The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1924-05-30

already pouring upon her white roof !;
she could trace the gentle sway Of
the trees by the leafy patterns gliding
forward and back A cheeky gopher,
exploring about the door of her tent,
yentured in, and, sitting bolt upright.
sent his shrill whistle boldly forth
She watched his fine bravery for a
minute, then clapped her hands to-
gether, and laughed as he fled
Therein we have the figures of both
Transley and Under" she unused to
herself. Upright, Transley; horizon
tai, Under. l doubt if the poor fell
low slept last night after the fright
gave him."
Slowly and clamly she turned the
incident over in her mind She won
dered little If she had been quite
fair with Under. Her words and con-
duct were capable of very broad in
terpretations. She was not at all in
love with Under; of that Zen was sure.
She was equally sure that she was not
at all in love with Transley. She adj
mitted that she admired Transley for
his calm assumptions. but they nettled
her little nevertheless. If this should
develop into love affair-if it should
she had no intention that it was to
be a pleasant afternoons canter. 1t
was to be race-a race, mind you
and may the best man winl She
had feeling, amounting almost to a
conviction, that Transley moderated
his foreman's possibilities in such a
contest. She had seen many dark
horse, less promising than Under, gal
lop home with the stakes.
Then Zen smiled her own quiet, self
confident SMILE The idea of either
Transley or Under thinking he could
gallOp home with herl For the mo-
ment she forgot to do Under the JUS
tice Of remembering that nothing was
further from his thoughts. She would
show them. She would make race of
it-almost to the wire. In the home
stretch she would make the leap, out
and over the fence. She was in it for
the race, not for the finish.
Zen contemplated for some minutes
the possibilities of that race; then, as
the imagination threatened to become
involved, she sprang from her cot and
thrust cautious head through the
door Of her tent. The gang had long
since gone to the fields, and friendly
bushes sheltered her from view from
the cook car. She drew on her boots.
p11t hoi
across her shoulders, and, soap in
hand, walked boldly the few steps to
the stream ripping over it's shiny
gravel bed. She stopped and tested
the water with her fingers; then
brought it in fresh, cool handfuls about
her face and neck.
"Mornin', Zen!" said a familiar
voice. "Scuse me for happenin' to
be here. l was JUS waterin' that Pete
horse after hard ride"
Now look here, Mr.. Drazk," said
the girl, whipping her scanty clothing
about her, "if / had gun! / won't
have you spying about ~
Jaw, dom be cross" Drazk protest
ed He was sitting on his horse in
the ford dozen yards away. Il JUS
happened along. l guess the outside
belongs to all of us. Say, Zen, if l
was to get properly introduced, what's
the chances?"
''Not one in a million, and If that
isn't odds enough ri double it."
You're not goin' to hitch up with
Under, are you?"
Under? Who said anything about
Linder?"
Gee, but amt she innercent?'
Drazk stepped his horse up few
feet to facilitate conversation. 81 alus
take an interest in inherent gals
away from home, so kinda KEEP my
angel eye on you las night. An
see Under stalkin' aroun' here an
sighin' out over the water when he
should ave been in bed But, of
course, he's been introduced"
George Drazk, if you speak to me
again I'll horsewhip you out of the
camp at noon before all the men. Now,
beat itr
Jus, as you say, ma'am," he re
turned, with mock courtesy. "But you
don't need to be scared. That's one
thing never dol never squeal on a
friend"
She was burning with his insults,
and If she had had gun at hand she
undoubtedly would have used it. But
she had none. Drazk very deliberately
turned his horse and rode away to-
ward the meadows.
"Oh, won't fix him !" she said, as
she continued her toilet in fury. She
had not the faintest idea what re-
venge she would take, but she prom
ised herself that it would leave moth
ing to be desired. Then, because she
was young and healthy and an OPP
timist, and did not know what it meant
to be afraid. she dismissed the Incl