White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1931-07-02
4 the wagon with the feeling that she


her-Cim, Isaiah-to talk to. CHM
was not there playing with his bits
Of stone and twigs. He had gone off
with Isaiah to gather fuel, though she
had forbidden 1t. Isaiah, his long arms
full of dead twigs and small branches,
was coming toward the wagon now.
Gin was not with him.
"Wheres Cim?"
He dropped his load, looked around.
IT ler him playin' by hisself right
hyah when All go fetch de wood. Ain
he in de wagon?"
'No. No."
"Might be he creep in de print
wagon."t
"Wagon?" She ran to the other
wagon, peered inside, called. He was
not there.
Together they looked under the
wagons, behind the trees. "Cim! Ciml
Cimarron Cravat, If you are hiding
shall punish you If you don't come out,
this minute" A shril note Of terror
crept into her voice. She began to
scream his name, her voice cracking
grotesquely. "Cim! Cim!" She prayed
as she ran, mumblinglx 20 God,
help me find him. o God, don't let
anything happen to him. Dear God,
help me find him-Cim! Gin! Cm!"
She came to a little mound that
dipped suddenly and unexpectedly to
q draw. And there, in hollow, she
came upon him, seated before cave
in the side Of the hill, the front and
roof 'ingeniously timbered to make a
log cabin. One might pass within five
feet Of it and never find it. -Four men
were seated about the doorstep outside
the rude cabin. CHM was perched
on the knee of one Of them, who was
cracking nuts for him. They were
laughing and talking and munching
nuts and having altogether a delight
full time Of it. Sabra's knees suddenly
became weak. She was trembling.
She stumbled as she ran toward him.
Her face worked queerly. The men
sprang up, their hands at their hips.
1.-THE man is cracking nuts for me-"
remarked Gin, socially, and not es-
pecially glad to see her.
The man on whose knee he sat was
slim young fellow with sandy mus
tache and a red handkerchief knotted
cowboy fashion around his throat. He
put the boy down gently as Sabra
came up, and rose with kind Of easy
grace.
"You ran you've hunted
every-Cim-" she stammered, and
burst into tears Of mingled anger and
relief.
The slim young man seemed the
spokesman, though the other three
were obviously older than he.
"Why, I'm real sorry you was dis
tressed, ma'am. We was going to
bring the boy back safe enough. He
wandered down here lookin' for his pa,
he said.' He was standing with one
hand resting lightly, tenderly, on Gins
head, and looking down at Sabra with
a smile Of utter sweetness. His was
the soft-spoken, almost caressing voice
of the southwestern cowman and
ranger. At this Sabra's anger, born OF
fright, vanished. Besides, he was so
young scarcely more than boy.
"Well," she explained, little sheep
ishly, II was worried. Ny hus-
band went off on the track Of a
deer hours ago he
hasn't come back then when
Gin I came out and he was
gone. I was $3.50 ter
won't you sit and rest yourself,
ma'amY' suggested the spokesman.
The words were hospitable enough, yet
there was that in the boys tone which
conveyed to Sabra the suggestion that
she and Gin had better be gone. She
took Gins hand. Now that her fright
was past she thought she must have
looked very silly running down the
draw with her tears and her ptgtatl
and her screaming. She thanked
them, using a little southern charm
and southern drawl, which she often
legitimately borrowed from the an
cestral Venables for special occasions
such as this.
'T'm ve'y grateful to you-all," she
now said. ssYou've been mighty kind.
If you would just drop around to our
camp I'm sure my husband would be
delighted to meet you"
The young man smiled more sweetly
than ever, and the others looked at
him, an inexplicable CLINT Of humor In
their weather-beaten faces.
II sure thank you, ma'am. We're
movin' on, my friends here and me-
pronto. Floyd, how about you getting
a piece Of deer meat for the lady, see
ing she's been cheated Of her supper.
Now, If you and the little fella don't
mind Mttln' up behind and before,
why, PHI take you back ways. You
probably run fu'ther than you ex-
pected, maam, scared as you was"
she had, as matter Of fact, In her
terror, run almost half a mile from
camp.
he mounted first. His method at