Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1916-02-09
CHAPTER |.
Out of the Vine Naples.


Ter chin, on the fat top of a fir
Gump Beside her lay Coosnah, heavy
1uzzle on huge paws, his eyes as pale
b the girls were dark. They were
E Ilbred both. Perhaps that account
d for the delight both found in the
plitude of this Aerie, where they
Nuld look down toward the west on
be feathery, green sea of close-packed
pine and fir. of spruce and hemlock-
md toward the east on the narrow
"trip of tide-water slough and the I'M
'ainted shacks of the lumber camp
iuddled above it's rollway. 1t was
he 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
n the hell Of Vancouver coast. She
could hear it sometimes when the
pines were still; yet she had never
seen it.
She had pictures Of it in her mind.
many pictures. She knew well how
It would look when she should see
ia gray floor. a world of it, shot
through with the reds and puppies of
tardy sun. or the cities she had
no clear pictures. They were artificial,
nan-made, therefore alien to her, who
knew only nature, though she had
listened intently to roamers from ev-
cry corner of the globe; fer Daily's
lumber camp had seen a queer lot.
It all resolved itself into these
Dreams when she sat on the edge of
fir stump. or, better yet. in the ex-
ated 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
b vas as surely precedence of approach
~ ing night as if 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 a tangle of vine
maple something was laboring. Pres
emily the slim trees parted and out
Of their tangle struggled a horse, a
magnificent black beast with f1aring
nostrls and full. excited eyes. After
every few steps it turned it's head to
tight or left with the instinct of the
mountain breed to zigzag. and as often
The man in the saddle pulled it sharp
y back.
With the first sight of the intruders
ne girl on the high stump had sprung
Op leaning forward, a growing excite
aent in her face 1t was the horse
mat caused it. Something was stir
nng within her all suddenly and her
n'art beat hard. She gripped her
Naids tight in both hands and swal-
loved
Blunderer," she said aloud. "Oh.
The blunderer!"
Then she cupped her hands at her
ups and called down: Let him alone!
ne knows how to climb! Let him
alOne!"
Inc man looked up startled, and
usntened his grip on the rein. The
6aNant animal went down upon its
see, rolling completely over, to lodge,
'eet downward, against a stone. The
Ian swung sidewise out of the saddle,
saving himself with a splendid quick
1esS. Before he could gather him
hin.
What have you done?" she cried
"luIy what have you done to it?"
one dropped or her knees and her
aUuS went huttering over the black
1oau IN very passion of pity, touch
- the white star on the forehead,
'~Volhlng the quivering nostrils.
A you let HIm CllulU dis
~" way! He knew-hes a bunch
S s.% Nothing could go straight
one raised her eyes to him anc he
- Iney were burning behind a film
ears. He saw also what gave him
n. strange feeling of shock-a faint,
1e Hacery extending from the left
~ ,'uer OF her lips downward nearly
sne point of the chin, a sharply
p rSAen fragment of tattooed design.
eyes were very dark and her hair.
~ '''u after the first fashion of wom-
n, was straight and very dark also.
~ ~ accusing words irritated him.
n. 'oo re right" he said coldly, moth
eouid-in such q country. Stand
~ck. Please"
~. sue'z looked up at him and instinc-
I,1 say rose to her feet. though ar
eo,a SOL ooay was alert with an uncon-
s Sous readiness for prevention of
sNao us The man only stepped to the
go head, frightened the rein a bit
Clucked encouragingly.
boy" n.y. ne SAID sharply, up,