The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1916-11-09
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK.

Il ha, IN TO run into HarrigaT
this morning. Fat Joe said In an un
concerned m, lner.
AS disinte. = edly as had Joe, Steve
now draire6 a. r1ffee cup and waited.
He vas down to the cook shanty,"
Fat /. r.nol d on. Its an hour
since BE- Ii oug { to have been out there
with the powder squad in the north
cut, and when i asks him II he was
feelin' indisposed this morning he says
no. but the supply teams was going out
and one of the drivers had told him
that / was sending him along to help
with the loadin' He had such a nice.
frank, open faced way Of lying that l
couldn't bring myself TO correct him.
l just let it stand that way and told
him such was the arrangement" Joe
saw swift satisfaction play across
Steve's face He had bandage
around his head not much different
from this our friend here is wear
ing But ,aid he was>scratched by
a twig."
The ro was very quiet for q
Fat Joe's tenor voice-thin and chill
and menacing. And there as abruptly
as he had alSu,ned II he flung aside
his mask of oi>iu senuous irrelevance.
Eat Joe wheeled. put both elbows upon
the table edge and leaned forward
heavily. 1t was much as though he
We're setting himself to shoulder by
rho
ing wan of Indifference behind which
the other was apparently withdrawing
once more.
But as for me"-his high voice rang
ittle-.but as for me, well, i always
did pride myself that ! could shoot
some. whether 1t was by daylight or
dark
And the only result which that state
ment achieved was an answering, med
tltive nod. Eat Joe subsidized. All
that he could say had been said. and
they finished breakfast as they had
begun it, in absolute silence.
Stephen O'Mara touched a match to
The dry grains Of tobacco which he
had been tamping into the bowl Of his
the inert figure on the bunk.
Hell sleep the day through.
think" he said, land the night per
APPS But I'd advise you to look in on
tim now und then. just the same. He
did us q good turn last night. It's the
second good turn he's done for me.
Joe And now perhaps the chance
has come to even up the score a litt!f
You would know. wouldn't you. Joe.
Just how many drinks to prescribe for
man who has been as-as Ill as Gar
~ has?''
Fat Joe's face commenced to shine,
and at that he was only beginning to
understand.
Amt the doctor?' he demanded
aggrievedly You don't have to go no
deeper into technicalities with me.
And | tod you last night anyway,
didn't I. that it would have TO be his
last little celebration unless he was
figurin' on a longer journey than he's
ever took before Wei. I've handled
so many eases just like his that there
aln't even little enjoyable novelty In
EN- any more for me-"
Steve received the statement with
another nod.
That's it." he unused. That's II ex-
actly. 1t would have to be his last
unless he is figuring on longer jour
ney than he has ever taken before"
He crossed and leaned over the thin
and motionless form Of his friend. he
laid one hand gently upon the sleeping
mans shoulder
HE did that for me once, joe" he
spoke quietly. "He dropped his hand
on my shoulder like that, and l never
forgot the weight of it. You watch
him, Joe-watch him closely for
awhile. because-because, you see. q
man does stray along once In so often
who's so badly bewildered and trail
weary, so tired Of trying and-and hurt
in soul that the thought Of such a
journey as you speak Of begins TO seem
the shortest route after all to an end
of thoughts which even alcohol can't
wipe out. You take care of him. and II