Show ayam is effi ff fi y the heart of ily vingie E roe I 1 I 1 I 1 A IN i 1 af sll ht L wind V 1 Q cl illustrations by ray walters I 1 A STORY OF THE GREAT NORTHWEST j rafn amp r 7 r 7 77 by ikid bodd mead aaa 4 cobo CHAPTER 1 I I 1 ia out of the vine maples maple siletz sat fiat tier her kneas drawn op lip to lo it her or chin on tile the flat top of a fir ir stump beside her lay Coo Coos nah heavy muzzle on hugo huge paws bla eyes ayes as pale AS tile tho girls were dark they were hilldred hill bred both Verli perhaps zips that account od ed for thi the delight both found in the solitude of this thil nerle aerie where they could look 1004 down toward tho the west on feathery green sen sea of close packed pine and fir ir of spruce and hemlock arill and toward the east cast on tho the narrow strip of lido water slough and tho the un painted shacks attacks of the lumber camp huddled above rite ats it was waa the magnificent timber country of tho the groat great northwest blietz was won wondering doring as sho always ild did how far the mountains ran rail to the he south how far it was to that frisco of which site alio had heard so BO much from the tramp loggers who camo came and went with willi the seasons their turkeys on their backs and tile the joyous liberty of the irresponsible forever tugging int at their ct eccentric souls over the tha fading facing ridge she know knew that the cold pacific roared and coaxed on tho the ships to play with it them bew in the hell of Vanc vancouver coast she bould 6 uld hoar hear it somo sometimes times when tho the pines were still yet she it bad ad never skin it site she had pictures pictured of at it in tier her mind many pictures site she knew well how it would look when she should see sea it a arty floor u world of it shot through with tho the reds acda and purples of abardy a tardy sun of the cities she had no clear pictures they wore were artif artificial iclal man nindo mado therefore alien to tier her who know knew aprily nature though she had listened intently to from ev cry ry corner of 0 the globe for dallys lumber imber camp bad soon a queer lot it all resolved itself into these dreams when she sat aaa on tho the edge or of a clr or bettor yet in tho the exalted cloud high airiness of the tha very of the flog hack back there had been no sun neither today nor for many days and yet thero there wasas was aa surely aurely prescience of approaching night as it if shadows forewarned siletz had hoped for a break one of abose short pageants ants when tile sun suit should shoot for a moment into the globa transfiguring trans figuring tile world now how OB ala eho scanned tho the west the dog sud dechy ibio joao from beside beald her peering down with his hugo huge head bead thrust tor for ward tits his pendulous ears care swaying A hundred feet below in a tangle of 0 vino vine maple something was laboring presently tho slim ollin trees parted and out of their tangle struggled a horse a magnificent black beast with flaring n nostrils and full excited eyes after a very tow few steps it turned its head to t right or left with the instinct of the mountain ain breed to zigzag and as a often man in the saddle pulled it sharp ly back with the first eight bight of tho the intruders tho the girl on tho the high stump had sprung up leaning forward a growing excitement in her faco face it was the horse abat caused it something was s stirring if within her nil all suddenly and her r heart boat beat hard site she gripped hor her braids tight in both hands and swallowed r she said aloud oh the blunder crl erl then she cupped her hands handa at her lips and called down let him alciel he knows liow how to climb let him mortal clo nol the man looked up startled aud and I 1 tightened tits his grip on the rein the gallant animal went down upon its tide side rolling completely over to lodge indge feet downward against a scents stono tinman swung sidewise out of the ho saddle bayl saving ig himself with a splendid quick ness before tie ho could gather him self for action the girl tore down upon bam h lm what have you donet done she cried wildly what have you done to it itt she dropped on her knees and her hands went fluttering over the black head in a very passion at 0 pity touching 4 the white star on tile the forehead forche aa smoothing the quivering nostrils why you let him climb his own wayt lie knew know hes a bunch grasser to nothing hIng could go straight uple she raised her eyes to him and ho he saw they were burning behind a him film of tears ile ho saw also what gave him a strange feeling of at chock a taint faint blue tracery extending from the left corner of her lips downward nearly to the point of the chin it a sharply fragment ol of a tattooed design tier her eyes were very dark and her hair parted after the first fashion of worn woman was straight and very dark also th tho i accusing wards irritated him youre right he ha said coldly nothing could to in such a country stanl slant back please blietz looked up at him and instinctively rose roee to her feet though i plim body was alert with an unconscious readiness tor for prevention of something out but the man only stopped to the blacks blacka head tightened the rein a bit and clucked encouragingly I 1 come up he be said sharply up boyl boyf i the horse stretched stretch edits its head for athe erard ard arched its neck gathered its jaw oct act and lurched mightily upward finding difficulty and floundering i little by reason ot of the stone which hat hai saved it from rolling down the moun tain it placed its feet gingerly brae brac ing against the declivity shook itsell itself vigorously drew a good long breath and turned its soft noso nose to investigate tho the girl with a little gurgling cry tier her hands wont went out again to caress it hungrily forget trl I ot of tho the man tier her face alight with tile the joy ot of its escape from injury sho she smiled and passed tier her hands along the high neck over the sh shoulder down to tho the knee bending to finger with a deft swiftness the fetlock and pastern when she looked up again she smiled sallied at the man frankly her anger gone lies HOB all right but you want to give him tho rein ile he knows how to go 90 up all right all oregon horses can climb it if you give them their time and way lie ho slipped the bridle over his arm tm im looking for or bailys lumber camp can you toll me how to got there and how near I 1 am its right over tho the ridge soe see it from tile tho topi thanks he said lifted his soft gray hat perfunctorily and turned up the slope lie ho took tho the ascent straight with a certain grimness gramness of purpose soon he bo felt a slight blight pull on tho the reins toward tho the left which slackened immediately to repent repeat itself to the right the black was trying to zigzag in tho the narrow play of the confining bridle after an interval that tried him severely in muscle ind and breath the stranger reached the sharp crest of tho the ridge delow below him lay tho the valley the winding slough tho the yellow huddle ot of the camp the toy railway with its tiny engine the donkey whose puffing roso rose in a white spiral the rollways roll ways and tile log trull winding up the other slope elope like a giant serpent even as lie he looked there came the staccato toots of the whistle bob whose invisible line no crept away into the hills above the cables tho the engine rot cot down to work with a volley of coughs the spools screamed and the great steel ropo rope lifted heavily along the trait trail presently a long gray shape ghostly and sinister came creeping over the lower ridge eluding eliding down the face of the hills silent relentless a veritable thing of life lie ile leaned forward watching it come to rest above the railway halt a little while the men darted here and there and then roll sidewise into position against the stays stay when the small play of the woods wooda was over just as he started donn don he glanced involuntarily back along the way lie he had bad come the girl still stood by tile the boulder bowlder looking face illumined by that a 6 A 14 S Blunder erl she said aloud light he ha had noticed and ho he was quick enough to comprehend that it was passionate longing for the big black behind him she had bad forgotten hla his pree ence out of the terns ferris had bad crept the mammoth mongrel they two stood together in a subtle comradeship which struck him by its ita isolated sufficiency CHAPTER 11 II an amazing arrival it was quitting timo quitting time in the coast country which means whatever time the light fades presently the loggers came creeping down the trail sturdy men in spiked boots laced to the knee blue flannel shirts and for tho the most part corduroys they trooped down to the cook shack a long building of unpainted pine it its two side doors leading the one into the dining room the other sheltered by a rude porch into the kitchen inside ma ala pally a white haired general of moala meals and men in their order creaked heavily from oven oten to ono iino sink tier placid face flaming with the heat of the great steel range the tha eating TOOM room was long and nar ow its dino floor innocent ot of cover ng prom from end to end ran two long tables ables neat in white oilcloth w with jtb in ervall of bottles pepper sauce bugar bowls cream pitchers and solidly built receptacles for sali salt and popper pepper along both edges stood an army ot of white earthenware plates flanked by bono handled knives and forks and tin spoons at the west beside an open door was a high pine desk littered with papers a telephone hung at one side A small table stood before a win window dow with a rocking chair in proximity one of those low old fashioned rocking chairs that old women use and that invariably hold a patchwork cushion with green fringe and a white knitted tidy that rocker was part ot of bailys camp it had followed the march of progress ne aa tho camp cut its way into the hills its my one comfort ala was wont to say though land knows I 1 dont got to set in it moron a quarter what id like 1 As the loggers slid noisily onto on to the tha benches their caulks giving up the lud they had held purposely tor for the 4 wept floor siletz came and went setting betting 1 ILO io substantial viands an in tho open spaces left in the expanse of wilto oilcloth she exchanged a word here and there always a senal sensible blo word something thing ot of the work the day day or the men themselves she was putting a plate of cookies sugar sanded with currants on top between jim akworthy An worthy and a black haired pole when a toot foot struck the step at the west door there was waa something in the sound that drew every head bead around at once A stranger stood against the misty darkness between the jambs cambs lie he was young apparently about twenty civo or six elx well set up with straight shoulders above narrow hips aud and a polso poise that claimed instant attention lie he removed hla his soft hat holding it in hla his hand baud while his bis bright blue eyes looked imper impersonally tonally over the room over his shoulder a pair of big dark ones peered anxiously while a black muzzle with a small white patch nosed his bis elbow aside john dally it was waa acael that demanded not A question ip from the head of tho the nearest table a giant of 0 a man easy natured lax featured loose joints banded together by steel sinews rose im him he said the man in the door brought his bis eyes sharply to focus on his face read ing it with lightning rapidity im tho the Dilling killingworth worth lumber company or most of it h he raid clearly and ive come to stay where shall I 1 put my horse there was a startled silence after these amazing words an unexpressed ejaculation went from face to face up and down the tables then john dally showed why ho be was the best foreman in that region ile he got himself loose from the end bench and walked over to the door all right wr air T lie he waited easily as it it was perfectly natural tor for strangers to drop from a hilltop and announce themselves the ruling power of the country or more strictly speaking one of 0 the ruling powers 11 for there were two sandry finished the other walter sundry sandry from now york como come in mr air sandry youre just in time dally turned back to the lighted room bilatz give mr air sandry my place harrlson harrison ill il have to take your filing shed tor for tonight tomorrow well fix things in better shape the saw flier filer an important personage and one to bo be conciliated frowned in n his pl plato to but the foreman had hi lost eight of him lie he reached out a 4 hugo huge hard hand and took the bradlo rein from the newcomer now comer already this man was standing inside the rude building with a high headed air of force of personality that made madeI tacit felt in the most stolid nature present ile ha glanced down the double line of faces and tor for a second just a fractional fleeting moment seemed to hesitate then he laid hla his hat on the small table walked round to dallys empty seat swung a leather puttee and a 0 well built shoo over the bench and sat town down ile he was in and a vague feeling of at adjustment of solidity accompanied him as it if ho he was waa there as ho he said to stay ever man in the room felt it and one of at those strange sensations of portent communicated itself to them As aa when the affairs of life como come to a turn in the road dallys wason the ovo eye of a change tho the girl was putting a thick white plate hot from boiling water before him deftly laying the simple cutlery pushing back an intruding dish there was an air of at detachment about tier lier no portion of her touched him sho she was always so aloof in a quiet way now as she tended the stranger silently one of her long braids slipped over her shoulder anti and fell across his hand band ile he drew away from tha contact sharply and a dozen pairs of at eyon eyes taw law the action Ife belll lil murmured a man maii 11 f the other side aldo in n mild amazement out but not even the importance of the arrival of tho the Dilling killingworth worth lumber company could keep silent this bunch of men an from the ends of the earth rhey were wera treo freo lances following wherever fancy ond and the lumber camps led them through the mountains and tho the big woods contented in this place or moving on bound by no rules as ln in dependent and un ablo as the very birds of tho the air in three m minutes the laughter was lilly sweeping gus gustely again by the solid clink of cook shack dishes the clatter of knives for the most part used as very adequate shovels and walter sundry sandry was fer forgotten gotton or P passed assed over an hour later he be stood alone in the middle of a tiny room at the south of the building looking fixedly at the yellow flame of a glass hand lamp on a stand under the lamp was n woolly mat of bright red yarn a n wonderful creation under that a thin white scarf beautifully clean the ironed creases standing out stiffly beside the lamp lay a pink pank lipped conch shell and a bible sundry sandry looked longest at the bible beside the lamp and presently he took it up curiously fingering it with a quizzical weary smile its edges were thin and frayed and he noticed that it was greatly worn walter sandry smiled and glanced at random through the book motherhood ho he said halt half aloud Is there now liere a father a dear old chap of the earth a gentle old man with white hair halry one who has raised a son As if in answer to the whimsical words the fragile leaves it was a call that Deman demanded dedo separated at the tragic record of king david and the words of that ancient father heart stared up at him oh absalom my son my vital in 11 their anguish with a snap he closed the book holding it tightly clasped la in his hands while ho he stared into tho the game flame of the lamp with |