The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1916-05-04
CHAPTER XVII.
The Shot In the Hills.


been discovered only when Daily. COM
had been laid out. had asked for San.
dry.
At sight OF him the three women
standing together at the foot.log gave
evidence, each In her way, OF those
emotions which the suspicion OF his
fate had stirred.
On Mas face was an unbounded |
pride that he had come through.
man OF parts, abundantly able to caro- |
for himself among harder crew. On |
Miss Ordway's there lay vast relief. |
while Siletz played with the collar OF
her blue shirt with trembling fingers
and moistened her dry lips.
Sandry turned and looked up at the
darkened east with profound Joy. lie
swept his eyes north to where the red
heaven iared and staggered to his
office.
Three hours, ma" he croaked in
voice OF warning, only three hours
sleep for all OF us. II you give us
longer I'll never forgive you"
It was true. as Collins said. that
they had only begun to fight.
Through the hours, days, nights that
followed the saving OF the East Belt
they took no note of time. Up along
the blackened. devastated valley the
soldiers moved their camp, Ma Daily
shut the ook-shack and suborned a
wagon to haul her big range up and
deposit 1t alongside the camp stoves
Of Company II. where she dispensed
coffee to her men and all others with
impartial zeal. Miss Ordway, her skirts
tucked up from the contamination OF
the burned earth which rose In hot,
black puffs at every moving foot, was
compelled to help II she would b old that
espionage over Siletz from which she
hoped to realize her ambition. A bit
ter hatred sharpened her blue eyes
upon the girl. and she ached to seize
her and tear out of her blouse that
packet of proofs. She was angered
at herself that all her cleverness had
failed to recover them before this.
So the hours passed with smoke and
heat and a sun like a copper shield.
Men came and went In relays, sleeping
upon the ground for short shifts. rig.
idly apportioned and observed. The
flood of flame, runner after an arrant
wind, had piled its forces In leaping
pillows In among the northern hills. II
seemed a thing of irresistible might,
but the toilworn men hung to It's flank
with dogged persistence. emboldened
|, and encouraged by the success on the
east ridge.
Sandry. limping painfully. and hag
: gard as q ghost, stuck with the van
, guard despite Mas commands and
Daily's warnings. At each fresh sight
of his face the girl Siletz was wrune
with anguish. It seemed as II he could
bear no more and yet the spirit In him
, drove him on
Once she ventured a timid protest.
what is the timber worth II you
disf" she asked plaintively. and San
dry, still somewhat OF a boy, parriec
the yearning question.
. who would carer" he laughed
: wryly. would you, Little Squaw?"
The girl did not answer. but as sh,
turned away the ready mist sprang t
her eyes and he reached a contrit,
hand to her shoulder.
Forgive mel ! know you would I
II seemed to Siletz as the horro
Q swept north and the men were los
for hours in the dim fastnesses. tha
. something was about to happen.
She felt prescience of disaste
, which Coosnah shared, and they tw,
stood apart for long spaces OF time
; silent, listening, the muscles OF eacl
- drawn taut. From time to time tn
great mongrel would squat upon hi
Z launches. lift his heavy muzzle towar
the dun-smoke heavens and bay wit
: long-drawn. silver note that was tn
/, very acme of melancholy.
Z And then came a dawn when no on
Z came in for breakfast, when the sur
, coming over the ridge to the cas-
was not visible. Only a pale ligh
turned the heavy canopy to shadowe
pearl. The three women waited in tina
silence which ever attends the waiter
for men who face danger. They wer
used to the silence, for there was n
accord between them. Ma Daily ha
long ago shut this bird o. tn earth
' out of her good heart and Siletz hate
= her with the fury of the woman who's
mate Is threatened.
At last solitary Indian came dow
the valley, running, his mouth full {
> excitement and dolorous prediction
= The whole OF the Siletz would go.
was the wrath OF the Great Spir
turned loose upon wicked world.
,e was the judgment. There was nothin
like 1t. He fell into jargon and r.
verted to the ancient gods, and Sllet
n, checked him sternly.
'y what do you mean. Quanna?" sh
h, said, have you forgotten the PreachC
in and the Bible? There is only one &C
Lh and he holds US in the hollow OF h
hand 1t is not the destruction OF ii
W. world. 1t will stop. What more ht
to happened, and where Is Sandry of II