Part 1 (1/2)
Partners of the Out-Trail
by Harold Bindloss
PART I--THE LINESMAN
PARTNERS OF THE OUT-TRAIL
CHAPTER I
THE BROKEN WIRE
Winter had begun and sno about the lonely telegraph shack where Jim Dearham studied an old French romance He read rather by way of mental discipline than for enjoy himself awake Life is primitive in the British Coluainst the insidious influence of the wilds Although he had chosen the latter when the cities palled, he had studied at McGill, with a view of e on a professional career Want of money was the main obstacle, but love of adventure had counted for much His adventures had been numerous since he left the university, and he now and then tried to remind himself that he was civilized
Outside the shack, the stiff dark pines rolled back to the frozen North where a new city fed the old, besides a copper vein, but when he got his patent for the latter his funds ran out and he returned to the South and followed a nu None paid him well Now his clothes were old and s; his skin was browned by wind and frost He was thin andof the inscrutable calm that marks the Indian's, but the old French romance and one or two other books hinted at cultivated taste As alike an Indian Life in the wilds was good, but one ran sos, notched where they crossed at the corners and caulked withwood fire snapped on the hearth Jim sat close to the blaze in a deerhide chair, with his old skin coat hung over the back to keep off the stinging draughts He could see the telegraph instruht, because theirs was a bad section and accidents happened Jake had gone hunting and since the gale outside was freshening Ji
After a tiged tents in which he had lived in the northern barrens, the shack was co the line stood in a corner; old clothes, slickers, and long boots that ood supply of provisions was stowed on so on the wall He had all a man needed in the woods and admitted that he was lucky to have so s soe, because he had never known luxury He wondered whether he had inherited his dislike for ugliness, and the instincts of which he was now and then vaguely conscious It was possible, for his father, who died when Ji, had couid enjoy that happened when he was a waiter at a fashi+onable restaurant at Montreal A party of English tourists came in one day for lunch Jim remembered the scene well: the spacious room with the sunshi+ne on the pillars and the reflections on glass and silver; the flies about the tables, the ers looking for a place There were two irl Jim had often pictured her since, and alith a curious satisfaction
It was not that she was beautiful, although her face was finely raceful It was her delicate fastidiousness and the hint one got of refineh she smiled now and then, Jim remembered her calirl like that before, but she went aith the others, one of whoine he would see her again
This, however, was not iraph instruot an answer Soes that must not be delayed were to be sent North and the line orking well Jim went back to his chair and soon afterwards leaned forward, listening He heard the wind in the pine-tops and the thud of snow, shaken fro branches, on the roof That was all, but he had trained his senses in the woods until they worked unconsciously So and he kneas not Jake
A minute or two afterwards he heard steps in the snow The steps were heavy, as if the men were tired Somebody knocked and Ji down their packs shook the snow froins badly worn, and their faces were pinched with cold
”I don't suppose you'll turn us out It's what our packers call pretty fierce to-night,” one reht up to the fire How did you ers advanced and Jih they were the men whose lunch he had served at the Montreal restaurant He had learned in the wilds so of the Indian's reserve
”We hit the wire at dusk,” one replied ”We had been cli with a party of the Canadian Alpine Club, and stopped aer than we one before we started and we had a rough ti South”
”You didn't lish
”We left the boys some distance back There was not h they were satisfied, we resolved to follow the line and try to find a shack The boys will, no doubt, arrive in the h the forest for the telegraph wires
”You ran some risk If you caive you coffee and a hot bannock”
He put the kettle on the fire and when the hted their pipes One was about thirty years old, and in spite of his ragged clothes, Jiht him a man with cultivated tastes and wide experience The other was young and looked frank He had a refined, intelligent face and was like the girl whom Jim had seen at the restaurant; she was, perhaps, a relation For a tiers talked about their journey and then one looked at Jim rather hard
”Haven't I seen you before?”
Jio to the new post-office at Montreal”
”Oh, yes! It was a very well-served lunch,” said the other and picked up the French romance ”A curious book, but rather fine in parts Do you understand the fellow?”