Vernonia eagle., March 05, 1937, Image 11

VERNONIA EAGLE, VERNONIA, OREGON
GUNLOCK RANCH
by FRANK H. SPEARMAN
Corvrlrht Prank H. Spearman
CHAPTER XIV—Continued
—17—
But hardly had Denison whirled
when he felt a sickening blow in
the stoniacb from McCrossen's gun.
hardly ten yards away. He had
been crouching on his horse's back
ind was already stirrup-loose. He
slid off and rolled like a cat to­
ward the brush. Rebstock saw the
trick but, forgetting that a wound­
ed man is the most dangerous man,
he yelled and spurred straight at
him.
The horse refused the smell of
blood. He shied. Rebstock spurred
him. As the horse reared, the fee­
ble light of the moon struck, tor
an instant, Rebstock's features. In
that Instant Denison tired point­
blank at him.
Fully expecting that McCrossen
would ride in to finish him, Deni­
son dipped open the loading gate of
his gun instinctively, and punched
out the empty shells.
His head In a whirl, expecting
that any Instant McCrossen would
be on him, Denison tried to reload.
Just as ne got the cartridge into
bis revolver, he caught the sound
of a horse’s hoofs and then heard
Bob Scott calling.
“Here, Bob,’’ exclaimed Denison
from the brush. "Look out for Mc­
Crossen.’’
Scott slipped oil his horse. “Mc­
Crossen won’t bother for a while.
Are you hit. Bill?”
“I stopped a couple of slugs
somehow. What about McCrossen?”
he asked Irritably.
“He’s lyin’ over by the bridge. He
wants to talk to you, Bill.”
“What the hell does he want to
talk to me for?"
“He asked me to tell you he did.
You can’t lose no time, Bill. Can
you stand up?”
“Twist a tourniquet around this
arm before I try it. Bob. Don’t twist
McCrossen. Have you got his guns?
He’d like nothing better than an­
other crack at me,” muttered Deni­
son, staggering, with Scott’s help,
to his feet.
“McCrossen's stripped clean," de­
clared Scott. “He’s dyin’. That’s
the plain truth. Can't you make up
your mind to see what he wants?”
“Go ahead. But give me my gun
and watch out,” muttered Denison.
In the light of the moon, McCros­
sen, propped up by Frying Pan, re­
fined against the trunk of a half­
grown tree.
“Here’s Bill, Dave,” Scott spoke
low and gently. “You said you
wanted to speak to him.”
“Yes, Dave?” said Denison, halt­
ingly.
“I’m done. Bill.”
“Dave," exclaimed Denison. “I’m
sorry It had to end this way.”
“I talked pretty rough tonight,”
said McCrossen, brokenly, spitting
the blood out of his throat.
“That’s all right, Dave.”
“Didn't really mean it all. You’ve
always shot square. Bill. If some
folks I've trained with had done
that way, I mightn’t be here to­
night. Bill, a favor—”
“Go on, Dave.”
“I've ¡sot an old-maid sister back
East. She’s all I’ve got I'd hate
her to know this come, rustlin’.
Bill.”
“It’ll never be said, Dave.”
“Let it be a straight-out fight,
Bill—you know.”
“I know, Dave; I know. What's
her address?”
“In my trunk. Bill,” murmured
McCrossen tnlckly. “Promise?”
“I promise.”
“Give me—your hand.”
WNU Servlet
living room, drinking a pot of cof­
fee supplied by Jane.
He was enjoying in leisurely fash­
ion his third or ' fourth cup of
steaming stimulant when the sound
of hoofs was heard. In a moment
a resounding rap came at the door.
Jane started. In terrified appeal,
she looked at the doctor. Carpy re­
sponded by calmly wiping his Ups—
Jane had introduced napkins at
Gunlock — and motioning Jane to
her bedroom.
“Who’s there?” he demanded
curtly.
“Bill Pardaloe 1” came the boom­
ing response.
Carpy flung the door open.
Jane ran out of the bedroom.
‘“Oh, Mr. Pardaloe!” she cried.
“Where Is Bill? Where is he?”
“He’s on his way back to the nos-
pital.”
“Is he hurt? Is he wounded? Tell
me 1” cried the frantic girl.
“Why, no, yes—that is, he was
aimin’ to get back to the hospital
before Doc found out he was gone,”
parried the veteran awkwardly.
Carpy Intervened sternly: “Where
is he now? Talk, Bill!”
“Ain’t I talkin’? He’s on the way
here with Bob Scott.”
“Then he’s not hurt?” cried Jane.
“Why, no, yes—a little, maybe.”
“Where you from?” demanded
Carpy, still stern.
"Deep Creek.”
“Was there a fight?”
“There was a little brush, Doc.”
“Was Denison wounded?”
“Why — I guess he was pinked.
Doc.”
“Where was he hit?”
“In the forearm. Doc. We got a
tourniquet on that—he got another
in the stomach.”
“We’ll bring him out, if that’s
all. Who was In the fight? Talk
fast!”
“Dave McCrossen and Barney—
with Bill.”
“Where are McCrossen and Reb­
stock ?”
“Right where they were when
John Fryin’ Pan left me. He was on
his way to the Reservation to hunt
np a couple of bucks to bury ’em
and bring in the cattle.”
“Sit down here, Bill. Jane,” di­
rected the doctor, “get the boy a
pot of coffee.”
“And boil plenty of clean water
on the stove.”
“Yes, doctor. Bill Is going to stop
here on the way In, isn’t he?”
Pardaloe nodded. “Ought to sbow
up after while.”
Jane ran to the kitchen. She
roused Quong to heat the water.
“No,” continued Pardaloe, deep in
a saucer of hot coffee, “I didn’t see
it. I was over on the west side of
the creek—It’s bad crossIn’ there.
I don't know how Bill came up.
They never could-a got him across
down there. We cut over the res-
er™tlon and plugged for Gunlock
—
He pricked up his ears and in­
terrupted himself. “Shucks! That
sounds like somebody now!”
Jane listened eagerly. “I can’t
hear anyone,” she said.
“You will in a minute. There
they are again."
Jane ran for the door. “Hold on
a minute. Missy,” exclaimed Parda­
loe. “Let’s make sure who It is.”
He opened the door himself,
stepped quickly outside, and shut it
behind him. Within a very few
minutes, ages to Jane, she heard
the stamping of horses. Pardaloe
flung the door open and called for
Carpy. Jane hurried out with him.
Drooping low, Denison, lron-
wiiled, had stuck to the end of the
gruelling ride. Scott told him they
Pardaloe was the first to reach had followed up the east bank of
Gunlock on the way home shortly the creek—he himself on Rebstock’s
before daylight. He rode in on bls horse; how by great good fortune
way to town to get hold of Dr. they had found a flask of whisky
Carpy for Denison, whose condition in Rebstock's saddle-bag, and that
this bad helped revive the wounded
worried him.
Fortunately the surgeon was al­ man when they halted to “spell”
ready at Gunlock, whither he had him; and how they had crossed
been summoned to care for Sawdy. Deep Creek at a reservation ford
With Sawdy's flesh wound al­ not far below Gunlock ranch.
Carpy and Pardaloe lifted Deni­
ready bandaged, Carpy sat in the
son down from the horse, Jane sup­
ported his head and stooped to ca­
ress him and murmur low words.
They laid him on her bed.
While Carpy tore open Denison’s
clothing and made a hasty exami­
nation, buckets of hot water were
brought In.
The surgeon, with wearied back,
presently straightened up. “Jane,”
he said solemnly, “you're a lucky
girl. The bullet that meant death
for your boy struck his belt buckle
and tore around his side. Look here.
This was all I was afraid of, this
stomach wound. I didn't think so
much about Bill, here. But, Jane,
“I Know, Dave; I Know. What’s
Her Address?”
I didn’t want yon fixing for a fun­
eral when you ought to be fixing
for a wedding 1 We’ll get him back
to the hospital In a few days.”
“Oh, no, Doctor,” exclaimed Jane
unsteadily, but with cold decision.
“Why, what do you mean, girl?”
“I mean he's at Gunlock to stay.
Hes never going to leave it!”
(THE END)
“Spick and Span” Comes
From “Spike” and “Chip”
“Spick and span” is the correct
spelling, but it is often erroneously
spelled “spic and span,” due appar­
ently to a mistaken notion of its
derivation, asserts a writer in the
Indianapolis News. The original
phrase was simply “span new,”
span being an old word for a chip
just cut. In Icelandic, It is “span-
nyr,” from spann, chip, and “nyr,”
new.
“Spick and span new” was mere­
ly an emphatic extension of the
earlier phrase, spick being an old
provincial or colloquial form of
spike, a large nail. When a thing
was particularly fresh in appear­
ance It was said to be “spick and
span new,” that Is, bright and new
as a new spike and freshly cut
splinter.
Those who write the phrase
“spic and span” do so on the as­
sumption that the obsolete word for
spike was spelled “spic.” There is
no evidence that such was the case
and the examples given in the Ox­
ford dictionary Indicate that it was
always spelled “spick.” There was,
however, an old word “spic,” mean­
ing bacon or fat meat.
Wash Day in Switzerland
In the Italian-speaking canton of
Ticino, Switzerland, the women in
the rural districts know nothing of
washing machines. Clear brooks
saunter through their country every­
where and they, altogether with a
certain amount of elbow-grease,
suffice for laundry purposes. With
a basket full of clothes, a wash­
board and a piece of soap, these
dark-eyed, good-looking women of
Switzerland's southland proceed to
the nearest shallow stream. They
do their work on their knees and
with the aid of the soft water are
able to turn out linen which Is of
the proverbial whiteness of blos­
soms.
Discovery
THE tenth day
O N Annlster
sighted
Lieutenant
the snow­
capped peaks looming high above
the southernmost limits of the Ice
Barrier. Two days later he was
able to see the vertical cliffs slash­
ing tbelr black and scarlet flanks
across the white wilderness of Ant­
arctic snow. It would take three or
four days more to reach Captain
Lampson’s stricken party at the foot
of Mawson's Glacier.
Annlster, in a steady lope behind
the skimming sledge, cracked his
long whip at the Malemute leader
and swore. The ninety-mile gale
tore the oath from his lips and
shredded It Into a sullen echo be­
hind him.
For years Captain Lampson had
been basking in the sunlight of pub­
lic adoration. Adulation from the
mobs, ovations from the press, med­
als from congress! To him had gone
the credit for being the first explor­
er to cross Antarctica from sea to
sea. Yes, and he was the discoverer
of the Luber range, the Lampson in­
let, the—
Bah! A grandstand player, that’s
what he was! And it was typical
of the American populace to make
a hero out of a handsome stripling
whose courage and resourcefulness
had never been put to the test.
Day after day Annlster plodded
southward. He came at last to a
weird region of crevasses and tum­
bled ice blocks. Presently he found
the portable hut Lampson had erect­
ed before leading his expedition up
to the Polar Plateau.
Annlster halted his team at the
door, his wlnd-cliapped forehead
puckering in a frown of puzzlement
at the snow heaped in front of it.
He kicked the snow away from the
entrance, pushed the door Inward,
and stood for a moment squinting
at the interior darkness. He went
in then, pulling the door shut be­
hind him.
When his eyes were adjusted to
the gloom he saw two forms, en­
cased in sleeping bags, lying inert
upon the floor. In a corner he saw
a gaunt-faced, bewhiskered man rise
weakly before a Primus stove. It
was Lampson.
A sneer sprang to Annlster’s frost-
cracked lips, but it died unut­
tered . . . The dull misery and
grief in the young captain’s eyes
was terrible to see. He was star­
ing idiotically at the lieutenant
After a moment his lips began to
move, soundlessly. Then, when bls
voice came, it was faint and hol­
low, as if he were muttering to him­
self, “Steepton—made—It?”
Annlster wet his lips with his
tongue. He found himself suddenly
drained of anger, bitterness, re­
sentment.
His glance wandered to the still
figures on the floor. Divination
came like a knife thrust then.
Draimer and Kent were dead!
They’d been dead for days, possibly
for weeks. Lampson, too, was dead—
dead save for the fact that he still
stood upon his feet!
“Draimer and Kent?” asked An-
nister, turning. “What happened?”
The young captain pivoted slowly
until he was looking at the motion­
less figures. “On the Plateau.” he
murmured.
“Draimer fell—in a
crevasse. Concussion. Kent lost—
both feet—with frost bite. Both—
died. But — I — sent — Steepton—
home—to the—base.” He still spoke
in a curiously dead voice, like one
uttering his thoughts aloud.
Annlster’s mouth dropped open.
He Stared at the younger man In­
credulously. Lampson had not sent
for aid! He had only "sent Steep­
ton home.” Good God! There had
been food and dogs enough to get
one man through—and Lampson
had chosen to die with the two he
couldn’t save!
Annister's hard face softened, and
he felt bls heart churn within him.
During countless hours the young
captain had waited for death to end
his suffering and loneliness. Day
after day, night after night he had
listened to the screaming wind, en­
dured the awful silences.
By GRANT M. SASSAMAN
© McClure Newspaper Syndicate.
WNU Service.
ly, yet with a vacant stare that
seemed to have no definite focus.
Impulsively Annlster went to him,
threw his arm about the other's
waist. Under the deceptive furs he
felt the sword thinness of Lamp­
sen’s body.
Not until then did the glaze go
from the captain's eyes. His upper
lip twitched, and a flicker of aware­
ness, of recognition, passed across
his face. He raised a thin hand,
placed it exploringly upon Annls­
ter’s «.rm. The fingers tightened
weakly, experimentally, before he
whispered :“AnnIster—Tom? Here?"
He slumped In the lieutenant’s
arms.
With a muttered growl of pity
Annlster lowered him to the floor.
“You’re damned right, I’m here!”
He turned and started for the door.
He’d have to get some tire and food
—he stopped suddenly and stared
at a man lying outspread upon the
table. A new mountain range had
been marked upon it—and in small
blue letters were printed the words:
"The Annlster Mountains.”
The lieutenant wheeled slowly
and looked at the unconscious form
of Captain Lampson. "A new dis­
covery, en? Thanks, old man.” He
wagged his head. “But it’s nothing
compared to what I’ve discovered!”
Skeleton and Hide Used
to Aid Animal Sculptor
The animal sculptor begins his
clay model of the animal from meas­
urements. photographs and studies,
writes James Lippltt Clark in Nat­
ural History. He places the skull
and leg bones of the animal on a
frame and piles on clay until he
has an anatomical study of the ani­
mal without the skin, the clay going
over the bones where the muscles
came off.
While he carefully sculptures the
contours, the tannery Is at work
preparing the valuable skin, which,
in a relaxed condition, is frequently
thrown over the model to check the
fit and posture of the animal.
When all is satisfactory, a plas­
ter mold is made of this clay model,
and in this mold Is constructed a
thin, light shell of mache and wire
screen or burlap. This shell, rein­
forced with wooden ribs and Iron
rods In the legs. Is removed from
the mold and assembled.
Music-Loving Wolf Found
A music-loving wolf is reported
from Mount McKinley National
park, Alaska. His responses to the
charms that are supposed to soo'he
the savage breast bear out the claim
that all wild animals are attracted
by music, says the Detroit News.
Repairs were being made on the
telenhone lines and the park ranger
engaged on the job kept the radio
In his tent, a short distance away,
turned on while he worked. One
evening he noticed that a wolf had
stopped to listen to the program.
The ranger was interested. At vari­
ous Intervals, for approximately an
hour, he walked around the tent to
see whether the wolf had gone on
his way. Not only was the animal
still listening, but apparently he
was so entranced by the musical
program that he was oblivious of
the presence of man.
Vitamin C Factor
Vitamin “C,” which Is contained
In oranges, lemons, carrots, turnips,
rhubarb, tomatoes, and baked pota­
toes in appreciable quantities, pre­
vents scurvy. It Is essential, there­
fore, that the food of explorers and
workers In the Arctic regions should
be strongly Impregnated with it
A Russian scientist, while poring
over sb eld MS. written by Jacques
Cartier, was surpi.sed to find that
in 1536, while sailing up the St
Lawrence, this famous pioneer lost
26 of his crew from scurvy, but
saved the remainde. by an Infusion
of pine needles. Now Russian sci­
entists are extracting vitamin “C”
from pine needles, says Tit-Bits
Magazine, and adding It to canned
food which has no vitamin "C,” so
that tbelr workers Ju the Arctic will
He was regarding Annlster fixed­ keep fit