The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-12-18

kuOWS she viii nave W give up TIC
claim, but will she get into further
trouble? Will they let it go at that?"
That was a poser, and l turned 1t
over in my mind for some minutes.
Better see Jake about that" / sug-
gested. He'll find way"
THAT'S right ~ said Spool. "Jake's
the boy. And he owes me something
yet on that cogitation nut transaction.
"Just one more thing" Spool re-
sumed, after a little. ''I've told you
great deal more than propose to
tell anyone else. 1t seemed to me that
you-and Jean-had peculiar right
to know"
1t had been arranged that during
the busy season / should take my
meals at Jacks, and Jean had volun-
teered the duty of carrying my after
noon lunches to the field. There was
little time now for either poetry or
prose, and yet we lived amazingly in
the spirit. Between the plowhandles
one must think of something, and re-
called and re-recalled those things l
had read during the winter. At lunch
time, or in the evenings, would talk
Of them with Jean, always trying to
approach her from some new and I'M
suspected angle. AS, for instance,
when summer shower threatened US,
| quoted q had borrowed Shelley
from Spoof):
Il bring fresh showers for the thirst
ing flowers,
From the seas and the stream;
l bear light shade for the leaves when
laid
In their MONDAY dreams.
From my wings are shaken the dews
that waken
The sweet buds every one"
One evening Spool came over, car.
ryipg his gun.
There's good crane shooting out at
Reed lake." he said. Brown and /
were up last night; got four beauties.
Jean seems to be shooting rather well
thought you and she might like to go
out on crane hunt, so brought over
my gun"
"But you-you'll come won't you?"
"No, not this time" said Spool,
sagely. I've got all 1 can use for
some days."
Jean was enthusiastic, so we quit
work early the next afternoon and
drove to Reed lake, about seven or
eight miles to- the west.
/ fastened a horse blanket to the
side of our wagon, dropping one edge
to the ground. In front of it I spread
another on the grass, and here we sat,
sheltered from the cool night breezes
that came solemnly whispering over
the tops Of the reeds that bordered the
lake.
Jean seemed to doubt the efficiency
of any method of hunting that con-
sisted in sitting down beside horse
blanket and waiting for the game to
come up and be shot She could un-
derstand crawling for a hundred yards,
head down and heels down, except as
waving foot might serve to sema-
phore her signals. But to sit and wait.
She was counting stars.
There they comet" l suddenly
breathed. scarce daring to whisper, as
new note came up from the water.
"Quietly-quietly.'
We rose to our feet and stalked
silently to the waters edge. There
was nothing to be seen. We were sur
rounded entirely by reeds higher than
our heads. We were sinking slowly
| in the moist mud; water was trickling
through the lace holes in my boots.
"We'll have to go in" / whispered.
Are you gamer?
/ felt the pressure of her free hand
upon my arm.
"Anywhere-With YOU"
So we stepped quietly but boldly
into the water. 1t came to the ankles,
] the calves, the knees. Then we were
through the reeds and the lake lay be-
fore US, dim and misty, like sheet
of frosted glass.
We'll wait here. If we're lucky
| they'll come our way"
Out of the air came a rushing. Great
wings beat almost upon our heads.
/
we knew it.
"Just a couple of strays beating
around the lake." 1 explained. "We'll
wait for the waders."
Presently, and without notice save
the soft splashing of water, they came
wading down the shadows close to
where we stood, their great bodies dim
and dark against the frosted glass
their long necks stretched high, or
grubbing in the reeds beside them.
One-two-three-f our-fve-six; on
they came.
"Take the first two; I'll take the
| next"
Our guns came to our shoulders In
the darkness; we looked, rather than
i sighted. at the great birds scarce q