, by heaven, he'd want her to go
through dead or alive. an I'll see her
there!" was Daily's ultimatum as he
rose from the log in the pink flare of
sunrise, and could he have known all
that Sandry would lose with that con-
tract and the Dillingworth his hatred
of Hampden would have been deeper
still, for Sandry was his friend.
He went back to the huddled Indians
and the silent figure OF its blankets.
"Memmiloo," he said decisively,
make quick pole sling. You an
big Bill an Multoowah an Jim Pine
tree will take Sandry back to camp.
Go first to Toledo an get Doc Hooker
have him do what he can there an
go along to camp. Tell him to stay
with Sandry day an night till I get
back. Hurry now"
Without a word, the four Indians
| picked out by name set about their
| appointed task. In less time than a
white man would take to begin they
had laid clean saplings along blankets
edges, warped short spreader at top
and bottom to hold the poles the width
OF a mans shoulders apart, and the
| sling was ready.
Now" said Daily grimly. travel
like hell, boys, but carry him soft. for
| he's broke like the ferns when a pine
| falls"
Tenderly they lifted the owner OF
the Dillingworth and laid him in the
hollow of the blankets.
His foreman cast one look at him as
| the indians swung away on the back
| trail and turned his face to the
L.