White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1924-11-07
CHAPTER ]
Christmas

Christmas
So the fine adventure had failed
Not but what Hugh knew that on tn
morrow he would begin to plan anoth
er and equally fine adventure. Ye
he and Fred and old Red Wolf wer
as deeply depressed as though all tn
fossil remains of Wyoming had beel
destroyed when the slide had crushed
the newly exposed body Of the gian
dinosaur. To be sure, Red Wolf
after the first shock of failure hat
passed, had tried to tell Hugh of /;
certain fabulous cliff dwelling full O
bones, sacred to the mysterious orr
gins Of the Sioux tribe. But Hugh
disappointed and bereft, would moi
listen. He gave orders to break
camp and the start for home was
made two hours after the south slope
of the mountain had jealousy recov
cred the remains of that gigantic
memory of the past.
The mountain bordered the extreme
west line of the Old Sioux Tract. The
Roaring Chief River paralleled the
line of the Tract, fifteen minutes to
the east. Between lay rugged up
heaval of mountains and canyons
deep now in December SHOWS.
1t was mid-morning when Hugh led
the way out of the camp under the lee
of the mountain, southeastward into
the wild valley that lay between the
fossil peak and the fat-topped plateau
known chiefly as the haunt of wild
horses. Save for occasional gnarled
cedar clumps, the brilliant orange and
red sides of the peak and the plateau
were barren. Even the snow had been
unable to cling to those steep, hard
walls. But the floor of the valley was
covered with quiyering aspens whose
pastel-green trunks and delicate gray
boughs were set too thick to permit
the passage of a rider. Hugh led the
little caravan along. the rough snowy
space that remained open between
the wall of the plateau and the aspen
grove.
The going was extremely rough.
Hugh sat tense in the saddle, spur
ring his horse, Fossil, over rock
heaps and through drifts as though
he found mental easement in doubling
thus the difficulties of the trail. Fred
Allward, the little gray-bearded man
who drove the freight wagon, and old
Red Wolf, driving the sheep wagon,
huddled in their mackinaws, swore at
the mules and glanced askance at
Hugh.
Hugh, in spite of the tensity of his
seat, rode with the easy assurance Of
one bred to the saddle. He showed
thin and muscular even through his
mackinaw and corduroy riding breech-
es. A round beaver skin cap, pulled
low, hid all his hair save thick
chestnut lock that blew across his
forehead. His face was long and
thin like his body, with high cheek
bones and long jaw line that
showed sharply beneath his ears.
There were lines around his gray
eyes, drawn there by sun strain, by
irritation and by humor. 1t was by
no means a handsome face-though it
clearly showed a fine intelligence.
His mouth alone was beautiful. 1t
was full curved and sensitive; cur
iously ardent mouth to dwell in so
fine-drawn face. Hugh was in the
thirtieth year of his age.
1t was three o'clock when he led
the way out of the narrow valley into
wider one, blue with snow and tree
less save for grove of spruce mile
for this grove, and Fred sighed with
relief and lighted his pipe.
Hugh, too, suddenly conscious Of
the unbelievable beauty about him, re-
Taxed little in the saddle. A world
of blue sky and snow and distant
heaven-kissing peaks. Even the
spruce trees, as he led toward them,
showed true, though darker, blue
against the snow. The great bronze
cones, massed in the higher boughs of
the trees, gave the only variety to the
great monotone.
At the edge of the grove, Hugh
turned in the saddle. Lets make
camp, boys!" he called
Fred pulled his mules to their
launches so suddenly that Red VOLTS
team bumped their noses on the tail
board of the freight wagon. Red Wolf
grunted, swung his mules clear and
leaped over their flinging hind legs to
the ground. He began to unhitch at
once, while Fred built the fire in the
little stove in the sheep wagon and
Hugh, with his gun over his arm, fol-
lowed new rabbit tracks that led into
the grove.
1t was dusk when the three men
crowded into the sheep wagon to eat
supper. 1t was as snug within as the