Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1923-02-23
CHAPTER XVIII
Reality Against Dreams.

his arms. Bedding Rugged them both.
He was like a boy. He saw Ben
Chase and his son slip away under
the trees, but the circumstances meant
nothing to him then.
.'Dickl Dickl he reared. as It
you? -. Say, who do you thinks
here-here, in Forlorn River?"
It was then three more persons came
upon the scene-Elsie Gale. running
swiftly, her father assisting Mrs. Gale,
who appeared about to faint.
"Felding! Who on earth's that?"
cried Dick, hoarsely.
"Quien sabe, my son." replied Beld-
ing; and now his voice seemed a little
shaky. "Nell, come here. Give him
a chance"
Bedding slipped his arm round Nell,
and whispered in her ear. "ThisIl be
great !"
Elsie Gales face was white and agi-
tated, a face expressing extreme joy.
ooh, brother Mamma saw you
papa saw you, and never knew you !
But 1 knew you when you jumped
quick-that way-off your horse. And
now l don't know you. You wild man I!
You gianti You splendid barbarian !
Mamma, papa, hurry 1t is
Dick Look at him. Just look at
him Oh-h, thank Godl"
Bedding turned away and drew Nell
with him. In another second she end
Mercedes were clasped in each others
arms. Then followed a time of joyful
greetings all round. Diablo found his
old spirit Blanco Sol tossed his head
and whistled his satisfaction; White
Woman pranced to and fro and pres
emily they all settled down to quiet
grazing. How good it was for Bedding
to see those white shapes against the
rich background of green! His eyes
%glistened. 1t was a sight he had never
expected to see again. He fingered
there many moments when he wanted
to hurry back to his rangers.
AT last he tore himself away from
watching Blanco Diablo and returned
to the house. 1t was only to find that
he might have spared himself the hur-
ry. Jim and Ladd were lying on the
beds that had not held them for So
many months. Their slumber seemed
as deep and quiet as death. Curiously
Bedding gazed down upon them. They
had removed only boots and chaps.
Their clothes were in tatters. Jim ap-
peared little more than skin and
bones, a long shape, dark and hard
as iron. Ladd's appearance shocked
Bedding. The ranger looked an old
man, blasted, shriveled, starved.
About the middle of the forenoon
on the following day the rangers hob
bled out of the kitchen to the porch.
"Im a sick man, I tell you" Ladd
was complaining, IAN I gotta be fed.
Soup! Beef teal That amt so much
as wind to me. l want about a barrel
of bread an butter, an a whole plat
ter of mashed potatoes with gravy an
green stuff-all kinds of green stuff
an a whole big apple pie. Give me
everythin' an anythin' to eat but meat.
Shore l never, never want to taste
meat again, an sight of a piece of
sheep meat would jest about finish
me. . Jim, you used to be a
human bein' that stood up for Charlie
Ladd."
lady, I'm lined up beside you with
both guns" replied Jim, plaintively.
"Hungry? Say, the smell Of break
fast in that kitchen made my mouth
water so I near choked to death. I
reckon we're gettin' most onhuman
treatment"
"But I'm a sick man." protested
Laid, AN I'm agoin' to fall over in
a minute if somebody don't feed me.
Nell, you used to be fond of me-
"Oh, Laddy, 1 am yet" replied Melt
ashore, I don't believe it. Any girl
with a tender heart just couldn't let a
man starve under her eyes. E.
Look at Dick, there. I'll bet he's had
something to eat, mebbe potatoes an
gravy, an pie an"
"Laddy, Dick has had no more thar
/ gave you-indeed, not nearly SO
much"
"Shore he's had a lot of kisses then,
for he hasn't hollered onct about this
treatment"
Perhaps he has" said Nell, with a
blush; land if you think that-they
would help you to be reasonable l
night-I1l-"
"Well, powerful fond as l am of you,
just now kisses'll have to run second
TO bread an butter"
ooh, Laddy, what a gallant speech! =
laughed Nell. I'm sorry, but I've
dads ORDERS"
lady" interrupted Bedding. you've
got to be broke in gradually to eating.
Now you know that. You'd be the Sc
yerest kind of a boss if you had some
starved beggars on your hands,"
but I'm sick-I'm dyin'," howled
Laid.
you were never sick in your life,
and If all the bullet holes 1 see in you
couldn't kill you, why, you lever will
die"