The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1924-05-22


O. pay?' Solomon answered. "Ain't We
willin' to fight fer yer own liberty
without bein' paid fer 1t? Ye been
kicked an robbed an spit on, an
dragged Ground by the heels, an We
don't want to fight less somebody
pays ye. What a dam corn fiddle o. a
man ye mus ber'
Solomon was putting fresh provisions
in his pack as he talked.
"All the Injuns o. Kinady an the
great grass lands may be snookin'
down through the bush. We're bound
fer t know what's a goin' on out thar.
We're liable to be skeered, but also
an likewise we'll do some skeerin'
fore we give up-you hear to me-
Jack and Solomon set out in the
bush that afternoon and before night
fell were up on the mountain slants
north of the CLASSY Water, as Lake
George was often called those days.
But for SolOmon's caution an evil fate
had perhaps come to them before their
first sleep on the journey. The new
leaves were just out, but not quite
full. The little naples and beeches
flung their sprays of vivid green foil
age above the darker shades of the
witch hOpple into the softlighted air
of the great house of the wood and
filled it with a pleasant odor. A mile
or so back, Solomon had left the trail
and cautioned Jack to keep close and
step softly. Soon the old scout stopped
and listened and put his ear to the
ground. He rose and beckoned to
Jack and the two turned aside and
made their way stealthily up the slant
of a ledge. In the edge of a little
thicket on a messy rock shelf they sat
down. Solomon looked serious. There
were deep burrows in the skin above
his brow.
After a few minutes Solomon turned
and whispered:
-Four Injun braves jist went by.
Mebbe they're scoutin' fer a big band
-mebbe not. If so, the crowd is up
the trail. If they're comm by, it'll
be fore dark. Well stop in this ere
tavern They's a cave on t'other side
o. the ledge as big as a small house,
They watched until the sun had set.
Then Solomon led Jack to the cave,
in which their packs were deposited.
From the caves entrance they
looked upon the undulating green roof
of the forest dipping down into a deep
valley, cut by the smooth surface of
a broad river with mirrored shores,
and lifting to the summit of a distant
mountain range. It's blue peaks rose
into the glow of the sunset.
"Yonder is the great stairway of
Heaven!" Jack exclaimed.
"I've put up in this ere oil tavern
many a night" said Solomon. do
We see it's signT"
He pointed to a great dead pine
that stood a little below it, towering
with stark, outreaching limbs more
than a hundred and fifty feet into the
air.
Il call it The Dead Pine Tavern
Solomon remarked.
"On the road to Paradise" said Jack
as HI gazed down the valley, his hands
shading his eyes.
"Wisht we could have a nice hot
supper, but 'twon't do to build no fire.
Nothin' but cold vittles! I'll go down
with the pot to a spring an git some
water. You dig fer our supper in that
pack O. mine an spread it out here.
I'm hungry"
They ate their bread and dried meat
moistened with spring water, picked
baIsam boughs and covered a
corner Of the messy floor with them.
When the rock chamber was filed with
heir fragrance, Jack said:
IF my dream comes true and Mar
and l are married, I shall bring
Ter here. l want her to e The Dead
Pine Tavern and its outlook"
Ayes, sir, when ye're married safe"
Solomon answered. wen come up
lere fust summer an fish, an hunt,
an I'll u the tavern an do the
,ookin' an sweep the floor an make
he beds!'
JACK aWoke at daylight n found
hat he was alone. Solomon returned
half an hour or so.
Been scoutin' up the trail" he said.
Didn't see a thing but an OF gnaw
bucket. Wen jest eat a bite an pint
'ff to the nor'west an keep watch O.
ere trail. They's Injuns over
.har on the slants. We got to know
low they look an bout how many
read they is"
They went on, keeping well away
rom the trail.
Wen have to watch it with our
said Solomon in a whisper.
His a was often on the ground that
morning and twice he left Jack to
'snook' out to the trail and look for
racks. Solomon could initiate the
of the swamp robin, and when
hey We're separated in the bush, ne
ave it so that his friend could locate
i'm. At midday they sat down in deep
hade by the side of a brook and ate