FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81  
82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   >>   >|  
kin Jerry." Tom took in Beresford's lean body, a gauntness of the boyish face, hollows under the eyes that had not been there when first they had met. There had come to him whispers of the long trek into the frozen Lone Lands made by the officer and his Indian guide. He could guess the dark and dismal winter spent by the two alone, without books, without the comforts of life, far from any other human being. It must have been an experience to try the soul. But it had not shaken the Canadian's blithe joy in living. "Get him?" the Montanan asked. The answer he could guess. The North-West Mounted always brought back those they were sent for. Already the Force was building up the tradition that made them for a generation rulers of half a continent. "Got him." Thus briefly the red-coat dismissed an experience that had taken toll of his vitality greater than five years of civilized existence. "Been back a week. Inspector Crouch sent me here to have a look-see." "At what? He ain't suspectin' any one at Faraway of stretchin', bendin', or bustin' the laws." Tom cocked a merry eye at his visitor. Rumor had it that Faraway was a cesspool of iniquity. It was far from the border. When sheriffs of Montana became too active, there was usually an influx of population at the post, of rough, hard-eyed men who crossed the line and pushed north to safety. "Seems to be. You're not by any chance lookin' for trouble?" "Duckin' it," answered Tom promptly. The officer smiled genially. "It's knocking at your door." His knuckles rapped on the desk. "If I ever bumped into a Santa Claus of joy--" "Oh, thanks!" Beresford murmured. "--you certainly ain't him. Onload your grief." "The theme of my discourse is aborigines, their dispositions, animadversions, and propensities," explained the constable. "According to the latest scientific hypotheses, the metempsychosis--" Tom threw up his hands. "Help! Help! I never studied geology none. Don't know this hypotenuse you're pow-wowin' about any more'n my paint hawss does. Come again in one syllables." "Noticed any trouble among the Crees lately--that is, any more than usual?" The junior partner of C.N. Morse & Company considered. "Why, yes, seems to me I have--heap much swagger and noise, plenty rag-chewin' and tomahawk swingin'." "Why?" "Whiskey, likely." "Where do they get it?" Tom looked at the soldier quizzically. "Your guess is good as mine," he drawled.
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81  
82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
experience
 

Faraway

 

Beresford

 
trouble
 

officer

 
propensities
 

explained

 

According

 

murmured

 

constable


dispositions

 
Onload
 

discourse

 

aborigines

 

animadversions

 

chance

 

lookin

 

answered

 

Duckin

 
safety

crossed

 

pushed

 
promptly
 

smiled

 

bumped

 

latest

 

rapped

 
knocking
 

genially

 
knuckles

swagger

 

plenty

 

chewin

 

Company

 
considered
 

tomahawk

 

swingin

 
quizzically
 

drawled

 

soldier


looked

 
Whiskey
 

partner

 

hypotenuse

 

geology

 

studied

 

metempsychosis

 

hypotheses

 

Noticed

 

junior