The Kadoka press and Kadoka reporter. [volume] (Kadoka, S.D.) 1910-1923, 1918-03-01

didn't come here willingly, and | won't
stay. | viii not, / have a right 10
live my life in my own way, and it's
not this way"
$50" Roaring Bill began evenly,
"springtime with you only means get
ting back to work. You want to get
back into the muddled rush Of peopie4
places, do you? You want to be where
you can associate with huffy-rulIie
pompadoured girls, and be properly in
troduced TO equally proper young men,
Lord, but | seem To have made Il mis-
take! And, by the same token, I'll
probably pay for it-in way you
wouldn't understand If you lived Il
thousand years. Wen, set your mind
at rest. I'll take you out. Ye gods and
little fishes, but | have sure been q
fool :"
He sat down on the edge Of the table,
and Hazel blinked at him, half scared.
and full of wonder. She had grown
SO used to seeing him calm, imperturb-
able smiling cheerfully no matter what
she said or did, that his passionate out
break amazed her. She could only sit
and look at him.
He got out his cigarette materials.
But his fingers trembled, spilling the
tobacco. And when he tore the paper
in his efforts to roll ii, he dashed pa
per and all into the fireplace with
something that sounded like an oath.
and walked out Of the house Nor did
he return till the sun was well down
toward the tree-rimmed horizon. When
he came back he brought in an arm
full Of wood and kindling, and began to
build fire. Hazel came out of her
room Bill greeted her serenely.
"Well, little person" he said. 81
hope you'll perk up now"
.Tll try" she returned. "Are you
really going to take me Out?"
Bill paused with match blazing in
his fingers.
I'm not in the hapit of saying things
| don't mean" he answered dryly.
We'll start in the morning"
The dark closed in ON them and
they cooked and ate supper in silence.
Bill remained thoughtful and abstract
ed. Then from some place among his
books he unearthed map. and, spread
ing 1t on the table. studied 1t a while.
After that ne dragged in his kyaks
from outside, and busted himself pack
ing them with supplies for Journey
tea and coffee and -four and such
things done up in small canvas sacks.
And when these preparations were
complete he got a sheet of paper and a
pencil. and fell TO copying something
from the map. He was still at that,
sketching and marking, when Hazel
went to bed.
BY all the signs and tokens, Roaring
Bill Wagstaff slept none that night.
Hazel herself tossed wakefully and
during her wakeful moments she could
hear him stir in the outer room. And a
full hour before daylight he called her
to breakfast.
"This time last spring" Bill said TO
her 81 was piking away north of those
mountains bound for the head of the
Mas to prospect for gold"
They were camped In notch on the
tiptop of long divide, thousand feet
above the general level. A wide valley
rolled below, and from the height they
overlooked two great. sinuous lakes
and multitude of smaller ones.
"Fve been wondering" Hazel said.
'"This country somehow seems differ
ent. You're not going back to Cariboo
Meadows, are your
Bill bestowed look Of surprise on
her.
81 should say not :" he drawled. moi
that 1t would make any difference 70
me. But I'm very sure you don't want
to turn up there in my company"
"Thats true" she observed. "Bu'
all the clothes and all the money
have in the world are there"
| Don't let money worry you,' he salc
briefly. II have got plenty to see you
through. And you can easily buy
| clothes"
| They were now ten days on the road
Steadily they climbed. reaching VI
through gloomy canyons where foam
ing cataracts spilled themselves ovel
sheer walls Of granite, where the din
and narrow pack trail was crossed ant
recrossed with the footprints OF beal
and deer and the snowy-coated noun
tain goat.
Roaring Bill lighted his evening fir'
at last at the apex Of the pass. He hat
travelled long after sundOwn, seeking
camp ground where his horses coult
Craze. The fire lit up huge frs, ant
high above the fir tops the sky wa
studded with stars, brilliant in the thil
atmosphere. They ate, and, beini
weary, lay down to sleep. At sunris
Hazel sat up and looked about her IL
silent, wondering appreciation. All tn
world spread east and west below.
She adjusted the binoculars ant
peered westward from the great heigh
where the camp sat. Distantly. ant
far below, the green of the forest brok
down to a hazy line of steel-blue tina
ran in turn to huge fog bank, snow
white in the rising sun.
There's lake." she said.
"No. Salt water-a long arm OF tn
Pacific" he replied. "Thats wher
you and I part company-to your YER
great relief, l dare say. But look OF
| M