Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1920-03-12

and disappointed. He reasoned with
his horse as he rode:
"'Tain't no use, you OIL SlOp-eye
a fellow can't get the bead If he amt
got the fllin'-cooked meals an de
cent chuck. 1 could plug 'em six out
o. six-you know that, you OIL flop
ears. Don't you argue about it, nei-
Their. When I'm right inside my belt
| l smash 'em six out o. six, but l amt
| right, an you know it. You don't
know nothin' about it. You never had
a father; leastways you never had to
be responsible for one. Well.
it's comm to a finish-a d lame
| finish, you know that. You know"
But he had reloaded his revolver
| time he broke four and was better
pleased with himself. AS he rode back
his solilOQuy was broken by a strange
sound from beyond the belt of trees.
The horse pricked up his ears and
the boy turned in the saddle to listen
"Jumpin' crickets! What's loose?" he
calculated. He knew every sound of
the foothill country, but this was
strange to him. A kind of snort, a
sort Of hiss, mechanical in its regu-
larity, startling in it's strangeness, it
came across the valley with the un-
broken rhythm of watch tick.
swell, l guess 1t won't eat u.s." he
ventured at last. "We'll just run it
down and perhaps poke hole in it."
So saying, he cantered along the road,
crossed the little stream. and swung
up the hill on the farther side.
He was half way up when turn in
the road brought him into sudden
sight of the strange visitor. 1t was
the first he had seen, but he knew it
at once, for the fame of the autOmO-
bile, then in its single-cylinder stage,
had already spread into the farthest
ranching country. The horse was less
well informed. He bucked and kicked
in rage and terror. But the boy was
conscious not so much of the horse as
of two bright eyes turned on him in
frank and surprised admiration.
what Workmanship she ex-
claimed. But the words had scarce
left her lips when they were followed
by a cry of alarm. For the car had
taken sudden turn from the road
and plunged into a growth of young
poplars that fringed the hillside. 1t
half slid, half plowed its way into a
semi-vertical position among the young
trees. The two occupants were
thrown from their seat; the girl fell
clear but her father was less fortu-
nate.
In an instant the boy had flung him.
self from his horse, dropping the reins
to the ground, and the animal, al
though snorting and shivering, had no
thought of disgracing his training by
breaking his parole. With quick, I'M
calmly strides the boy brought himself
to the upturned machine. 1t was GU
rious that he should appear to such
disadvantage on his feet. In the
saddle he was grace personified
For moment he looked somewhat
stupidity upon the wreck. Had 1t been
horse or steer he would have
known the procedure, but this expert
ence was new to his life. Besides
there were strangers here. He had no
fear of strangers when they wore
chaps and cOlored handkerchiefs, but
a girl In brown sweater and an
oldish man with a white collar were
creatures to be approached with eau
ton. The oidish man was lying on
the ground, with a leg pinned under
the car, and Brown Sweater raised
his head against her knee and pressed
his cheeks with small white fingers,
and looked at the boy with bright
gray eyes and said:
Aren't you going to do anything2"
That brought him back. "Sure," he
said. springing to her side. "Whada ye
want me to do?"
Il am afraid my leg is broken" said
the man, speaking calmly notwith-
standing his pain. Can you get the
jack out of the toolbox and raise the
carr"
The girl pointed to the box, and In
moment he had the jack in his
hand. But 1t was a new tool to him
and he fumbled with it stupidity. The
handle would not fit, and when it did
tit 1t operated the wrong way.
"Oh, let me have it," she cried i'm.
patiently.
In moment she had it set under
the frame Of the car and was plying
the handle up and down with rapid
strokes. The boy looked on. helpless
and mortified. He was beginning to
realize that there were more things
in the world than riding horse and
shooting bottles. He felt Il sudden
desire to be of great service. And
Just now he could be of no service
whatever.
But the foot of the jack began to
sink in the soft earth, and the girl
looked up helplessly.
ut won't lift it." she said. "What
shall we do?"
1t was his chance. He was eighteen,
ana his wild. open life had given him
muscles Of steel. "Here," he said
roughly, move his leg when / get II
clear He turned his back to the
machine and crouched down until he
could get his hands under the steel