The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1936-11-19


of distrust-"
whats more important-his feel
ings or Alan's guidanceif anything
happens to Alan Make some ex-
i cuSe."
Mr.. Ramill got to his feet and
limped beside her down to the
stream bank. Hubby stood with his
morose gaze fixed upon Garth, who
was tying willow ribs on the gum
vale of his canoe frame with raw
hide thongs.
The millionaire spoke in a casual
tone: 'How long will it take to put
on the birch bark?"
! well use the moose hides, sir.
They weigh more but will be much
stronger. You might ask Hubby to
chop down a. birch and cut it into
five-foot lengths. Wen have to split
the wood to make paddles"
"So?" Mr.. Ramill turned to his
prospective son-in-law. "You may as
well return the pistol to me, Vivian.
It will hamper your chopping, and as
we're now to be in canoe,its weight
will not bother me-"
| Huxby sat motionleSS. taken aback.
Before he could think of an excuse
to refuse, he met Garth's coolly in
curing gaze. He turned away and
drew the pistol from inside his tat
tered coat, with show of careless
indifference. In the same offhand
manner, he picked up the belt-ax
and went to hack at the base of the
nearest birch tree.
Another day saw the canoe COM
plete. The cow and bull hides, gum
med and sewn together, formed the
cover, hair side in. The result was a
craft large enough for the party but
shorter and broader than the aver
age canoe.
At Garth's suggestion, Lilith had
begun tanning the calfskin. Mr..
Ramill tended the smudge-fire. Aft
er cutting the birch billets, Hubby
had at first sat around brooding.
Then, suddenly, he went off up the
brook. He did not come back until
after the canoe was finished. But he
brought the abandoned blanket.
Garth was beginning to shape into
paddles the slabs of wood that he
had rived from the birch billets. He
glanced from the blanket to the
clouds overhead, and from them to
Lilith's tattered skirt.
mot half bad, Hubby. That blan-
ket will soon be needed. Too Splen-
did sunrise this morning. We're in
for a storm. Miss Ramill, that calf
skin is cured enough for you to
wear. Make skirt of it."
"How about Vivian's shoes?" she
asked. Hes walked on his uppers."
Hes welcome to my old mecca
sins. They may last out our port
ages"
Though Huxby's ears Redeemed, he
accepted the castoff footgear of the
man from whom he had sought to
blk claim worth at least million
dollars. He could not refuse. His
thick shoes soles had scuffed thru
on the rocks that the plant rawhide
moccasins passed over with slight
wear.
When Garth launched the canoe,
he fastened it to the bank with "a
line made from the trimmings of the
moose hides. For anchor he used the
wolf-skin knapsack with its weight
of platinum alloy.
"May as well make it useful" he
met Huxby's look of moody protest.
"You are to have the bow seat, and
so can continue to guard my so per
cent, along with"
A clap of thunder and the swish
of wind gust through the birch
tops checked Garth's banter. He
spoke quick order: "Leanto the
blanket on that knoll between the
trees, front this way"
A glance at the onrushing black
clouds of the thunderstorm sent
even Hubby hurrying to help the
others. While they tied the upper
corners of the blanket with rawhide
thongs and weighted the back edge
with logs, Garth pulled the canoe
ashore and placed it bottom up over
the smoke racks.
When; three hours later, the crash
ing thunderstorm passed over and
the heavy downpour of rain ceased,
all the party were wet from the drip
through the blanket. But the fire
still smoldered and the half-smoked
meat was dry under the canoe.
"Had you been used to canoeing"
Garth said, 1--WE need not have lost
all this time. But you'll get enough
dreachings later on. Wiring out the
blanket and fetch the meat"
He launched the canoe again, un-
aided, and directed the others to
their places. All had to kneel, facing
the narrower prov of the double
stemmed craft. First came Huxby,
with his wolfskin treasure bag for
knee-pad. Lilith knelt on the front
part of the lengthwise folded blan-
ket. Her father had the end of the
blanket behind her. At the wobble
of the unsteady craft, he squatted
back on his heels and clutched the
gunwales.
The others held to willow branches
while Garth loaded in the meat be-
hind his, own place. He stepped
aboard and began to paddle with a
steady stroke that sent the canoe
gliding out into the swamp stream.
II