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Show revery, the girl shot occasional glances at him out of the corners of her eyes. She bad spent the preceding winter In a factory In a crude but stirring little New England town, and had come back to Nova Scotia 111 content with the monotony of life In the backwoods seclusion of Wyer's Settlement. Before she went away she had been, to use the vernacular of the settlement, company keepln' with Jlm-Eand now, to A'kl'son; her, the young man seemed to unite and concentrate In his person all that she had been wont to persuade herself she had outgrown. To be sure, she not seldom caught herself back comfortably into the old conditions. But these symptoms stirred in her heart an uneasy resentment, akin to that she felt whenever as would happen at times she could not help d g and his affairs were not without a passing Interest in her eyes. Now she began to grow particularly angry at him because, as she thought, "he hadn't nothing to say fer himself." Sadly to his disadvantage, she compared his simplicity that 1S- Jlm-E- d te bold and honest dlflldcnce with and .uy .miilllarity of the young fellows with whom she had come In contact during the had winter. Their impertinences offended her grievously at the time, THE DRUMMER 8PRAWLED INTO THE DITCH but, womanlike, she permitted hernnn self to forget that now, in order to accentuate the deficiencies of the man whom she was unwilling to think well of. "My lands!" she reiterated to herself. with accumulated scorn, "but aint be green? He why, he wouldn't D know a 'leetric car from a waterin'-car- t. An' soft, too. takln all my car s 'thout glvln' me no Up back, no more'n if I was his mother!" But the young man presently broke In upon these unflattering reflections. By CHARLES G. D. ROBERTS With a sigh he said slowly, as if half to himself: Lands, but I used to set a powerful store by ye, Llx!" He paused; and at that "used to (Copyright, by Joseph B. Bowles.) the girl opened her eyes with angry The oxen, lean and rough-haireoverpace. Immediately the But he went on: apprehension. one of them carroty red, the other took her. An I set still more store by ye brlndle and white, were slouching As the oxen slowed up she stepped now, Lis, someways. Seem like I Jest Inertly along the narrow backwoods to the right to let them pass, and couldn't live without ye. I always did road. From habit they sagged heav- then walked on, thus placing the feel as how ye was too good, a sight ily on the yoke, and groaned huge cart between herself and her unde-sire- d too good, fer me, an' you so smart; windy sighs, although the vehicle companion.- - The youth looked an now I feel it more'n ever, bein' s they were hauling held no load. disconcerted by these tactics, and for yeve seen so much of the world like. This structure, the mere skeleton a few moments could find nothing to Lis I dont allow as its right an' of a cart, consisted of two pairs of say. Then, dropping his long white But, fer even you to look down the proper he murmured: wheels, united lashes sheepishly, clumsy, broad-tiredo on the place ye was born way ye Good-day- . Lis." by a long tongue of ash, whose tip In an the folks ye was brung up was tied with a rope to the middle of "Well, Jlm-Ed!- " replied the girl, with." the forward axle. The road looked coolly. My!" thought the girl to herself, Innocent of even the least of the "Wont ye set on an let me give hes got some spunk, after all, to git g country ye a lift home?" he asked, with en- off such a speech as that, an to rake attempts at repair a circumstance, treaty in his voice. me over the coals, too!" indeed, which should perhaps be set "Who's No," she said, with finality. But aloud she retorted: Id to Its credit It was made up ,of rutber walk." down on anybody, Jlm-Efour deep, parallel ruts, the two out An anyways, you aint the Not knowing how to answer this re- A'kl-son- ? ermost eroded by years of Journeyhe tried to cover his embarrass- whole of Wyer's Settlement, be ye? buff, ing cart wheels, the inner ones worn ment by exclaiming authoritatively: The Justice of this retort seemed by the companioning hoofs of many a "Haw, Bright!" whereupon the team to strike the young man with great yoke of oxen. Down the center ran slewed to the left and crowded him force. a high and grassy ridge. Intolerable to Into the ditch. he acknowledged? That's so, the country parson and the country Soon he began again. "'Course I aint An' I gloomily. doctor, compelled to traverse this Ye might set on, Lis," he pleaded. s'pose I hadnt oughter said what I e wagons. highway in their Yes, I might, said she, with what did. From ruts and ridges alike protruded Then he relapsed Into silence. For considered rather withering smartshe the imperishable granite bowlder, half a mile he slouched on without a I but to." ness; aint which wheels and feet might polish Yell be tired afore ye git home, syllable, save an occasional word of but never efface. On either side of command addressed to the team. the roadway was traced an "erratic he persisted, encouraged by finding to another bit of road Coming boggy she back him. would talk at that furrow, professing to do duty for a on the himself he seated James-E- d dejectedly she declared, Aklson," drain, and at intervals emptying a would not preand cart, with I'm apparently think if ye emphasis, to across the track playful current to be beholden to you fer a lift home, sume to again press unwelcome aswander down the ruts. sistance upon his fellow way-faremistaken, that's all." Along beside the slouching team ye're Quite uncertain whether to interpret tor was After silence this there d slouched a tall, lank, this action at excess of humility or u ratsome broken the time, only by youth, the white down Just a severe rebuke, the girl picked her of and and the cart, bumping tling beginning to stiffen into bristles on once by the whirr of a woodcock way as best she could, flushed with a his long upper lip. His pale eyes across the road. Young sense of injury. and pale hair looked yet paler by con- that volleyed When the mud was passed, tbs trast with his thin, red, man young kept his face. In his hand he carried a seat to boll with indignaBeginning d with a short tion, the girl speedily lost her confgoad In the butt of It ident superiority, and felt humiliated. prod"Gee, Buck!" he drawled, She did not know wbat to do. She ding the near ox lightly in the ribs. could not continue to walk humbly be And the team lurched to the right to side the cart The situation was proavoid a markedly obtrusive bowlder. foundly altered by the fact that the "Haw, Bright!" he ejaculated a minyoung man was riding. She tried to ute later, flicking with his whip behind; but the team had an Indrop the off shoulder of the farthest ox. finite capacity for loitering. At last And with sprawling legs and swaywith head high in the air, she darted the team swerved ing of ahead of the team and walked as fast a obediently to the left shunning as she could. Although she heard no mire-hol- e that would have taken in orders given by their driver, she knew the wheel to the hub. Presently, comat once that the oxen had quickened ing to a swampy spot that stretched their pace, and that she was not leavall the way across the road, the youth them behind. ing seated himself sidewise on the narrow she found herself overPresently tongue connecting the fore and hind with swelling heart taken; whereupon, axles, and drove his team and face averted, she dropped again It was a slow and creaking progto tbe rear. She was drawing perilress; but there seemed to be no ously near the verge of that feminine hurry, and the youth dreamed gloomcataclysm, tears, when Fate stepped ily on his Jolting perch. His eyes In to save her from such a mortificatook no note of the tion. scrubby hillocks, the rough clearings Fate goes about in many merry disand confused Shs Gently Bound the Wound. blackened with Are, the At this Juncture she preguises. in ragged woods, as they crept past Atkinson Chewed the cud of gloomy sented herself under the aspect of But suddenly somber procession. two half-tipscommercial travelers as the cart rounded a turn In the road, bewilderment At length he roused a single horse in a light open himself to another driving effort a of the view Into figure came there "Lis," said he, plaintively, My' ain't trap. They were driving In from girl traveling In the same direction. been like ye used to, sence ye come the settlement. In haste to reach the The young man slipped from his hotel at Bolton Corners before nightfrom back a the States. oxen to the perch and prodded up fall. The youth hawed his team indifferI? she Aint remarked, brisk walk. till the nigh wheels were vigorously ently. team the of approached noise As the on the other side of the ditch, leavhe She No, around. Lis, ain't," ye repeated, her, the girl looked liberal a share of the road for ing of with a sort pathetic emphasis, as was good to see, with her straight them to pass In. blue-gra- y If to himself she that In eager its persuade vigorous young figure But the drummers were not satisto rebut his accuhomespun gown. Her hair. In had condescended fied with this. After a glance at the Y sation. been like ain't used red ox, the ye of from that color not far like as If ye bashful face and dejected attitude of nag rich and abundant, and lay in to at all.us Appears In the settlement the young man on the they folks even not thought that so coll gracious a decided that they wanted the whole the tawdry millinery of her cheap wasn't good enough for ye now. When their horse's head At this the girl tossed her heA road. "store" hat could make her head touched almost the horns of the off face Her crossly. look quite commonplace. ox, like as If It and stopped. wanted they .0 ye appears was freckled, but wholesome Get out of the way, there! crl'-- J be back in the States ag'in, he conof displeasure A shade comely. beman who held the reins. Insoa in of voice anxious Interrothe was tinued, who saw passed over It as she lently. hind her, and she hastened her steps gation. exclaimed the girl, wn-'At any other time Jlm-EMy lands, But presently she reperceptibly. have resented the town mar's I : ' membered that she had a good five "but yere green!" To the young man this seemed and words; Just now he was thinkmiles to go ere she would reach and she realised such an irrelevant remark that he ing about the way Lis had changed. her destination; was silent for some time, striving to "Ive gl'n ye the best half o' tho that she could not hope to escape by fathom Its significance. As his head road, mister," he said, deprecating!;', vexation of With a pout flight. 'n I cant do no better fer ye than she resigned herself to the Inevitable, sank lower and lower, and he seemed and dropped back Into her termer to lose himself complete!; lr Joyless that" 1 LIZ AND - n JIM-E- " ox-tea- "Yes, you can. too." shouted the driver of the trap; you can give us the whole road. It won't hurt your old cart to go out in the stumps, but we ain't going to diim iu the ditch, not by a Jugful, (let over. I tell you, and be quick about it." To this the youth made no immediate reply; but he begun to forget about tha girl, and to feel himst-lgrowing hot. As for the girl, she hud atepjied to the front, resolved to show off and to make very luuiiifi-N- t to the city men her scorn fur ln-companion. Her cheeks and eye were and the drummers were rot liw to respond to the challenge which she flashed at them from under her drooped llda. "Ah, there, my beauty! said the driver, his attention for a moment diverted from the question of right f way. Ilia companion, a smallish man In atriped trousers and overcoat, sprang lightly out of the trap, with the double purpose of clearing l!. road auu amusing himself with 1 iz. The saucy smile with which she met lilm turned into a frown, liowevt-r- , as he began brutally kicking the knees of the oxen to make them stand over. The patient brutes crowded Into the tiiteh. "When, ilierc! Uee, Buck! gee, Bright!" ordered the yuutb, and the team lurched back Into tbe road. At the smile time he stepped over the cart beam and caine forward on the off side of (he team. Yo'J i letter quit that, mister!" he exc'aimed, with a threatening note in his voice. "Give the lout a slap In the mouth, and make him get out of the way," cried the man In the trap. But tin. man in the coat was busy. Liz wua much to hia taste. Jump in and take a ride with ua, my pretty said he. But Liz shrank away, regretting her provocative glanci s now that ahe saw the kind of men she bad to do with. "Come, come, coaxed the man, "don't be shy, my blooming daisy. We'll drive you right in to the Corners and set up a good time for you." And, grasping her hand, he slipped an arm about her waist and tried to klaa her lips. As she tore herself fiercely sway, she heard the man In the f r fawn-colore- d fawn-colore- d well-meanin- road-master- 's d stoop-shouldere- d absent-mindedl- y long-handle- hind-quarte- dry-sho- dark-mosse- d y ox-car- t, d CROWS HUNTER d. d RICH CARG0E8 OF OLD. Spanish Galleons Laden with Riches 8perts for the Buccaneer. one-hors- r. got slowly under way. SAVAGELY As the discomfited drummed climbed into their trap, the girl, lu Iht ardor of her suddenly adopted hero worship, could not refrain from turn ATTACK Ing around again to triumph ovei them. When the men were fairly seat ed, and the reins gathered up for prompt departure, tbe smaller man PAUL NILES NEARLY PICKED TO turned suddenly and threw a large DEATH BY BIRDS HE DEstone with vindictive energy and dead COYED WITH CALL. ly aim. "Look out!" shrieked the girl; and the young countryman turned aside nst In time to escaie the full force THRILLING ENCOUNTER TOLD of the missile. It grazed the side ol hia head, however, with such violence as to bring him to his knees, and the Black Pests Answer Lure of Man In blood spread throbbing out of the long Swarms and He Is Held Prisoner rut like a scarlet veil. The drummers Under Grapevines for whipped their horse to a gallop, and Hours. disappeared. The girl flrat stopped the team, with Freeport, 111. Viciously attacked by a true country-sid- e Instinct; ..id ahe hundreds of crows the other afterwas at the young man's side, sobbing noon, Paul Niles, a railroad fireman, with anxious fear, just as he staggered living In Freeiioit, was compelled to to on tha feet. him his Beating blindly exert all his efforts In protecting himcart, ahe proceeded to stanch the self from the Infuriated iests which bleeding with the edge of her gown. set upon him un.l threatened to tear Observing this, he protested, and de- him to pieces. The battle waged fqr clared that the cut was notlilug. But more than an hour, Mr. Niles finding she would not be gainsaid, and he In fleeing to a tree around safety yielded, apparently well content under which a huge grapevine was wound, her hands. Then, tearing a atrip from and crawling under the vine bo proher colored cotton petticoat, she gent- tected his face, while his rubber boots ly hound up the wound, not artisticaland hla clothing were literally plchoJ ly, perhaps, but iu every way to his to pieces. He ventured forth once to satisfaction. give battle to bis foes, but they "If ye hadn't gln me warnin', Liz, again quickly drove bim to cover, where he be fixed about that there alun'd me," remained until the kindly shades of remarked. settled dow-- and he returned to The girl smiled happily, but said night Freejiort unmolested. nothing. Paul's great love for sport caused After a long pause he stroke again. him to go on a hunting expedition, like to me what Seems ye ye're his direction was in the vicinity used to, Liz," said he, only nicer, a and of Dakota village. Coming upon three to an be used powerful y' sight nicer; nice. I allow there couldn't be anoth- or four crows, and wishing. If possible, er girl so nice as you, Liz. An what to attract more of them, he gave s ever'a made ye quit lookin down on crow call. The answer was greatei than he had anticipated, for out ol me, so sudden like? Jlm-Ed- . she replied in a caress- the surrounding trees caine such a flock ef crows that tbe sun was ol ing tone, ef y ain't got no paper col- scured from view and gave the aplar on, ner no glas' dlmon pin, I alof an black cloud Immense pearance An' man. a low ye're maybe maybe overbeud. Tbe crows came ye're the kind of man I like, Jlm-E- passing with their necks stretched and In a line for the hunter, who Instraight To even such genuine modesty as Jim-Ed'- s this was comprehensible. stantly realizedbla-e-be had a battle on hia lie hands, away with his d Shyly and happily he reached out his doubled-barreleshotgun, and each hand for hers. They were both seatcrack brought many rrowa to the , ed very comfortably on the so he did not consider it necessary to ground, the falling of the bodies makmove. Side by side, and hand In hand, ing a noise like the falling of hall on a tin roof. The shooting had tbe efthey Journeyed homeward in a glori- fect of more thoroughly arousing the fied silence. The oxen appeared to were not Injured. They crows which Tho themselves very fairly. guide sunset flushed strangely the roadside commenced to attack Mr. Niles' face hillocks. The night-hawk- s swooped In and hands and bad torn large holes the pale senlth with the twang of In his clothes when he realised he smitten chords. And from a thick hermitmaple on the edge of a clearing a -thrush fluted slowly over and over hla cloistral ecstasy. carl-beam- d - osrn gently, and the team once mon AKison, If Ya Think Im A'goln' te Ba Beholden to You Yere Mistaken. Jamee-E- d trap laugh loud approval. She struck at her lnaulter with clenched hand; but she did not touch him, for Juat then something happened to him. The long arm of the youth went out like a cannon-ball, and the drummer sprawled In tbe ditch. He nimbly picked himself up and darted upon hla assailant, while the man In the trap shouted to him encouragingly, . Give It to him pretty, Mike. But the young countryman caught him by the neck with long, vlae-llklingers, Inexorable, and, holding him thus helpless at arma length, struck him again heavily In the ribs, and hurled him over the ditch Into a blueberry thicket, when he remained In dazed discretion. Though of n lamb-llk- e gentleness on ordinary occasions, the young countryman was renowned throughout the settlement for the astonishing strength that lurked In hla lean frame. At this moment he was well aroused, and Lis found herself watching him with a consuming admiration. He no longer slouched, and hla pale eyes, like polished steel, ahot a menacing gleam. He stepped forward and took the horse by the bridle. Now," said he to the driver, "Ive gl'n ye half the road, an if ye can't drive by In that I'm to lead 7 by, 'thout no more nonsense. Let go that bridle! yelled the driver, standing up and lashing at him with the whip. One atroke caught the young man down the aide of the face, and stung. It was a rash stroke. "Hold the horse's head, Liz, h cried: and leaping forward, he reached Into the trap for his adversary. Heeding not at all the butt end of the whip which was brought down furiously upon his bead, he wrenched tbe driver Ignnmlniously from his seat, spun him around, ahook him as If he had been a rag baby, and burled him violently aealriht a rotten stump on the other side of the ditch. The slum" gave way, and the drummer splashed Into a bog hole. Nothing cows a man more quickly !aa a si a" combined with a duck-irff- . Without a word the drummer huulil hliuvrif out of the slop an 1 walked sullenly forward. Ills pomps"-le- n ih-- ; Joined him; and Liz. horse and trap carefully pnsf the carl, delivered them up o their owners with a sarcastic smile on her lips. Then she resumed her place beside tho cart, the young man flicked the e The galleons (the name Is a corruption of galley and Is from the Greek, but the origin Is lost) were variously designated, aays a writer In Scribner's. There were "register ships," so called privileged merchantmen, from being registered at Cadiz; avisos, dispatch and mall ships with regular monthly sailing between ports, which seldom carried treasure, but were eagerly sought for by the Information In their mall bags of galleon movements; the azogues" were the quicksilver ships that carried from Spain the mercury necessary for smelting and refining In tbe mines of Mexico and Peru; the flota" was the fleet which sailed from Cadis to Cartagena, in what Is now Colombia; and the Spaniards called all ahlps galleons" which sailed annually to Vera Crus In M ex lea The English called them variously treasure ships" and plate fleets" from the fact that much of tbe treasure carried was In the form of rough metal plate and pig. A comparison of the value of tbe cargoes carried by tbe flota and galleons Of gold, to the 3,000,-00- 0 Is Interesting. crowns carried by the galleons, the flota carried but 1,000,000; of silthe galleons carried 20,000 ver, crowns, the flota 10,000; of Jewels, so called, the galleons carried usually shout 20,000 crowns' worth of pearls, 300.000 crowns' worth of emeralds, 20.000 orO.OOO crowns' worth of amethysts and other less valuable stones (these figures include, however, tbe East Indian ahlps), the flota carried none; of wools, the galleons' cargoes approximated 40,000 or 50,000 crowns worth, the flota none; of quinquina, the galleons 20,000 or 30.000 crowns worth; the flota none; of Campoachy 60,000 crowns woods tbe gillcons worth, tbe flota none; and of skins and leather the galleons about 70,000 crowns worth and tbe flota a like The register ships from quantity. Buenos Ayres usually carried a cargo of skins and leather valued at 200.000 crowns and 600,000 crowns' worth of indigo. This difference In value did not last for long after the treasure ships began to be the prey of all mankind, then the cargoes were provided Indiscriminately shipped only the vessels were strong and fast or in large fleets. Truth. Men differ, and will always differ, as to whqt truth is in this or In that matter, but that man. finds truth who It; he serves truth who follows It fearlessly; he serves his fellow men who does all this with humility and with tolerance. Henry B. Pritchett Costly City Government It ros's nearly as much to pay tha salaries of the municipal servants of New York city as It does to support the entire army of tha United States. The salaries amount close to . .'0.000.-00- 0 annually. They Commenced to Attack Mr. Niles. would be unable to cope with them In an open fight, fearing that they might pick his eyes out A tree a few yards away and the grapevines around It was his haven of refuge, and hither he scurried with all the fleetness that he possessed. Climbing under the grapevine he was able to protect his face and hands from the crows, but they were not to be easily balked. The crows attacked his rubber boots, which were unprotected, and In a few moments they had the apjiearance of a sieve. Mr. Niles lay perfectly motionless, which caused the birds to return to their roost The opimrtunlty which the hunter was awaiting had now presented Itself, and he slowly pulled himself from the protecting embrace of the tree and vine. He bad vowed he woull take a parting shot at his enemies in return for their treatment, but while his Intentions were good bis reckoning was wrong. He had no more than raised up and got his gun In position than he was sighted by tbe crows, an-- l they attacked him more fiercely. If possible, than before, and back to the tree and vine went Paul. This tlino he did not venture forth until night had settled down, when he slowly wended his way Freeportward, a sad sight, bleeding from the wounds on his neck and hands, and hln clothing slashed literally Into shreds. Had Mr. Niles remained and gath-Fre- d the heads of the crows which he slaughtered he would have received a sufficient bounty from the county to buy a new pair of boots and have bad some change left, but he says he would not have stayed there another minute for 100. The nois made by the crows was the most unearthly sound he had ever heard. Instances of similar experience, while rare, are nevertheless recalled, one Freeport man saying (hat he hal once seen a number of crows attack a man who was carrying a large piece of mpst weighing perhaps (0 or 60 pounds. The man dropped the meat In his flight and It was carried sway by the crows to iliel roost. . |