The Lamar register., 1918-02-20

nve-
Hazel did like the place. Her first
impression was thankfulness that her
lot had been cast in such spot. But
It was largely because of the surround
ings. essentially primitive. the clean
air. guiltless of smoke faint, the aro-
matte odors from the forest that
, ranged for unending miles on every
hand.
So with the charm Of the wild land
fresh upon her. she took kindly to
Cariboo Meadows.
Her first afternoon she spent loaf
ing on the porch of the Briggs doml-
cile, within which Mrs. Briggs, fat.
her cooking for the "boarders." and
kept a brood of five tumultuous young
sters In ortier-the combined tasks
leaving her scant time to entertain
her newly arrived guest.
Cariboo Meadows, as tswn, was
simply a double row Of buildings fac
ing each other across a wagon road.
Two stores. blacksmith shop, feed
/ stable, certain other nondescript
buildings, and few dwellings. mostly
of logs, was all. Probably not more
than a total of fifty souls made per-
manent residence there. Directly OPP
posite Briggs boarding house stood
building labeled Regent Hotel" Ha-
re, could envisage 1t all with half
turn Of her head.
From this hotel there presently Is
sued a young man dressed in the ordl-
nary costume of the Countrywide
hat, flannel shirt, overalls, boots. He
sat down on a box close by the hotel
entrance. In few minutes another
came forth. He walked past the first
few steps stopped. and said some
| thing. Hazel could not hear the words.
The first man was filling his pipe. APP
parently he made no reply; at least,
he did not trouble to look up. But
she saw his shoulders lift in a shrug.
Then he who had passed turned
square about and spoke again, this
time lifting his voice trifle. The
young fellow sitting on the box in
| stantly became galvanized into action.
He flung out an oath that carried
across the street and made Hazel's
/ ears burn. At the same time he leaped
from his seat straight at the other
man.
Hazel saw 1t quite distinctly, saw
him who jumped dodge vicious blow
and close with the other; and saw.
moreover, something which amazed
her. For the young fellow swayed
with his adversary a second or two,
then lifted him bodily off his feet al
most to the level of his head, and
slammed him against the hotel wall
| with n sudden twist. eShe heard the
thump of the body on the logs. For
an instant she thought him about to
jump with his booted feet on--she pros
| trate form, and involuntarlly she held
her breath. But he stepped back. and
when the other scrambled up, he side
stepped the first rush. and knocked the
man down again with blow of his
fist. This time he stayed down. Their
other men-three or four of them
came out of the hotel, stood uncer
tainly few seconds, and Hazel heart
the young fellow say:
Better take that fool In and brinl
him to. If he's still hungry for trouble
I'll be right handy. I wonder how
many more of you fellers I'll have Il
lick before you'll get wise enough no
TO start things you can't stop?"
They supported the unconscious mar
through the doorway; the young feel
low resumed his seat on the box, ais,
his pipe filling.
"Rparin' Biil's goin' to get himself
killed one uh these days"
Hazel started, but it was only jim
Briggs in the doorway beside her.
81 guess you amt much used to see
IN that sort of exhibition where vnr