Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-03

Back in the cabin. he lifted a steel.
white dtpper from the water bucket
and drank in gulps. Filtered moon
light cleaned on the dipper. The
high forest, open underneath like
pillared temple, swayed above and
crooned, a rising, pulsing sob, a chord
ancient and moving as no organs
chords are moving.
Good night" said Wally. 1--WE
can't live with the widow, wrappin'
up beans an always listenin' to them
fern jumpers chaw tobacco. Now If
we had a income SOS we could hold
up our heads among EN-"
| 4
IWHEN next he went to the post Of
I w flee the trouble broke.
That was five days later, and he
had the scalps Of seven great timber
wolves to send to Portland for bounties.
In Portland, meanwhile, Dagget had
got In his work. Over a poker game
one murky night Dagget chatted with
Col. Barnes, State game warden. Yes,
there was good fishing in the La
montai country, and few fishermen.
The chinookS were running. Steel
heads also were still coming home
from the sea
1.-The rivers full of EN-" Dagget
said, lighting a cigarette. But there's
no chance, no chance"
THAT SOP" Col. Barnes inquired.
"Why?"
Check" said Dagget to the play
ers. why, there's wild dog on the
rifles all day, jerking EN- out. No
chance to fish. If he pulls out one he
pulls 40 a day. Crazy about
salmon. You know how they get"
Raise you five dollars" the fat
colonel said to the baize table: and to
Dagget, II know. We have more or
less trouble with dogs on all the coast
creeks. I have a warden shoot them.
We have warden Of sorts at Lamon-
tai Old native Two pairs.
my pot, boys! He's not on
regular salary. 1 doubt if he draws
two hundred q year Cards,
two! I'll have him shoot this
dog Who dealt me this alleged
hand?"
He looked at It, but saw instead
certain visions Of white water and
glistening fish. Dagget saw old Wally
shooting the dog he had beaten Dag
get over
Old Wally asked the Widow Pur-
dom efficiently. ANY COMMENT bust
ness, Mis- Purdom?"
Yes. and a stack OF fourth-class
mail for you. I declare. Mr.. Waller,
you must be busy man, the way you
stay away from civilization"
Busy. yes, ma'am: I've fetched
seven wolf pelts. I'll have ye send
fer that brass collar. II ye please
|. Quick stamp. eh?"
He took the small white envelope
with the blue cornerhead of the
State Game Commission and a special
"Gov'ment business" Opening the
letter, he looked blandly over the
words. 1t would take him an hour to
puzzle out the tipping. Staring at the
letter. he looked intelligent. handed
1T to the postmistress, and cried:
We'll, gol hing! What would We
think o that, now. Mis- Purdom?"
He looked innocently into her eyes.
Just read it out, will ye?"
She understood her man. She
meant to have him for her own. At
a glance she read the letter. A hor-
ror filled her eyes. Wally saw it. He
stiffened.
Come right back here, in my room
Mr.. Waller" she said Two loupging
bumpers We're In the store. She
glanced at them. II want to speak to
you-on business"
Back in her tidy room. flushing as
he saw her white bed, Wally listened
to fate as Mrs. Purdom read the let
ter aloud:
Mr.. Thomas Waller,
Lamontai, Ore.
My dear Warden: This office has
had a number Of complaints of the
activities Of Wild dog on your river
detrimental to the pleasure of fisher
men. The dog must be removed
If it has an owner, kindly instruct
him to shoot 1t, and II 1t has no own
er. or he declines to kill the dog. do
so yourself. You will make 1t clear to
the owner that the law cannot recog-
I nf2a the Y-iphf Of m 6Sh
license him to fish. or allow him the
privilege in any way.
Il l hope to see you soon.
Very truly,
A. A. BARNES,
State Game Warden.
IN Mrs. Purdom's sharp eyes was
a quick CLEAN Of sympathy. She
saw how Wally stood, stiffly, his world
whirling, his eyes cringing under the
} blow.
J IT declarew she cried. eff that
amt just too bad! Thomas Waller,
you come right down here to supper
with me tonight. We all need human
company In these Affections. An
goodness knows you've never had
enoughp'
But Wally, the open letter now in
his hand, walked out blindly among
the loiterers and, unseeing, stalked
through the mesquite, into the sal
monberries. Major came. not now at
his side, but at his heels, head down.
And Wally climbed by the nervous
river, crossed the log, stumbled slowly
to his cabin.
| While the afternoon wore away, the
fir trees grievtng above. he sat
bumped over his board table. Some
times he muttered: II won't do 1t!
won't fer no Comment" MajoA
walked about, his ears laid back, OF
stood against Wally's leg restlessly.
And in his mind, while night fell,
Wally recounted his life. all his rela.
tions with his Government. It had
always been a "hyas kloshe" Govern.
ment, a very dear, very high father.
First, as lanky lad. Wally had been
taken from the Indians, who had
raised him and alone knew the fate
of his parents. He had been taken
by a band of bearded men in blue,
bugles ringing. And, himself wearing
the blue, Wally had struggled through
the snowy passes to the Nez Perez
wars on the John Day River; with
Gen. Fremont on the desert he ha6
corralled the tribes within the cone OF
Fort Rock; with young Grant at Grants
Pass and on the River Rogue he had
seen the Rogue war; with young Phi
Sheridan he had helped clean up the
YaQuina and Siletz. For these things
he had been repaid in Indian wal
medals.
IT won't do itr' he cried. the cry
tearing his breast. 1t had been IA
Their, mother and confessor to him
his Government. Now 1t ordered him
to shoot his dog.
He got up, swaying. Automatically
and because he must do something he
opened the block of his rifle and