The Irish standard., 1917-05-05


ton. And I answer, no, Bull. Meal.
pin has had nothing on the face Of
the desert to do with my sending for
you. And / add this because 1 know
you want to hear it: he says he
couldn't complain of your work, be.
cause you never do any,
"That man." persisted Bull, re.
enforced by the hearty tone and not
clearly catching the drift of the very
last words, drinks more liquor than
I do"
HE must be some tank, Bull"
"And I don't hide it, Mr.. de SPAIN"
"You'd have to crawl under Music
mountain to do that. What want to
know is, do you like your job?"
On this point it was impossible to
get an expression from Bull. He felt
convinced that De Spain was press.
Ing for an answer only as prelimi.
nary to his discharge. mo matter"
interposed the latter, cutting Bulls
ramblings short, "drop it, Bull. want
pay for it,"
Bull, with a palsied smile and
deep, quavering note of gratitude, put
up his shaky hand. "Say what. That's
all. I've been paid"
"You know you're sot, Bull"
Bull nodded. II know it."
| "a disgrace to the Maker whose
image you were made in"
Bull started, but seemed, on reflec.
| ton, to consider this point on which
he need not commit himself.
"Still, believe there's man in YOU
yet. Something, at any rate, you
couldn't completely kill with whisky,
Bull-what?''
Bull lifted his weak and watery
| eyes. His whisky-seamed face bright.
| ened into the ghost of a SMILE "What
I'm going to ask you to do" continued
| De Spain, els mans job. You can
| get into the gap without trouble. You
are the only man 1 can put my hand
on just now that can. I want YOU to
ride over this morning and hang out
around Duke Morgans place till you
can get chance to see Miss Nan"
| At the mention of her name Bull
shook his head moment in affrma.
tive approval. "She's a queen!" he
exclaimed With admiring but pungent
expletives. "a queen!"
| Il think so, Bull. But she is in
troublesome circumstances. You know,
Nan and +"
| Bull Winked in many ways.
"And her Uncle Duke is making us
trouble, Bull. 1 want you to find her,
speak with her, and bring word to me
as to what the situation is. That
doesn't mean you're to get drunk over
therein fact, 1 don't think anybody
over there would give you drink"
"Don't believe they would"
Sand you are to ride back here with
what you can find out just as quick
after you get into the clear, as a horse
will bring YOU"
Bull passed his hand over his mouth
with show of resolution. It indi.
Gated that he was pulling himself to-
gether Within half an hour he was
on his way to the gap.
For De Spain hours never dragged
as did the hours between Bulls start
Ing and the setting of the sun that
night without his return. And the sun
set behind Music mountain in a drift
Of heavy clouds that brought rain. All
evening it fell steadily. At eleven
o'clock De Spain had given up hope
of seeing his emissary before morn
Ing and was sitting alone before the
stove in the office when he heard the
sound of hoofs. In another moment
Bull Page stood at the door.
He was sorry sight. Soaked to
the skin by the steady downpour;
rain dripping internationally from his
frayed hat, his ragged beard and ta-
tered coat; shaking with the cold as
If gripped by an ague, Bull, picking
his staggering steps to the fire, and
sinking in heap into chair, SYM
boliZed the uttermost tribute of man
hood to the ravages Of whisky. He
was not drunk. He had not even been
drinking; but his vitality was gone.
He tried to speak. 1t was impos-
sible. His tongue would not frame
l
could only look helplessly at De
Spain as De Spain hastily made him
stand up on his shaking knees, threw
a big blanket around him, sat him
down, kicked open the stove drafts,
and called to McAlpin for more whis-
ky to steady the wreck of it crouch.
ing over the fire.
McAlpin, after considerable and re-
luctant search, produced bottle, and
unwilling, for more reasons than one,
to trust it to Bulls uncertain posses.
sion, brought dipper. Bull held the
dipper while De Spain poured. Meal
pin, behind the stove, hoped first on
one foot and then on the other as De
Spain recklessly continued to pour.
When the liquor half filed the cup,
McAlpin put out unmistakable dis.
tress signals, but Bull, watching the