The Prescott daily news., 1918-04-22


 she had gotten there. Trust him to Know. And it made her very tender toward him that he was so quick to understand. Most men would have resented.
 "l want to stack few tons of hay" he went on, disregarding her exclama- tion. I'll need it in the spring if not this winter. Soon as that's done we'll hit the high spots. We'll take three or four thousand dollars, and while if lasts we'll be a couple of-of high class tramps. Huh? Does it sound good?"
 She nodded vigorously.
 "Perk up then," he wheedled.
 "Bill-boy," she murmured, you mustn't take me too seriously"
 "I took you for better or for worse," he answered. with kiss. 'T don't want It to turn out worse. want you to be contented and happy here, where I've planned to make our home. know you love me quite lot, little person. Nature fitted us in good many ways to be mates. But you've gone through pretty drastic siege of isolation in this rather grim country, and I guess it doesn't seem such an alluring place as 1t did at first. l don't want you to nurse that feeling until it becomes chronic. Then we would be out of tune, and 1t would be good-by happiness. But think know | the cure for your malady." In the morning he began his hay | cutting. About eleven o'clock he threw down his scythe and stalked to the house.
 Put on your hat, and let's go inves- ! tigate a mystery" said he. q heard a COW bawl in the woods minute ago. A regular barnyard below"
 "A COW bawling7" she echoed. "Sure? What would cattle be doing away up hereT
 That's what I want to knoww Bill laughed. i've never seen a COW north of Fraser-not this side of the Rockies, anyway"
 They saddled their horses, and rode out in the direction from whence had arisen the bovine complaint. The sound was not repeated, and Hazel had begun to chaff Bill about a too vivid imagination when within a half mile of the clearing he pulled his horse up short in the middle of little meadow.
 "Look!"
 The track of a broad-tired wagon had freshly crushed the thick grass. Bill squinted at the trail then his gaze swept the timber beyond.
 Somebody has been cutting timber over there," he enlightened. "I can see the fresh ax work. Looks like they'd been hauling poles. Let's fol low this track ways"
 The tiny meadow was fringed on the north by q grove of poplars. Be- yond that lay another clear space of level land, perhaps forty acres in ex- tent. They broke through the belt of poplars-and pulled up again. On one side of the meadow stood a cabin, the fresh-peeled log walls glaring yellow in the sun, and lifting an earth-cOvered roof to the autumn sky. Bill whistled softly.
 Along the west side of the meadow ran a brown streak of sod, and down one side of this man guided the ham, dies of blow drawn by the strangest yokemates Hazel's eyes had seen for many day.
 For goodness sake!" she ex- claimed.
 That's the true pioneer spirit for you" Bill spoke absently. He has bucked his way into tine heart of Ii virgin country, and he's breaking sod with mule and COW. That's adap- tation to environment with venge- ance-and grit"
 There's |. woman, too. Bill. And see-she's carrying babyT Hazel pointed excitedly. "Oh, Bill"
 The man halted his strangely assort- ed team to watch them come. The woman stood step outside the door, a baby in her arms, another toddler holding fast to her skirt. A thick bodied, short, square-shouldered man was this newcomer, with round, pleasant face.
 Hello, neighbor !" Bill greeted.
 The plowman lifted his old felt hat courteously. His face lit up. i "Ach l" said he. "Neighbor. Dot iss goot word In diss country we're dere iss no neighbor. But I am glat to meet you. Will you come do der house und rest vilef"
 "Surer Bill responded. But we're neighbors. all right. Did you notice a cabin about half a mile west of here? That's our place-when we're