The Lost Cabin Mine

l to Ba

Apache Kid carefully flicki

Blaine's "coffee-joint" Apache Kid stopped, and told me he would see me later in the evening at the Laughlin House to arrange about the

ould like Blaine to feel sorry to hear of my demise when that occurs, and as things st

wave of his hand,

et corner Don

you two days fr

t for two days

t and make all the arrangements abo

ontented and cheered, and it was with a light and hopeful heart that I wandered out, after my unusually late supper, along t

istance-dim, shadowy forms sprawled in the lounge chairs with the yellow-lit and open door behind shining out on th

verandah I picked ou

tly did not know

chief for, sir, hanging aw

y were about to see a man quietly baited. But Apache Kid w

derstood the nature that prompted him whe

wear it for se

hat's

eason is personal-

ticularly crushing in this reply, but Apache went on softly: "Then again,

you work th

the like elsewhere in our democratic America. Other men look at it and I can see they think it odd, but they say nothing. Well, that i

fle perturbed, but Apache was not looking at him. He lay back in his chair, gazing before him with a calm face. "Then again," he said leisurely, as though he had the whole night to himself, "if I meet a man who s

ords. Some of the more self-reliant men br

of those who sat around. I think he would have swallowed Apache Kid's speec

h a man myself this afternoon, and do you know what I did? I called in on him to-night to see whether he had savveyed t

g to apologise for ask

to him, I was going to say, like a man. As to whe

ed the speaker from hea

dly. "I should be very m

hing very seriously. I only asked you--" a

being very serious. Perhaps I did answer

peal of laughter, as he looked at him, that every one else followed s

ng when Apache Ki

-morrow at noon on the Kettle Ri

I. "We don't start

unts of men here. It is better not, for o

been out for my evening consti

im anywhere around town, I may not come back here to-night. If I don't see him, I 'll look in here later in the hope of rub

ppearance all evening, and so I judged that e

somewhere within me, a touch of fondness for Baker

en I told her I was going. "You can't expect just to f

o was once in the city. The fact is, my people at home did not like the thought of me going out on s

u think of going

answer, and yet an

untry. Mining never took my fancy. I believe

eing kind o' took from them by the granger and the sheepmen that they 're so tough. Oh! they 're a tough lot; and they 've got to be, to hold their own. Why, only the other day there a flock o' sheep came along on the range across the Kettle. There was three shepherds with them, and a couple of Colonel Ney's boys out and held them up. The sh

eek to dissuade me, I do not know. But I was forced to

ould stay on here and rustle yourself a good job. You 're just going away to 'get it in the neck.' Maybe you 'll come back here again, sick and sorry.

aid her better half. "If you strike into Bake

inal wave I departed, and (between you and me) there was a lump in my throat, and I

raised his hand to his mouth to remove his cigar, for a brief moment he laid a finger on his lip, and as he

e the stage-coach stood, there was Canlan among the little knot of idlers who were watching it preparing for the ro

," s

o pastur

odd

words. The driver had mounted the box, gathered up the "ribbons," sprung back the brake, and with a sudden leap forward we were off in a whirl of dust. I nodded my head vigorously t

, and he stood aside to let the horses pass. The driver looked over his shoulder to make sure that he got on safely, but there was n