Part 3 (1/2)
A Night of Rough Work
”Phil, where is Katherine?” asked Mrs Burton, co out of her father's roo hoone to help Miles to do soh what it can be I'ruet to bed He had washed the supper things after a fashi+on, had cleared up the kitchen for the night, according to his own ideas of tidiness, and noas sitting in the rocking-chair by the stove, trying very hard to keep his eyes open
”Oh dear, hoise of her!” exclaimed Mrs Burton in a plaintive tone ”I aht when it is freezing so sharply, for her face would be quite spoiled if she were to get it frostbitten, and she is so pretty”
”Is she?” Phil's voice had a drowsy drawl, as if the subject of Katherine's looks had very little interest for him, as indeed it had But an unexpected lurch of the chair, co heap on the floor
”Oh, Phil, I am so sorry that I upset you, dear, but I had to catch at the chair to saveover the broo on the floor?” asked Mrs Burton, who had been the innocent cause of his collapse
Phil rose to his feet and dusted the ashes from the sleeve of his jacket with a rueful air ”Did I leave the brooot it! I remember I had it to sweep up the fireplace, because I could not find a brush”
”There is the brush hanging close to the stove,” reain: ”I wonder what Katherine can be doing out-of-doors at this tione to a surprise party Don't you reested Phil, whose tuh he still talked in a drowsy tone, and rumpled his hair wildly all over his head
”Katherine would not go to a surprise party with Father lying in such a condition,” replied Mrs Burton severely Then she went on: ”Besides, she irl, for she has done thirty , with all the worry and trouble of Father's accident thrown in”
”Perhaps she has gone to help Miles to look after his wolf traps I wanted to go instead, only she wouldn't let ht to stay indoors to wash cups and things, while boys did the outside work,” Phil explained, in a rather injured tone
Mrs Burton laughed softly ”I'ht, laddie, though I aet off to bed; I have put everything ready for you But you o to sleep”
”Katherine said I was not to go to bed until she ca back a yaith a great effort
”I ah And if you are in Father's room I shall be able to sit down here by the stove and rest without any worry So run along, laddie, and be sure that you come to rouseshawl round her shoulders, she sat down in the rocking-chair vacated by Phil to wait for the return of her sister and brother
She wondered why they had gone out, but did not worry about it, except on the score of Katherine's coently to and fro in the co out by the stove, and very soon she was fast asleep
'Duke Radford, who lay in restless discomfort from the pain of his hurts, was the first to hear sounds of an arrival, and he tried to rouse Phil to see what all the commotion was about But the boy always slept so heavily that it was next to i Katherine called out to Miles, who answered back Then there were other voices and a great banging at the door of the store That hen Mrs Burton first beca on, and started up out of the rocking-chair under the iht and that lance at the clock showed her, however, that it was not so very late yet, and still a long way fro that Katherine and Miles were out, she guessed it was they eresuch a clamour at the door of the store, and hurried to let thehtened Father with all the noise we have had to reat riot in order to get in,” Katherine said, as she and Miles towed the sledge inside the store to be unloaded at leisure when o and see to Father, but Phil is with him now Where have you been, Katherine? And oh, I do hope you have not frosted your face!” Mrs Burton said, with sisterly concern
Katherine laughed, but even Mrs Burton noticed that the sound was strained and unmirthful ”My complexion has not suffered, I can assure you But Nellie, dear, could you get a cup of hot coffee quickly for twoa rather terrible ti them into the kitchen and I will have the coffee ready directly,” Mrs Burton said promptly But first of all she just looked into her father's roo to worry about Then she hurried into the kitchen to rouse up the fire and put the coffee pot on to boil
Oily Dave and Stee Jenkin accepted Katherine's invitation to walk in, following her through the dark store and into the lighted room beyond with a sheepish expression on their faces, which certainly no one had ever seen there before Stee Jenkin had his outer garments nearly torn off him, there was blood on his face, and he sank on to the nearest bench as if his treer
”Why, your face is bleeding! What have you been doing-not fighting, I hope?” T here was a touch of severity in Mrs Burton's tone; for she knew the ood character, and she was not disposed to give herself ht his misfortunes upon his own head
”Yes, , and forfrorowled Stee Jenkin in a shaken tone, and the hand hich he tried to lift the stea coffee to his lips shook so violently that he spilled the hot liquid on his clothes
Katherine and Miles had gone back to the store again, so it was Oily Dave who explained the nature of the fight in which both men had been involved
”We'd a perticular bit of business on hand to-night,” he said, in response to the enquiring look which Mrs Burton turned upon hiot a revolver certainly, but Stee had nothing but a knife, for we didn't expect any trouble olves so early in the season, though it is a fact we ht have done, for everyone knows the place is just about swar with them this winter”
”Did the wolves attack you? Oh, how truly horrible!” exclaienuine syh they were; for they knew very well that they deserved the fate which had so nearly fallen upon them