Williams news., 1921-07-08
. CHAPTER III-Continued

It Is extremely doubtful if a plains
 man would have possessed this knowl-
 edge. But a plainsman has not the
 knowledge of life itself that the noun
 taineer has, simply because he does
 not see it in the raw. And he has not
 half the intimate knowledge of death,
 an absolute requisite of self-com-
 posture. The mountaineer knows life
 in its simple phases with little tradt-
 tion or convention to blur the vision.
 Death is a very intimate acquaintance
 that may be met in any Snowdrift, on
 any rocky trail; and these conditions
 are very deadly to any delusions that
 he has in regard to himself. He ac-
 quires an ability to see just where he
 stands, and of course that means self
 possession. This quality had something
 to do with the remarkable record that
 the mountain men, such as that mag nifcent warrior from Tennessee, made in the late war.
 Cranston knew exactly what Snow bird would do. Although of higher order. she was a mountain creature, even as himself. She meant exactly what she said. If he hadn't climbed from Dams prone body, she would have shot quickly and very straight. If he tried to attack either of them now, her finger would press back before he could blink an eye, and she wouldn't weep any hysterical tears over his dead body. If he kept his distance, she wouldn't shoot at all. He meant to keep his distance. But he did know that he could insult her without dan ger to himself. And by now his lips had acquired their old curl of scorn.
 "I'n go, Snowbird," he said. "P1 leave you with your sissy. But guess you saw what did to hfm-in two minutes"
 'I saw. But you must remember I he's sick. Now go.''
 eff he's sick, let him stay in bed and have wet nurse. Maybe you can be that.''
 The lids dropped halfway over her gray eyes. and the slim finger curled more tightly about the trigger. "Oh, [ wish I could shoot you, Bert!' she said. She didn't whisper it, or hiss 1t, pr hurl it, or do any of the things most | people are supposed to do in moments of violent emotion. She simply said l t, and her meaning was all the | ,learer
 "But you can't. And I'll pound that 1 of yours to jelly every time
 see him. I'd think, Snowbird, that | 7ou'd want a man."
 He started up the trail; and then he did a strange thing. He's more of man than you are, right now, Bert" he told him. Hell prove it some | lay" Then her arm went about Dams leck and lifted his head upon her reast; and in Cranston's plain sight, he bent and kissed him, softly. on he lips.
 Cranston's answer was an oath. It ripped from his lips, more poisonous, F 1ore malicious than the venom of a make. His features seemed to tight n, the dark lips drew away from his eeth. No words could have made i'm such an effective answer as this tile action of hers. And as he turned p the trail. he called down to her
 name-that most dreadful epfthet nat foul tongues have always used , women held in greatest scorn.
 Dan struggled in her arms The iss on his lips, the instant before, ad not called him out of his half It had scarcely seemed gal, rather just an incident in bliss Il dream. But the word called down le trail shot out clear and vivid from le silence. just as physicians face i'll often leap from the darkness af- 1T the anesthesia. Something infinite I warm and tender was holding him, , -essing him back against holy place lat throbbed and gave him life and rength but he knew that this word Id to be answered. And only actions, ot other words. could be it's payment Il the voices of his body called to . m to lie still, but the voices of the , 'irit, those higher, nobler promptings f om which no man, to the glory of e breed from which he sprung. can C 'er quite escape. were stronger yet e tugged upward, straining. But he dn't even have the strength to break { e hold that the soft arm had about s neck , "Oh. if I could only pull the trig- she was crying. eff could z fly kill him" i "Let me-" he pleaded. Give me I e pistol I'll kill him" c And he would. There was no finch T E in the gray eyes that looked up
 her. She leaned forward, as If to k t the weapon in his hands, but at ce drew it back. And then a single t b caught at her throat. An instant | y ter they heard Cranston's laughter S
 he vanished around the turn of the d ,n r For long minutes the two of them ' .re still. The girl still held the mans a ad upon her breast. The pistol had O Hen in the pine needles, and her rvous hand plucked strangely at the <OfSa Sr, l |