The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1916-02-17

and I'll be switched if l don't take a
Bhot at this drowning proposition N.Y.
self ! tell you, 1t looks pretty good
to me. What do you say?"
Il say" laughed the young chief of
construction, that I'm only hired
man. You'll have to 20 good few
rounds higher up on the authority lad
der to close deal like that. I'm not
sure it wouldn't require an act Of
congress"
We'll, by George, we might get even
that II we had to-" was the optimistic
assertion. You think about it."
J Il guess it isn't my think" said
Brouillard, inclined to take the retired
pork packers suggestion as the mere
| rawlings of a money-mad promoter
"As the government engineer in
charge of this work, couldn't afford
to be identified even as a friendly in
! termediary in any such scheme as the
one you are proposing"
"Of course, l suppose not" agreed
the would-be promoter, sucking his
under lip in q way ominously familiar
| Then he glanced at his watch and
| changed the subject abruptly. We'll
have to be struggling back to the
! chug-wagon. Much obliged to you,
Mr. Brouillard viii you come down
and see us Off"
At the final descent in the trail, with
| the Buckskin blanknesses showing
hotly beyond the curtaining pines,
they passed at a step from romance to
the crude realities.
The realities were basing themselves
upon the advent of two newcomers,
, riding down the Chigringo trail to the
ford which had been the scene of the
fish Strengthening; sunburnt young
man in goatskin CHAPS" flannel shirt
and a tapping Stetson, and girl
whose face reminded Brouillard of one
of the MaGonnas, whose name and
painter he strove vainly to recall. Ten
seconds farther along the horses OF
the pair were shifting suspiciously at
the automobile, and the young man
under the Tapping hat was telling Van
Bruce Cartwright what he thought of
cartridge fishermen in general, and
of this present cartridge fisherman in
particular
Which the same, being translated
into Buckskin English, hofters like
this" he concluded. Don't you tote
any more fi.h ca tridges into this here
reservation; not no more, whatsoever.
Who says so? Well, if anybody should
ask, you might say it was Tig Smith,
foreman O. the Tri'Circ' outfit. No,
amt no game warden, but what | say
goes as she lays. Savez?"
Brouillard walked his companion
down to the car and helped her to
seat in the tonneau. She repaid him
with nod and smile, and when he
saw that the crudities were not
troubling her he stepped aside and I'M
consciously fell to comparing the two
the girl on horseback and his walk
ing mate of the canyon passage.
They had little enough in common,
apart from their descent from Eve, he
decided-and the decision itself was
subconscious. The millionaire's daugh-
ter was a warm blonde, beautiful,
queenly, finished product of civiliza-
ton and high-priced culture; wom-
an of the world. And the girl on horse
back? A rather slight figure, face
winsome, masses of copper-brown hair,
eyes He caught himself won
dering if her cowboy lover-he had
already jumped to the sentimental
conclusion-had ever been able to look
into those steadfast eyes ands trife
with the truth.
When the fish-slaughtering matter
was finally settled-not by the tender
of money that Mr.. Cartwright had
made-the man Smith and his pretty
riding mate galloped through the ford
and disappeared among the barren
hills
'Au revoir, Mr. Brouillard," said the
princess, as the big car righted itself
for the southwark fight into the des-
ert. IF were you l shouldn't fall in
love with the calm-eyed goddess who
rides like man. Mr.. Tri Gre Smith
might object, you know"
There was something almost heart
warming in the bit of parting badi
mage; but the warmth might have
given place to disconcerting chill if
he could have heard Mr.. ]. Wesley
Cortwright's remark to his seat COM
panion.
"He isn't going to be the dead easy
mark l hoped to find in the son of the
old bankrupt hair-splitter, Genie. girl. |
But he1s come down and hook himself
all right if the bait is well covered |
with his particular brand of sugar.
Don't you forget it."
CONTINUED NEXT WEEK.)