The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-09-25


an armful of wood, and as the dark
ness settled down we gathered about
fire on our own farms, for the first
time in our lives
And so we chartered on. saying moth
ing Of moment, but feeling the great
joy of possession yelling in our hearts.
1t was day and night to be lived
over many time in memory. For the
first time in our lives we were drink
ing of the wells of possession-the en-
chanted streams which draw men and
women into the wilderness to live and
die on the outposts of civilization.
We had finished supper, and the gray
gloom of twilight was crawling slowly
up from the east when a sharp, whis-
Ting rustic almost above us brought
the girls to their feet with a start.
what was that!' Jean exclaimed.
"It was almost like a. bullet"
NAY, nay" said Jack. INDUCING in
a very sorry joke. sit is ducklet."
"A ducklet? What ducklet?"
THAT, my dear sister, was the
whistle from the wing of wild duck,
darling into the darkness at a couple
of hundred miles an hour. He had just
got his eye on you"
More likely on the gum" said Jean,
for we had included cheap shotgun
among the articles considered indis-
pensable. wait until Frank gets after
him.
l was greatly flattered by Jeans
wholly unwarranted confidence in my
craftsmanship and eager to justify it
at the earliest moment.
"No time like the present" said I,
picking up the gun and filling my
pocket with cartridges. Besides, we
have surprise to show YOU"
So we starked out in the gathering
darkness, | going first, as became the
bearer of the gun; Jean at my heels;
Jack and Marjorie little in the rear
Down the steep edge of the gully we
worked, and then along by the marge
of the brown snow water which rip
pied happily over beds of bending
grass.
AT short distance we came to the
spot where the valley broadened out
and the little grove Of trees had found
it's place Of shelter from Chinook
winds in winter and prairie fires in
spring and fall. The air was full of
the sweet scent of bursting willow
buds and alm-o'-Gilead, and as we
picked our steps as noiselessly as we
could the slightly stirring limbs above
us wrought their dark tracery against
the blue and starry heaven.
"Oh, Frank! You never told me of
this! How wonderful
''Wait until you see the pond" I
whispered, as one who keeps the best
to the last. "We did not select Four
teen and Twenty-Five without a rea-
son."
There was no path between the slim,
close-growing trunks of poplar and
balm. and we had to make progress
as best we could. Jack and
Marjorie had fallen considerably be-
hind.
Then, suddenly, the still waters of
the pond burst upon our view, and at
the same moment, as though the very
heavens conspired to set the stage to
the best advantage, a blood>red moon
sent it's first pinion of light sweeping
down from the northeast and splashing
burnt-orange and ochre across the
slightly ruffied surface of the pond.
We stood for time as mOrtals trans
fixed, watching the great red globe
drawing swiftly into the blue above,
until its light painted Jeans face and
mine. In the moonlight her fine fea-
lures were wonderful, Irresistible.
We were brought to earth by flut-
tex and splashing in the water. Two
ducks, sweeping swiftly down out of
the darkness, alighted not a dozen
yards in front of US, and directly in
the line of light. drew my gun to
my shoulder and even as l did so their
murmured sgrumbings, sibilant almost
as the lisp of water on gravelly shore,
came to our ears, and they began to
swim slowly about in graceful little
circles. There was even a motion
about the head Of the male, as he
brought it close to that of his mate,
that was surely nothing short of a
caress
Don't, Frank, don't; you mustn't 7"
Jean exclaimed suddenly.
Her arm darted out in front of me,
seized the barrel of the gun and drew
it swiftly to one side. | had been
taking a most deliberate aim, to justify
the high opinion already referred to,
but at jeans sudden interference 1
pressed the trigger, or, as l always
claimed, it pulled itself against my
finger, and went off. There was loud
report, and the sound of shot harm
lessly flashing the water.
did you get him-did you get him?"
shouted Marjorie and Jack, rushing
down upon us.
mo, / didn't get him. l explained.
Il didn't even try to get him. I just
wanted to see how far the gun would
carry"
II wouldn't let him. said Jean. "It
would have been AUST horrible
thing TO shoot one of those poor crea-
lures, the very first night we were
here! How beautiful they were, and
how-how loving!' She said the last
word with bashful, falling infec-
ton that was wonderful to hear.
Its much more horrible to have no
wild duck-ducklet / mean-for to-
morrow's dinner" said Jack.
And those cartridges cost ever so
much; what Is it?-three or four cents
EACH" Marjorie demonstrated. "Well,
let's go back"