Part 45 (1/2)
”Wal,”--hebreath froarette--”I'm jus' hopin' nobody don' pick it up dis Runnion feller de same way Mebbe dey fin' hees han's tie' behin' 'im wit'
piece of hees shi+rt-”
”Good God!” cried the trader, starting to his feet ”You--you--”
”--of course, I'ood w'en I lef' He was feel so good I tak' hees coat for keepin' off des from me, biccause I lef it ive up easy Ba gosh!+ I never see worse place for skeeters!”
Gale fell silent, and ”No Creek” Lee began to swear in little, useless, ineffective oaths, which were but tays of showing similar e hand upon Poleon's shoulder
”That saves us quite a trip,” he said, but ”No Creek” Lee continued to swear softly
It seeratified, for no news of the h in the days that followed Only at a fishi+ng village far down the river, where a few native families had staked their nets and weirs for sale tale to his brothers--a tale of the white e people, he observed, surpassing wise in norant and childish in all others, else why should a half-nakeda knotted rag behind his back, and that when the glades were dense and thepeople who lived for blood? The elders of the village nodded their heads sagely, and co aloof from the inert body, for the foolishness of this man was past belief, and--well, his people were swift and cruel in their vengeance, and sometimes doubted an Indian's word, wherefore it were best to pay no heed to their ways and say nothing But they continued to wonder why
Father Barnu in the store when he had finished an hour's counsel with Necia, so cahted his soul, for he loved the girl, and had for admiration for Burrell Two of them took his announcement quietly, the other cried out strenuous objections It was the one-eyed ht away! Not on your life! It's too onexpected You've got to hold 'eet dressed” He slid down froot all theed the Father, but Lee fought his point desperately
”I'll bust it up if you don't giot a life sentence coht to see them clothes!” And by very force of his vociferations he succeeded in exacting the pros before he bolted out, the rags of his yellowexcitedly
The priest returned to Necia, leaving the trader and Poleon alone
”I s'pose it's best,” said the fors work out, don't it?”
”I'ood oin' to hurt her none” He paused ”Dere's jus' wan t'ing I want for ask it of you, John--you 'rove, an' you spik 'bout her an' tol' me dose story 'bout her oin' ask it you now don' never tell her w'at I said”
”Doesn't she know, my boy?”
”No; I ain' never spoke 'bout love She t'inks I'm broder wit' her, an'--dat's w'at I am, ba Gar!” He could not hold his voice even--it broke with hiaze Gale took hi so cruel in the world as a gentle woman,” said he; ”but she wouldn't hurt you for all the world, Poleon; only the blaze of this other thing has blinded her She can't see nothing for the light of this new love of hers”
”I know! Dat's w'y--nobody onderstan's but you an' h the open door, past the sun-lit river which caetfulness, past the forest and the hills, in his deep-set eyes the light of a wondrous love that had lived with him these many weary years, and said:
”nobody else CAN understand butto bear, for you'll know she's happy at least, while I--”
His voice trembled, but, after a pause, he continued: ”They neither of them understand what you've done for theht her back; but soreat their debt is and thank you It'll take them years and years, however, and when they do they'll tell their babes of you, Poleon, so that your name will never die I loved her mother, but I don't think I could have done what you did”
”She's purty hard t'ing, for sure, but I ain' t'ink 'bout Poleon Doret none w'en I'm doin' it No, I', strong feller w'at don' in', an' lovin' her I'h, fightin' feller w'at can't read, an' she's de beaht w'at blin' et in time, but I've lived my life in the open, and I know you won't I didn't”
”I don' want to forget,” the brown et--it's all I've got to keep wit' me w'en I'oin' to look for that 'New Country' any more,” Gale replied
”To-day,” said the other, quietly