Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-17

9TH had removed me IA nudEt
and washed the wound when hi
heard voices. Somehow, com
- ing just now, they made him
uneasy. He had seen blood or
the muzzle of Range that morning.
He would have called Ann. but she
was in the other room looking after
Izette, who was nearly as bad off as
Champ.
The voices were approaching. 10th
examined the wound carefully. 1t was
satisfactory and he replaced the band
ages with fresh ones.
His rifle was in a corner, but ne
was just as good with revolvers at
.heir range, and they We're handler.
The outside door opened in this
room and the one into the other was
closed. Izette had been restless dur
ing the night and her sister wished
10 shut out sounds. 10th bent over
mis- patient.
Remember, you're a man, Champ
he said in low voice: more than II
years old. Your sister Ann has hardly
slept in a week. 1 hoped if 1Zette
could get quiet that Ann might find
some rest today. Try not to disturb
them, no matter what you hear out
eide
The boy nodded, his steady eyes re-
"Of course" he assented. ''But it's
odd Izette's worse off, when she wasn't
wounded like me-"
''You don't quite understand" gent
ly. "Izettes only a little girl. while
you're big, strong man. Besides she
had a bad fall when you stumbled
over the high bank in the darkness.
But more than that was the fright.
It was a terrible experience for q lit
tie girl to go through"
Again the boy nodded, his eyes still
regarding the man. In them were de-
votion and hero worship.
"S'pose twas pretty bad, she being
only Z. But I'm thinkin' now how
funny twas you happened to be
there, right in the nick o time"
"I was sort of looking out"
Like YOU was when the bull moose
charged me an I was saved from be-
ing a goner, an when l took the cub
an papa an mamma grizzly rushed
for me not ten yards off. You came
from behind a rock, but didn't have
time for anything 'cept TO grab me.
cub an all, an jump 40 feet from
the cliff into the river. That was busy
fun's I ever had. The odd thing was
that you happened to be-sort of
lookin' out. An there's been other
times
"You never told your sister anything
about-me being there?" quickly.
Course not You told me not to-
But I never could see why. Once /
heard YOU say you liked Ann, an l
know she likes DARN things. She's
that way herself I don't guess Ann
ever had any thought bout you being
in the country till that night the
wolves chased us-an' still. don't
know. AIMS mighty quick to scent
out things. though what she finds out
she keeps to herself, mostly" The
boyish eyes grew perplexed. Il don't
see what you stay off so for" he COM
planned almost fretfully. You amt
scared of grizzlies nor anything in the
world 'cept jest Ann, an she's gentle |
as-as anything, an the best girl in !
the world, if she is my sister. / wish |
we could go back TO our old home in |
the forest, away from this crowded |
together country an the schoolin' sis
brought us for. 'Taint no good here.
with four houses right in sight of
each other an not so many miles |
apart We long to the woods. not to
fussin' close neighborhoods. What
wish for more'n anything else in ell
this world is for you an her to get |
friends, an then you build cabin |
right near to us. Then you an me |
could go huntin' an flshin' an you |
could teach me whites. An Ann could |
teach me some. too. Both Of you know |
moren't that teacher who come to get |
us t'other day. Said she got so cents
a month for teaching an had II.
Talked so much bout me an Izette |,
havin' to come That I up an told her
che didn't know so much as either of
YOU, an then she said what could
folks expect for $6 a month an"
"Gr-r-rrh-" came a horse rumble
from without.
THAT'S Range" said 10th. quietly,
with a hard CLINT in his eyes the boy
didn't see. Every likely Range couldn't
End any game in the woods round