The Coolidge examiner., 1934-03-09
wNC Service

ephemerldae So he was feed.
In on them. not waltin' for tn hatch
OF larger 2"
lie placed hand on the younger
mans shoulder.
Mon, ye took him Beside this
one. moo. my grand troors young
ster. III have tae admit. 1t dis
turbed me a mite. thinkln' ye'd took
mine but
Moo. Slt yerseF doom. Iae ye
piper So9 Well. so ha' L" lie
went 10 the mantel and took down a
great hrlar. "Ay. SIT ycrsel' doom.
Moo. tell me, Flynn. how long did
ye work. DER yon noble afore he
took yer fyT
Steve. with his heart ieaplng.
seated himself and drew ont his
pipe. lie sat silent n brief inter
val. telling himself that he was
about to achieve the thing for which
he had set out this evening. lie
marshaled his wit and his resources.
and then began to talk. slowly and
carefully. telling the best story he
bad ever told in his rfe' At the
end he sat back and nodded toward
the table and said
And there he IL. Mr.. Macdonald.
10 prove IT."
"Ay. a grand hght fer q lad.
could nae done better myself. Flynn.
II so guide"
lie clapped hls hands and from .
doorway a squaw appeared.
"I'll hae a guest. Annie" he said
Spread yersel'. noo. nd do yer
best e.
Steve protested that be should be
back nt headquarters but the Laird
would not listen,
stay. lad. stay "Tis an eTenln'
10 mark welt. 20 celebrate Ye must
stay tn night TITS been long since
I've bad by me n angler such as ye
are The others. I've taught thum
what they know. But ye. Flynn
Well. ye took . better hsh thun
ever killed -
And stay the night under the
talrd's roof Steve did. In detail
the stories Of hsh they had taken
mus, be told. and II vas after mid
night before Macdonald led Steve
20 the room be was 10 occupy.
While Drake waA thus engaged
heart qulckened AT thought of what
this friendship meant 10 Polaris.
Franz sat on a bench In the store
az Good Bye. silently listening 10
the gossip Of the men gathered
there. lie had become q fallen ia
vorlte and bad no longer a place Of
consequence in their regard.
wartin came la. where's Jlm?"
be asked
+Fishln." Tim Todd replied.
I'D ough, 10 see him tonight. u
be say when he'd be back
Nope. But hes been stayln'
mighty late. recent the old clerk
Informed him.
Shortly. Franz went out unnc-
,lced. lie took n trail taat led back
into the timber. cirel'si LaFane's
house by o vide margin. and ap-
preached the cabin which Steve oc-
eunled.
lie stood near by for lengthy In
teryal: then carefully be- advanced,
tried the door and went within.
IL cost him time and pains 10 find
the shotgun. but he did locate II.
finally. wrapped In the grain sack
and showed in the leg OF the old
trousers.
A half hour later be came out on
the lake shore again. Gripping the
gun by the barrel. no whirled II
around bis head thrice and let II 20.
The splash was far out where the
water was deep enough so that the
chance OF ever locating the weapon
would be negligible.
There 20 your id finger
prints" he muttered. Now try 10
nnd a way 10 stop me.'
For breakfast Steve and the
Laird had portions OF the trout.
broiled crisp and brown.
Food" the old man muttered.
After all his years. all his tri-
umphs. he ends up as food for his
chief enemy TITS so WI tn
country. lad: man destroys tn wild
TO put ut 10 his use"
A broodIng look was on his face.
He sat silent for a time and try as
he would Steve could not rouse him.
As they finished. he said:
"Ill have To be getting back 10
headquarters now. Mr.. Macdonald
There are things to be done today.
Important things"
The old man nodded.
II onderstan'." he said. half ah-
sently. "Ay. Troubles heavy
on tn Flynns." He sighed and stared
through window. I've been
thinkln'. James lad. since last
night that I'm m old man at last. /
made mysel' promise when was
I yoong: that I'd accept sge easy nd
graceful. Nd here, ut develops, I've
been fghtIn' ut off. shutiIn my eyes
10 ( Ay, I'm old. Nd do ye
s'pose. lad. that yer fathers still
T in tn nOtfon n huvtn' my fimbpr1"