The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1924-05-23

gave ZeSt TO the prospect. IranSley
was interesting. AT least he was out
of the commonplace. His bold direct
ness had rather fascinated her. He
had a will. Her father had always adj
mired men with will, and Zen shared
his admiration. Then there was Lin
der. The fierce light of Transley's
charms did not blind her TO the glow
of quiet capability which she saw in
Under. If one were looking for a hus-
band, Under had much to recommend
him. He was probably less capable
than Transley, but he would be easier
to manage. But who was
looking for a husband? Not Zen. No,
no, certainly not Zen.
Then there was George DraZk,
whose devotions fiuctqated between
that Pete-horse" and the latest fe-
male to cross his orbit. AT the thought
of George Drazk Zen laughed outright.
She had played with him. She had
made a monkey of him, and he de-
served all he had got. 1t was not the
first occasion upon which Zen had let
herself drift with the tide, always
sure of justifying herself and discom-
fitting someone by the swift, strong
strokes with which, at the right mo-
ment, she reached the shore. Zen
liked TO think of herself as careering
through life in the same way as she
rode the half-broken horses of her IA
theirs range. How many such horse
had thought that the 1.-the body on his
back was something to race with, toy
with, and, when tired of that, fling
of those horses but had found that
while he might race and toy with his
rider within limitations, at the last
that light body was master, and not
he. Yet Zen loved best the
horse that raced widest and was hard
est to bring into subsection.
That was her philosophy of life so
far as girl of twenty may have a
philosophy of life. 1t was TO go on and
see what would happen, supported al
ways by quiet confidence that in any
pinch she could take care of herself
She had learned to ride and shoot, to
sleep out and cook in the open, to
ride the ranges after dark by instinct
and the stars-she had learned these
things while other girls of her age
learned the rudiments Of fancywork
and the scales of the piano.
Her father and mother knew her
disposition, loved it, and feared for It.
They knew that there was never a
rider so brave, so skillful, so strong,
but some outlaw would throw him at
last. So at fourteen they sent her
east to a boarding school. In two
months she was back with a letter of
expulsion, and the boast of having
BACKED the eyes of the principals
daughter.
They couldn't teach me any more
Mother" she said. They admitted it.
So here 1 am"
Y.D. was plainly perplexed Its
about time you was halter-broke," he
commented. who's goin' to DO it?"
IF a girl has learned 10 read and
think. what more can the schools do
for herT" she demanded.
And Y.D.. never having been to
school, could not answer.
The sun was Gaping the Rockies
with molten gold when the rancher
and his daughter swung down the foot
hill slopes to the camp on the South
Y.D. Strings of men and horses re-
turning from the upland meadows
could be seen from the hillside as they
descended.
Y.D's sharp eyes measured the
scale of operations.
They're hittin' the high Spots" he
said approyingly. THAT boy Transley
is a hum-dinger."
Zen made no reply.
Il say he's a hum-dinger," her IA
Their repeated.
The girl looked up with a quick flush
of surprise. Y.D. was no puzzle to
her. and if he went out of his way
to commend Transley he had a pur-
pose.
Mr.. Transley seems to have made
hit with you, Dad" she remarked,
evasively.
"Wsll,, DO like to see a man who's
got the goods in him. I like man
that can get there. just as I like a
horse that can get there. I've often
wondered, Zen, what kind you'd take
up with, when it came TO that, an
hoped he'd be a live crittur. After
I'm dead an buried 1 don't want no
other dead one spendin' my simoleons.
How about Mr. Under" said Zen,
naively
Her father looked up sharply. Zen
he said, you're not serious?'
Zen laughed. Il don't figure you're
exactly serious. Dad. in your talk about
Transley. You're just feeling out.
Well-let me do little feeling out.
How about Linder?"
'Linder's all right" Y.D. replied.
Better than the average, admit. But
he's not the man Transley is. If he
was, he wouldn't be workin' for Trans
ley. You can't keep man down, Zen.
if he's got the goods in him. Under
comes up over the average, SOS you
can notice it. but not like Transley
does"
Zen did not pursue the subject. She
understood her fathers philosophy
very well indeed. and, TO a large de-
gree, she accepted it as her own The
only quality Y.D. took off his hat to
was the ability TO do things. And
Y.D.s idea of things was very con-
crete; ii had TO do with steers and
land with hav and raouov aDd mon