The Bozeman courier., 1927-12-23

Eyes, it's been-fun," he replied.
Eight thousand dollars" he replied.
Eight thousand dollars!" Bob repeat
ed, helping himself to the potatoes and
bacon. -Four for you, and four for me.
We're rich, dadI'
Selden smiled inwardly as he locked at
the young, strong face Of this man who
was his son, and who considered mere
four thousand dollars riches. There were
Youths along the Way called White that
flung twice that sum away in one eve
ming.
''WhatTl you be doing with your
share?" he asked banteringly.
Buy myself a four quart hat and
bale Of silk shirts for starter" Bob re-
Piled. ct guess whoever it is has camped
for the night" he added as he looked out
over the valley. 81 don't see any more
dust
"It must be misunderstanding at
this time Of the year." Selden remarked,
cor Indians" he was about to add, but
kept the thought to himself. Some days
earlier they had bought quarter OF VEN
ison from two Utes returning from a
hunt on the meadows near the timber
line, and had paid for it with gold dust
an imprudent thing for two isolated
men to do; but they had run out Of cash
and were hungry for fresh meat.
Their meal finished, they busted them
selves with their allotted tasks about
see, then went to bed, and, as was their
habit, began to read themselves to sleep
by candle light. Selden found, however,
after the candles had been put out, that
he could not go to sleep. His mind was
restless with the disturbing thought that
the time was come when he must face
the parting with his son. must step aside
for the larger claim which the world pre-
sented upon his flesh and blood.
He knew this to be the immutable law
Of life, but the knowledge did not make
it easier to bear. For six years he had
watched the STRIPPING boy grow into tail
youth. He had watched nature trans
mute from the dross Of caIIOwness one
golden rivet after another in the armor
Of manhood. and he knew that this son
of his was well girded for the battle with
life.
Through the transparent roof Of the
tent the light Of the stars fell difused in
a faint silver mist. There was not the
slightest stir Of wind, yet ~erfumed waves
Of sweetness from the Towering moratne
meadows two Thousand feet above him
enveloped him, crowding out even the
pungent ambrosia Of the desert sage. To
his ears there came myriad Of tiny earth
sounds, as Of elfln creatures coming faint
belI-like tones from the silence. Beyond
the open flaps Of the tent, the dying
camp fire, each separate ember coated
with a gray film of ashes, lay like pool
of quicksilver, interminaIJly far away, as
! If suspended in a sea Of nOthingness
! equidistant between himself and the
rounded SUBMITS Of the hills on the op-
posite side Of the valley. He lay staring
at it until his eyes lost their visioning
power for all other objects,
! His mind moved back over the years
that had thwarted him in his desire for
the companionship OF his SON. His wtfe's
death and the poorly paid cIerkship by
which he had striven to keep some SEM
! blance of a home together for the lad had
been the beginning Of it. Then he had
formed the habit Of working overtime al
the Office. The extra money thus earned
had paid the salary Of the woman who
j Kept house for them. Later, the habit
established, it had been to meet the pay
ments on the large life insurance policy
which he had taken out in favor Of the
notherless boy; later still, the monthly
payment on their cottage. There had al
ways, been something to deprive him o.
the comradeship Of his son. Finally ON
day, in desperation, he had turned thI
few worldly goods he possessed into cash
and had come west with the lad to MAKE
one last bid for the privileges Of father
hood during the few years that remained
before mans estate robbed him Of ever
these.
! In the midst Of these contemplation
|
ton of danger, as If something had
! moved beyond the gray POOLS circle o
radiance. But there was nothing. Hi
heart had given a great leap and he fel
the sweat Of his chill body where tn
Z wooden blanket touched it. He did no
: arise, nor even move. His mind was try
: ing to discover the mysterious source o
the warning. He was aware Of the urgen
: necessity Of inquiring into it, but he re
= manned motionless. Not until his strain
ing ears caught faint crunch as Of
a pebble being ground into the dry cart
= by boot heel did his right hand NOV
!. to the loaded rifle under the bed. tn
cold metal coming in contact with hi
: hot hngertips sent q shiver through hin
: : He did not raise the weapon but Ia
: listening for a second crunch; but n
sound but the deep measured breathtn
- Of his son reached his ears. Still he ws
> so sure that he had not been mistake
= that he debated whether to awaken th
e lad or spring to his feet and deal single
. handedly with the thing that threatene
. them.
= The problem was solved quite withoI
- any volttion Of his own. One-two-four-
= half a dozen or more crouching fglr'
y moved within his range of vision. The
- was no time to cry out warning to IL
Js sleeping boy. His discharging rifle ga
- it and in the fash Of flame the neare
m "a Vic SAONSAAA46 A6NuCo obAd4EnJCnC0 l
y with a jerk and fell forward on it's fac
- While yet the thunder Of the explosiC
- echoed to the hills the last convulsi
- twitching of the prone form had cease
~ and his companions had disappeared Ill
"a thistledown in sudden gust Of wind.
The two men dropped down betwel
nv their beds and flung the blankets al
= mattresses about them as a breastwol
~, The answer to this hasty preparation
gss defense was volley Of rife fire from t
- direction Of the lava rocks at the rim
- the mesa. They were caught in a trs
- Their only advantage was the darknC
~. ~ and the fact that the tent was pitch
~ - on the highest immediate point. Th
~, y, were shooting down while the attacks
- must perforce shoot up. The first vol
~" shook the tent like a sail in a gale
g >, wind. They did not reply to it as th
be could see nothing at which to shoot.
Lo The breastwork Of bedclothing a
- mattresses served well enough so long
- it was dark, and they remained hAtteI
~ out on the ground. Before the arrival
,+T daylight-if they still lived-a more a,
re re quate shelter must be provided. II
discussed at length the advisability
IrhnnrfT4u for ,o4 ~