The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1922-07-07
CHAPTER 1

Streaks Of red ran upward, and In
answer the great gray eye of the will
derness lifted Its mist-fringed lid.
From the green depths came the fiut-
Ing of a lone wood-thrush. A cougar
leaped from the low limb of an oak,
missed. and a shuddering deer
streaked through a forest aisle,
bounded into a little clearing, stopped
rigid, shifted a deadlier enemy, and
whirled Into the wilderness again
Still deeper In the depths a boy with q
bow n arrow and naked. except for
scalp-lock and ~breech-clout, sprang
a buffalo trail. Again, not far behind
him, three grunting savages were tax
ing up the print of his moccasined
feet.
An hour before q red fare rose
within the staked enclosure that was
reared in the center OF the little clear
ing, and above 1t smoke was seen ris-
ing. Before the first glimmer Of day
the gates yawned a little and three
din shapes appeared and moved lels-
urely for the woodsHeach man with a
long fintlock rifle In the hollow of his
arm, q hunting knife in his belt, and
a coonskin cap on his head. At either
end of the stockade a watch-tower of
oak became visible and in each a
sleepy sentinel yawned and snifreo
the welcome smell of frying venison
below him.
One sentinel rose towering to the
full of his stature, stretched his
mighty arms with a yawn, and lightly
leaped. rife in hand, into the en-
closure. A girl climbing the rude lad
der to the tower stopped midway.
"Mornin', Davei"
"Mornin', Polly !"
"You don't seem to have much use
for this ladder"
mot unless I'm goin' up; and ]
wouldn't then If l could jump as high
as l can fall" He went toward her to
help her down.
II wouldn't climb very high" she
said, and s%corning his hand with a
%tantalizing little grimace she leaped
as lightly as had he to the ground<
Two older women who sat about a
kettle of steaming clothes watched
her.
"Look at Polly Conrad, won't We?
declare that gall"
"Lyddy !" cried Polly, bring Dave'&
breakfast 7" !
At the door of each log cabin, as
solidly built as a little fort, a hunter
xroc olao,inr IN lone ,fGa H.
western angle two men were strength
ening the pickets of the palisade.
About the fire two mothers were
sucking babes at naked breasts.
At the fire a tall girl rose. pushed
a mass of sunburned hair from her
heated forehead, and n flush not from
the fire fused with her smile.
II reckon Dave can walk this far
he don't look very puny."
A voice vibrant with sarcasm rose
from n of the women about the
steamlng kettle
"Honor" she cried, Honor San
In a doorway near. a third girl was
Handicapped, deep-breasted.
Honor" cried the old woman.
stop wasiin' so time with that weay-
In thar an come out here an hen
these two gals 10 cit Dave his break
Dave Yandell laughed loudly.
Come on. Honor" he called, bur
girl turned and the whir of a loom
again like the hummIng Of
bees. Lydia Noe handed the hunter
pan Of deer meat and corr bread.
and Polly poured him a cup Of steam-
Ing liquid made from ~sassafras
Dave looked up into Polly's
eyes, shifted to Lydia. swerved
the door whence came the whir of
loom.
"You are looking very handsome
this morning, Polly" he said gravely.
and Lydia Is ~lovelier even than usual,
Honor is a woodland dream" He
shook his head. mo" he said, 81
'eally couldn't"
Couldn't what?" asked Polly,
hough she knew some nonsense was