Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1918-12-12

Inin9 IN IT,.
thing in it. If you've got a spark Of
manhood left in you, you'll take me out
Of here.'
Roaring Bill backed away from her.
"Do you mean that? Honest Injun?'
he asked incredulously.
IT dol dol" she cried vehemently.
Haven't I told you often enough? I
didn't come here willingly, and I won't
stay. T will not! I have a right to
live my life in my own way, and it's
not this way"
49," Roaring Bill began evenly,
"springtime with you only means get
ting back to work. You want to get
back into the muddled rush of peopled
places, do you? You want to be where
you can associate with fuffy-ruffle,
~pompadoured girls, and be properly in
troduced to equally proper young men.
Lord, but I seem to have made a mis-
take! And, by the same token, I'll
probably pay for tin a way you
wouldn't understand if you lived a
thousand years. Well, set your mind
at rest. I'll take you out. Ye gods and
little fishes, but I have sure been a
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
hrnoI ap,a1o1 how Che oo,,lI o-1r c;+
and look at him.
He got out his cigarette materials.
! But his fingers trembled, splitting the
tobacco. And when he tore the paper
In his efforts to roll it, he dashed pa
per and all into the fireplace with
something hat sounded like an oath,
and walked out of the house. Nor Gid
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 a fire. Hazel came out of her
room. Bill greeted her serenely.
"Well, little person." he said, II
hope you'll perk up now"
"Ill try" she returned. care you
kedlAy SOluS W ldke IQe out
Bill paused with a match blazing in
his fingers.
I'm not in the habit of saying things
I don't mean," he answered dryly.
well 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 q map, and, spread
ing it on the table. studied it a while.
After that he dragged in his kayaks
from outside, and busted himself pack
ing them with supplies for a journey
tea and coffee and flour 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 da. light he called her
to breakfast.
.
"This time last spring." Bill said to
her, II vas piking away north Of those
mountains. bound for the head of the
Mas to prospect for gold"
They were camped In q notch ON the
tiptop Of a long divide, q thousand feet
above the general level. A wide valley
rolled below, and from the height they
overlooked two great, sinuOus lakes
and n multitude of smaller ones.
"Tve been wondering" Hazel said.
This country somehow seems differ
ent. You're not going back to CarIboo
Meadows, are your"
Dill , !. -- -