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Show The Hero of Beaver Head; CIIAI'T'CUT f Til WAS only a f'jaB-fkj-J crippled hoy, vV'rl w,lh foft' Bor" S "'& row fill iiyon, SSj'''' nnd n mat of '-3n " curling linlr ,,-9 crowned with ,,1 nn old straw 4.sy hnt. Ho was & standlnrr on TlSrKA llenverhcnd, n ra'WV juttlnffclllTthPt Jyn " 'Wr rises clnso iijioii i -re"!. ,,1C rlK1,t of t'"1 ,i' lt,I ,n-ot '-nv UDMJjflbo of Redwood, o'l , yffi3!B' the northern 5i 'f;Vv coast of Cnllfoi- "r nia. Itaclt of him a great rtalrwny of forest-coverod ild(re cllmlx-d Into tlio coast range, with nil their tumbled ocean of tree-tops tree-tops tnrnln-; -i tro'.den olive h the sun-set. sun-set. c.n Inn left the earth Kink sharjiiy down tu meet the water of tho bay, whllo Just lie fore him, with n sheer drop of quite a hundrd feet, tho head hung over Hie deep with Its frranitocnln brushed by tho bulTetlnif Hood. Its wholo fnee wna nolld txiek: tho fnrcliend trenelied nnd furrowed llkj n glnnt's muscle-knotted bri'ast, the clieclss rent nnd eroded by uncounted utorma, while n vnM uliiti of rttmio hung pendant in tho i-cnUir like n nose, with others fallen fall-en endwluc in the mirf below, nnd lean-In-r nrnlnat tho wind-worn lls like shattered monoliths. I'rom I'm enat tho view was wide nnd beautiful, the sen spreading out Its ever changing plain to tho horizon; here, ns tlio sky'a moods eaino nncl went, n Hllvcr trnclc, thero n field of lolet, and lieyond it level einci-nld. In the far southwest n group of Island lay low In tlio son, like blue monsters swimming outward, nnd lieyond theirl a licet of lumlicr nchooners was fading in the ofllng. Tlio boy drew n long breath of weariness as ho watched them. He could not help feeling how tweet It would seem to lie sailing nway from nil the heiirt-brcaking trouble tlijt tore Ida own and other bosoms tliero on Denver hoad. Ho wna leaning ngnlnst n tumbledown tumble-down nil which crossed tho crown of tho clIA n few rods from whero it dropped off to meet tho sen. Near by there wns n gop In tho wall, evidently oneo n -fate, nnd n llttlo wuy back along the path an old Mono house. A tall man could nlinoxt touch tho caves, but 11 was wide nnd long, K-Ing divided into two low lint rather roomy halves, while its wiillfc were thick, but cracked nnd matted with moss, through which two -mull, r-quaro windows peered out like sunken eyes. About tho yard were n numlier of redwoods, masslvo nnd str.ught, with the sea winds purring anion;,' their branches nnd the sunshine yellowing on their tops. The house had Wen built, so tradition tradi-tion H-.dd, jeara Imfuro by n weather lieaten old tnr mimed Heaver, who, i.trnngelv enough, deui-ited tho sea for un Indian wife and this queer shelter en th" head, only to forwilco them In turn to take to the seu ngaln. Then tho seuRons had tlow n on, nnd presently n village had npning up about tho Inlet lmy, with great sawmills ut ItH Inner end, whero u llttlo river brought the loifs down from tho redwood forests. Hora Trave Armor, the boy's father, drifting we .iward thnntgh tho pineries cf Michigan nnd Wlseousln, nnd making mak-ing now nnd then n futile Maud ngnlnst drink. Ill-luck and poxcrty, had como to work hi the mills, hut failing, through mm, drifted at last, with Ids ragged lloek, Into tho old stouo hut upon tho head. Their progress had been pitiful enough, nnd l'nnl, tho oldest of the live children, bcni-lu'f Ita w-irs iqion his lxxly, niul It'i Infamy in las nieinory, had felt, with every season ns ho progressed pro-gressed toward manhood, a growing nuuso of blight nnd degradation, lie knew whrnee his lameness came; thnt when ho wns n child Ids f-ithcr ouco came home in n storm of dratikennes, and being jileadcd with by Has lioy's mother, r.pl In tercel Ids llask of liquor ou the hearth in an cestacy of rage, and thwt he, ti baby crawling round the grate, had lappcel ut tho liquid like n lion's euli llcklnf r-reedily nt bloexl, and that his fnthcr had caught 1dm up In a drunken fury nnd dashed him Into the fire, f r mi wldeli ho hnd come limping thus far on the roael of life. Often he had felt something like mortal mor-tal hatred of hi f.itlior rUo within hlin, nnd that day when lie turned from watching the lumborseiiooncrt, go down over the blue ilooel, rind saw his mother, worn with toll and failed with bitter cure, licnillng over her wnshtuli that her rhildien might have bread, nn anger an-ger rose in Ids heart that was almost lit for taking human life. Ilut when Ids motherspoko to him in teudcrehecr-fiiluess teudcrehecr-fiiluess as slit always did, it vanished In n moment. "I need some rinsing water, 1'nul," i.ho salt, straightening up with diflleul-ty diflleul-ty in the steumof tho tub, mid stripping the itliutlng bubbles from her thin, til-eel nrm. 'H .Hurray or Cnrl would only stay round I'd hnve them do It, but it seems like thoy'ro most always off when needed." "Oh. I'll elo It, meither; I'll do It!" snld tho boy with a half pathetic smile. "I'm stronger than they ure, only my legs ain't so gootl!" And talcing up n wooden wood-en yoke with n bucket attached to either end, he placed it across his neck and shoulders, and wont limping down tho hillside, whUlingn little that his weary mother might hear. Thi womun stoejel a moment, leaning with her soap-roUin hands upon the tub's edro, anil looked after him with teucicr c yes. Thou :.bc gianecd at llttlo (iobe, idx years old, and three-year-old I.uunlo, who woro pluyln.f under tho tree, and hognn wnshing ngnhi. "He's Hi l) -til the rn " " she murmured ns ! sho rnbtieil. "Ilia heart's ns soft as n I glrl'si hoM help me more than he does If ho could. Oh, If hlsf.it her had only ne-.i' dune tl...t a-ifvd thing to him!" And t.-.ii--. lip;vd eloivn hur t-hooks and fell ititotiie si.da. The buy i.topt-osl at a spring half way dow.t the lilulf, anil, tilling tho palls, looked u moment nt tho mills buck nf t'w ly. Itetl-Hhlrteil lognum were ,voi'klntT with their CHUt-liooka umooff the brown ricks, their ulng-soinf ery of "Ilc-o-he-c-el'1 ns they imtHPrwii i.i until . i I lilted, coin lug In mellow u u 'h liuri I tho water with the 'oug-elrawn, never- ; ceasing whino of the feeding nawfl. , l'rcsently ho ..lwr d bnelt tip tho hill with tho water, uuel when the tubs wero filled and his I mthcr hnd thanked him gratefully, he ant down on a liench near by and wntehed her ehv. mlly. "Mother," he said nt 1 ist, "do you 'sposo we will ntways live here?" . "I hope not, dear." "Do you think I ken ever go to work ' In the mills, mother?" j "I hope so, Paul; or maylsi at something some-thing better. Tho doctor said, you know, when ho looked nt your knees, i that If tome parts that were growed tei- I gcther could lo patted you would not j Iks Imthcrrcl much. Hut yon would have to go away te u big city whero they do such things, nnd It would oemt a gooel dent." She couhl not lie'nr lo lookup, ntut kept en washing, feelln;' the elotnl Hint nlways hung eivor them grow thicker with thought of nil their holp-lessness. holp-lessness. "Yes," anld the boy, after n little silence, "It would cott lots; tint iiikIjIh) somethlng'll happen somothne, an' It ken 1)0 done." "Yes, something may happen," said tho mother, soothingly; "it don't cost much to live hero hi this old bouse that nobody owns, nnd ns long ns I have ttrenirth (o wash we won't starve. May bo sometime your fnthcr'H emit will be himself again." Her voleu broke, nnd the hoy got up with nn ntijjrv tumult in his breast nnd went down to w.tteli Liinnlo nnel (iulie, who now wero playing near tho precipice. preci-pice. When he line! sen, thorn Into the yard he stood looking gloomily out to sen. The sun hud fallen Into the water fur on Its western rim, with a lint mass nf clouds lying ovor It like a dull reel beel of coiili. Aliovo this n vast cloiiel hunjr in greenish folds, slit hero and there w Hh sharp, bright blades of light, whllo half tlio groat vault ulmvo him wus eovored with a troubled, purplish pur-plish send. Hut ho took ne) note of the seeming prophecy of htonr. in tlio sky; he Wus revolving in a blind kind of wny tho thought that if Ids father were not In tho world Ids mother and they would go back tu her pcoplo in the east, und nil MA miijmlp "on, 1'li. no it, sioTnnn." might bo bright nnd Joyous npdn. Hnt shn would never go, ho knew, ns long as his fnther lived and wnn helpless help-less in tho chains nt Ids galling habits. Sho clung too fondly to whut was gentle gen-tle In the man to set him adrift, or ever ecaso to hopo that something at Inst might savo him. And tho lioy himsedf, rosponsivo to tho ties of nature, felt a throb ef pity lly to his heart when ho thought of death for tlio ono who hnd given him oven so hurt unci hateful u u life. After a time, when the day had como nenrcr Its close, he ronseel himself from his broexling stupor nnel turned toward the house. Tho west was now n vast hank of dead and smoulelerlug tiro, and ho noticed thut si ship seemed willing directly Into It, looking strnnge-ly blnck and motionless ngulnst the dull, reel llaro. Then ho suddenly Whought him of his mother, mid limped quickly up the pathway to tho door, "Ken I help you any more, mother?" ho asked. "Yes, Paul; we'll empty tho tubs now. I'll hang out tho clothes In the morning, morn-ing, nud try and get tlio mlllmen'oahlrts done. Did you notice which way your fnther went this morning, e'nr?" "Up along the shore, I guess, mother. Ho look tho rlflo in the boat with him." "Did you notice was ho had ho been drinking?" "I don't know," said tho boy, without leaking up. "He sold tho fletli ho got yesterday, I guess." After that they were silent. In a llttlo llt-tlo time their meager supper was over, nnd darkness was thick without. It was singularly warm and still inen for the mild California const, and nftor putting tho children to sleop tho mother went out and listened. Paul wns leaning lean-ing upon tho riilneel wull with his face turned benward, ami nothing stirred tho silence savo a faint whispering of' waters out In the dnrknris. Tho nt-inosphcro nt-inosphcro seemed utterly liecnlineet. Hut suddenly ns they listened there camo n llttlo puit of wind like wnno-thing wnno-thing Invisible lleelng lieforotho storm, then a sort of seething roso far overhead, over-head, as if the clouds wero turning in helpless fear about tho celling of tlio sky, nud tho ben liegan to chop nnd purr like an unseen animal whetting its teeth in tho darktiess. In n moment tho few remaining stars were Ingulfed, nnd in another moment there camo a shivering crush, and tlio whole seono lenped into vlow, "My C,eel!" cried tho woman, starting forward, and Paul, with u falntness rushing over him with thought of tho wish ho had inado In his heart, knew Hint sho was praying for his father, out in his double darkness of his evil weakness weak-ness end tho gathorlng terrors of tho night. Together they hurried in nnd mudo tho eloors and windows fast against the coming storm. In a momont It broke, and roared and lashed across tlio cliff for hours, whllo the mother, with white faco, went to und fro, soothing the children, and turning uow und thati ns If sho would go out Into tho storm und find tho ono she feared might never I come again. Paul's eyes followed hor i troubled face, with a look of pleading terror. Suddenly he seized the latch. "Mother, I'm going to tho shorol" ho I "Xo, child, no!" she cried. wS! I "Oh, mother, I mustl I musll Fathor may cornel'' Bnd ho sprang out Into tho tempest. - I At first ho was thrown from side to side nnel duahed against tho houw by the wind, hut presently got his feet and J went reeling through the falling tot CHTIUI0MT V.11K, |