Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1916-03-02
CHAPTER XVII.
The Shot In the iiIiIs.

| search OF them. Their absence had
been discovered only when Daily, com.
ing in from the north, where his work
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, a
man of parts, abundantly able to care
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 a profound Joy. He
swept his eyes north to where the red
heaven Jared and staggered to his
Office.
Three hours, ma" he croaked in a
voice of warming, only three hours
sleep for all Of US. II you give us
longer I'll never forgive you"
1t 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 cook-shack and suborned a
wagon to haul her big range up and
| deposit it alongside the camp stoves
Of Company H, 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 IL she would hold 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 sun like copper shield
Men came and went in relays, sleeping
upon the ground for short shifts, rig
idly apportioned and observed. The
food of flame, runner after an arrant
wind, had piled its forces in leaping
pillows in among the northern hills 1t
seemed thing of irresistible might,
but the toilworn men hung to its flank
with a logged persistence. emboldened
and encouraged by the success on the
east ridge
Sandry. limping painfully, and bag
gard as ghost, stuck with the van
guard despite Mas commands and
Daily's warnings. At each fresh sight
of his face the girl Siletz was wrung
with anguish. 1t seemed as If he could
bear no more and yet the spirit in him
drove him on.
Once she ventured timid protest.
What is the timber worth If you
die?" she asked plaintively. and San
dry, still somewhat of boy, parted
the yearning question.
Who would care?" he laughed
wryly. would you. Little Squaw?"
The girl did not answer, but as she
turned away the ready mist sprang to
her eyes and he reached a contrite
hand to her shoulder
Forgive me! | know you would"
It seemed to Siletz as the horror
swept north and the men were lost
for hours in the dim Businesses. that
something was about to happen.
She felt a prescience of disaster
which Coosnah shared. and they two
stood apart for long spaces of time,
silent listening, the muscles of each
drawn taut. From time to time the
great mongrel would squat upon his
launches. lift his heavy muzzle toward
the dunsmoke heavens and bay with
long-drawn, silver note that was the
very acme of melancholy
And then came dawn when no one
came In for breakfast, when the sun,
coming over the ridge to the east,
was not visible. Only pale light
turned the heavy canopy to Swallowed
pearl The three women waited in that
silence which ever attends the walters
for men who face danger They were
used to the silence, for there was no
accord between them. Ma Daily had
long ago shut this bird O. tn earth"
out of her good heart and Siletz hated
her with the fury of the woman whose
mate is threatened.
At last a solitary Indian came down
the valley, running, his mouth full of
excitement and dolorous prediction.
The whole of the Siletz would go, 1t
was the wrath Of the Great Spirit
turned loose upon a wicked world 1t
was the judgment. There was nothing
like it. He fell into jargon and re-
verted to the ancient gods. and Siletz
checked him sternly
What do you mean, Quanna?" she
said. have you forgotten the Preacher
and the Bible? There is only one God
\, tn T.,