The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-07-07
By CONDO

He was scarcely fifty yards away.
Across his shoulders he bore red
dish gray burden. and in his right
hand was a gun. She did not move.
Bowed slightly under the weight. the
man passed within twenty feet of
her. so close that she could see the
sweat-beads glisten on that side OF
his face. and saw also that the load
he carried was the carcass of a deer.
Gaining the beach and laying the
animal across a boulder, he straight-
ened himself up and drew long
breath. Then he wiped the sweat off
his face. She recognized him as the
man who had thrown the logger down
the slip that day at noon-presum.
ably Jack f'yfe. A sturdily built man
about thirty. of Saxon fairness. with
tinge of red in his hair and lib
eral display of freckles across nose
and cheek bones. He was no beauty.
she decided. albeit he displayed a
frank and pleasing countenapce.
That he was remarkably strong and
active man. she had seen for her
self. and II the firm round Of his
jaw counted for anything. an individ-
ual'of considerable determination be-
sides. Miss Benton conceived her.
self TO be possessed of considerable
skill at character analysis.
He put away his handkerchief.
took up his rifle. settled his hat, and
strobe off toward the camp. Her
attention now diverted from the ST.
washes. she watched him, saw him
go TO her brothers quarters. stanc
in the door a minute. then go back to
the beach. accompanied by Charlie.
In minute or so he came rowing
across in a skiff. threw his deer
aboard, and pulled away north along
the shore.
She watched him lift and fall
among the waves until he turned a
point, rowing with strong. even
strokes. Then she walked home.
Benton was porting over some fig
ures, but he pushed aside his pencil
and paper when she entered.
You had visitor, see," she re-
marked.
Yes. Jack Fyfe. He picked up :
deer on the ridge behind here, and
borrowed a boat to get home"
Il saw him come out of the
woods" she said. His camp can't
be far from here, is It? He only left
the Springs as you came in. Does
he hunt for sport?''
Hardly. Oh, well. I suppose it's
sport for Jack, in n way. He's al
ways pilSing around in the woods
with gun or a fishing rod" Benton
returned. But we kill 'em to eat
mostly. It's good meat and cheap.
| get one myself now and then. How
ever. you want to keep that under
your hat--about us fellows hunting
or wen have game wardens nosing
around here
Are you not allowed to hunt
them?" she asked.
Not in close season. Hunting
seasons from September to Decem-
ber."
IF it's unlawful, why break the
law" she ventured hesitatingly.
Isn't that rather-er--'
"Oh. bosh,' Charlie dorided. "a
man in the woods is entitled to ven
ison. If he's hunter enough to get
IT, The woods are fun of deer. and
"A few more or less don't matter. We
can't run forty miles to town and
back and pay famine prices for beef
every two or three days, when we
can get it at home in the woods"
Stella digested this in silence. but
if nHRl1rra1 n h.,. hot a
pie of lawlessness was quite in keep
ing with the men and the environ
ment. There was no policeman on
the corner. no mechanism of law and
order visible anywhere. The char
acteristic attitude of these woods
men was of intolerance for restraint,
of complete self-sufficiency. 1t had
colored her brothers point of view.
She perceived that whereas all her
the game, and abide by them, he.
taking his cue from his environment,
inclined to break rules that proved
inconvenient, even to formulate new
ones to apply.
And suppose" said she, that a
game warden should catch YOU or
Mr.. Jack Fyfe killing deer out of
season."
Wed be hauled up and fined a
hundred dollars or So" he told her.
But they don't catch us"
He shrugged his shoulders. and
smiling tolerantly upon her, proceed
ed to smoke.
Dusk was falling now, the long
twilight of the Northern seasons
gradually deepening. as they sat in
silence. Along the creek bank arose
the evening chorus of the frogs. The
air, now hushed and still, was riven
every few minutes by the whir of
wings as ducks in evening flight
swept by above. All the boisterous
laughter and talk in the clubhouse
had died. The woods ranged gloomy
and impenetrable. save only in the
northwest, where "a patch of sky
lighted by diffused pink and gray,
revealed one mountain higher than
its fellows. standing bald against the
horizon. lContd in Tomorrow starr