The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1916-06-01

upon tho cook shack and the desert.
cd cabins. empty ever since their for.
NOR occupants had turned their coats
for Hampden's two.year contracts.
Suddenly Coosnah. lying on the
step. got up and shifted the air. ST..
lctz looked at him. her fingers ar
rested. Then he sat down on his
launches, threw up his muzzle. and
began to bay. a melancholy, lonesome
sound.
Hush" said Siletz, hush, Coos.
nah!" And she. too, lifted her head
after tho fashion OF wild things,
smelling the sultry atmosphere.
Mother" she cried swiftly. ITS
nrc!"
The general crcakod up and hur.
ricd to the steps, but already Silotz
was on and running up the valley
toward the cutting. when she reached
the donkey Sandry was standing be-.
side II, but the girl passed him with.
out a glance. running to where the
foreman set n chOkcr.
Joint" she cried; "John-thcre's
a fire on the west ridge"
Every man within hearing dropped
his work instantly and stood up
"Call In tn men," said Daily az he
passed the donkey engineer. AN send
'"m along We'd better all go MIR
Sandry. 'Tain't likely it's much. but
We got 10 stomp II out. whatever It's.
] ben a lOokin' fer EN-"
They all trailcd down the valley on
"A dOgtrOt. 1t took them the better
part OF an hour. but when they went
down there was not a spark left
aliRht.
What do you suppose started IT,
john" asked Sandry.
"Oh some darncd little college
~ pc from Corvallis. likely. with a
IAN an a cigarette. Or mcbbe II was
some camper stayin' overnight on
the ridge-somc grccnhorn. An It's
mighty dry-mighty dry"
They went back TO the cutting
though every jack OF them lifted w.
his eyes from time to time TO the
ridges around. At supper the loggers
discussed the forest fires OF otheI
years. the topic opened by the inc,
dent. II was a close night with {
dark sky. though the heat had giveI
way TO the sweet GOODNESS OF tn,
coast under the mysterious ocear
wind. and Sandry from his old sea
at table looked out at the western
ridge,
john" he cried, rising suddenly
ITS broken out again."
Sure enough. Against the uppe'
darkness little red tongues licked III
fully up and the men. white and In
dian, tumbled out vi the c~ook.shaCk
II was twelve o clock when the.
turned in. and Sandry was puzzled.
The next day nothing happened
Then at dawn OF the day following
the camp awoks to see a fine. fairy
white haze all through the valley an
the crest OF the west ridge. for hal
a mile. sending up fanciful pear
plumes In the soft morning. Thi
time IL had gained a start and tn
camp turned out In earnest.
John, said Sandry solemnly. tina
IL no college boy with his ~cigarett,
Could II be Hampden?"
The foreman turned upon tn
owner.
You hain't n real westerner. ye'
Mr.. Sandry." he said with n smil,
you think Hampden'd resk his yell
pine-as fine timber as there il In Il
whole state? He'd bury tn hatche
an come fight with us like a brothe
first"
Then what's setting those fires?-
for II looks as II they are being set
My God! Look there! There's al
other!"
merry. red eye winked and leape
and died. to leap again across tn
early twilight a. the valleys head.
That's damned close TO our Gu
TIM" cried Daily starting down tn
mountain on a sliding run.
And that last fire, burning strongl
where no brand could have droppe
even with "a wind. marked tho begil