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

prints IN the muQ.
I'VE may be in luck. Moose passed
here yesterday-the water is clear
in the tracks. They may not have
gone too far. Stay here, or be quiet
An uptossed leaf showed that the
wind was in his favor. He started
along the trail. The tracks were still
a day old when they turned out into
the muskeg toward a lily pool. A
mother swan and her brood of cyg-
nets were swimming around the lily
pads.
Garth skirted on along the border
of the swamp to where a bend of the
stream twisted in close to dry
ground. Here was the grove of birch
of which he had spoken. He pointed
to the fringe of willows below the
birch.
Those bitten twigs still white
They've been eaten off less than an
hour ago. Stay here"
After another test of the wind, he
went ahead alone, silent as lynx.
Luck was with him. AS he rounded
the bend he saw the immense antlers
of an old bull moose rise above the
willows on the bank. Before the
startled beast could plunge into the
water Garth dropped him with a
bullet through the brain.
At the crash of the shot, three
moose cows with calves broke cover
beyond the bull. The distance was
considerable and brush obscured
Garth's aim. He had to shoot four
times to bring down one cow and
her calf. But that was enough.
His shout brought Lilith on the
run. She looked delightedly at the
bull. ooh, no chance now of Starv-
ing!"
"That's not ALL" he said. 81 can
build hide canoe in two days;
better one than can be made from
those small bircheS."
When, a day later, Mr.. Ramill
came limping after Huxby to the
smoke-marked camp, Lilith was still
hanging moose meat on alder poles
over the smudge-fire.
Huxby dropped his full-tuffed
knapsack and wiped his sweaty fore
head with the back of his hand.
"Pah! To think I've lugged all that
old meat, and he's killed again. Why
didn't he come back and tell me?"
The girl gave him an odd glance.
"We've been too busy, old dear.
Where's the blanket?"
81 couldn't pack everything. If I'd
known, I could have left this con-
founded smoked moose and brought
the blanket instead"
'Why not have left your load of
metal? Didn't you consider that Dad
and I will get far more than fifteen
thousand dollars worth of comfort
out of that blanket?"
His lips frightened. Sorry, darling.
The thought of a common dirty
blanket as against all the platinum
I did not even think of it. Now OF
course l realize. But it's too late"
EYES," she agreed, '"it's too late.
Dad, you were a real sport not to
wait for Alan to come back and car
ry you"
The millionaire had slumped down
to rub his swollen ankle. He looked
up at Hubby, with bantering smile.
1--WE couldn't permit our girl to
elope with woods vagabond, could
we, Vivian?p
The engineer did not smile. His
face went blank. Where is that
roughneck, Lilith?"
t'Down in the willows, working
hard for us. Won't you be glad
when we're rid of him!"
won't your"
''Well, I'm not so sure as was. At
present he is far more agreeable
company than you are"
Hubby stiffened and went off to-
wards the willows without any re-
ply. Mr.. Ramill peered up shrewdly
at his daughter.
'''That was pretty hard even from
you, Lilith. Try to keep in mind how
matters will stand as soon as we get
out of this damnable mess. Remem-
Der that Vivian is my partner in the
profits of all our Northwest Terri
tory deals. Garth is responsible for
our being marooned in this woods
hell. He set the plane adrift to 60 to
smash over those falls"
For a long moment Lilith Ramill
stood silent. She looked down at her
grimy tattered sports suit, at her
bloodsmeared hands and broken
finger nail The dimmed glitter of
the diamond in her engagement ring
failed to hold her gaze. It passed on
down to her foxskin leggings and
moosehide moccasins.
"Squaw," she murmured. DIRTY
squaw! He certainly has put us thru
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