Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1918-12-19

Last Ian you uuTI my prlue ana neaIIJ
scared me to death by carrying me off
in that lawless, headlong fashion Of
yours. But you seemed to know just
how l felt about it, and you played
fairer than any man I ever knew
would have done under the same cir
cumstanccs. / didn't realize it until I
got back into the civilized world. And
then all ut once I found myself longing
for you-and for these old forests and
the mountains and all. So I came
back"
"Wlse girl" he kissed her. "You'H
never be sorry, I hope. 1t took some
nerve, too. It's o long trail from here
to the outside. But this north coun-
try-it gets in your blood-if your
blood's red-and I don't think there's
any water in your veins, little person.
Lord! I'm afraid to let go of you for
fear you'll vanish into nothing, like a
Hindu fakir stunt"
"No fear" Hazel laughed. "I've got
a pony tied to q tree out there, and
four Siwashes and a camp outfit over
by Crooked lake. If I should vanish
I'd leave a plain trail for you to fol-
low"
"Well," Bill said, after a short 81
lence, 'it's a hundred and forty miles
to a Hudson's Bay post where there's
a mission and a preacher. Let's be ON
our way and get married. Then wen
co1ne back here and spend our honey
moon, eh?"
She nodded assent.
"Are you game to start in half an
hour?" he asked, holding her off at
arms length admiringly.
SIN game for anything, orI wouldn't
be here" she retorted.
"All right. You just watch an tx
hibition Of speedy packing" Bel de-
%clared--and straightway fell to work.
Hazel followed him about, helping to
get the. Kayaks packed with food, They
caught the three horses, and Bill
strippel the pony Of Hazel's riding
gear and placed a pack On him. Then
he put her saddle ON SILK,
"He's, your private mount hence
FORTH" Bill told her laughingly. you'll
ride him with more pleasure than you
did the first time, won't you?"
Presently they were ready to start,
planning: to ride past Limping Georges
camp and tell him whittier they were
bound. Hazel was already mounted.
Roaring. Bill paused, with his toe in
the stirrup, and smiled whimsically at
her over his horses back.
81 forgot something" said he, and
went back into the. cabin-whence, he
shortly emerged, bearing in. his hand
a Sheet of paper upon which some
thing was written in; bold. angular
characters. This he pinned IN; the
door. Hazel rode Silk close to. see
what it might be, and laughed. amused
ly, for Bill had written:
"Mr: and Mrs. William Wagstaff will
, be at home to their friends ON. and
after June the twentieth"
He swung up into his saddle. and
they logged across, the open.. In the
edge Of the first timber they pulled
up and; looked backward at, the cabin;
browsing. silently under. it's; sentinel
tree. Roaring Bill reached out one
arm and laid, it across EIazells: Shout
ders.
little person. he said soberly,
"here's. the end Of one trail, and the
beginning; Of anotiler-tlle longest trail
either.o of us has verfaced.. How does
1t look; to you"
She, caught his fingers with. a quick,
hard pressure.
call: trails look, alike, to, me- she
said, with. shining eyes,. "just so, we
hit them together"
~ IL" NJ X = r. ~
"NYhatr day OF the, month, Is, this;
Bill Z" Hazel asked.
"Hnvenlt the. least idea,'" he an
swered. lazily. .'Iime is Of no conse-
luence to- me at the present moment"
They We're sitting on the warm earth
before their cabin. their backs propped-
comfortably against a log. watching
the. sun sink behind a distant skyline
all nOtohedl with purple. mountains
upon which snow still fingered. Beside
them: a snludge' dribbled q, wisp Of
smoke, sufficient to ward off a pesti-
%lentiali swanm of mosquitoes and black
aies.. In the. clear, thin air Of that
altitude, the occasional voices Of what
bird and anianal life was abroad tn the
wild broke into the evening. hush with
astonishing distinctness--a: lone goose
winged above in wide circles, utterfns
| bis harsh and solitary cry. He had
lost hts mate, Bill told her. Far off In
the bush a fox barked.. The evening
flight Of the wild ducks from Crooked
lake to q chain Of sweaps passed In
.erm5ttently over the. clearing with a
sibtlant whistle of wings. To all the
wild things, no less than to the two
) who watched and listened to the forest
: traffic. it was a hand Of peace and
plenty.
|, ave ought to go up to the swamps
tomorrow and rustic some duck eggs"
Bill observed irrelevantly-his eyes fol-
, lowing the arrow flight Of a mallard
flock. But his wife was counting au.