United States -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
"I don't know. Of course, I suspect Charleton Falkner and Scott Parsons.
I suppose it was Scott Parsons, though I couldn't prove it. I suppose he
took me along the trail Nelson has kept open past the old Government
corral to get to Scott's trail when he goes for his mail. Anyhow, he
locked me into that old cabin, up in the Government corral. There was
fuel and matches, so he didn't want me to freeze to death. I think he
intended to come back the next day and take me somewhere else before
I freed myself or some one found me. But his plan must have miscarried
for he didn't come back. It was so very cold and I was so lightly clad
that at first I didn't dare to start out even after I'd broken the door
open. But two days of hunger made me desperate. The trail was fairly
well snowed in but I headed for what I thought would be Nelson's ranch.
But in an hour or so I was all in. If Elijah hadn't found me, I'd have
died of the cold up there on the mountainside."
"I was riding over to Lost Trail for news," explained Elijah.
"You were riding for God, I'd say," cried Mr. Fowler. "And if I'd been a
Mormon bishop I couldn't have been made more welcome than I have been
here."
"A preacher's a preacher," said Elijah. "Well, Douglas, what's next on
your program?"
Douglas looked at Judith. "I've promised to take Judith up to Mountain
City. She's going to get a job up there, and I am too!"
Judith put down her coffee-cup and her great eyes blazed. "Why, Douglas
Spencer! You are going to do nothing of the sort!"
"What is Lost Chief to me without you?" asked Douglas, coolly and
entirely ignoring the eager-eyed audience.
Judith's face expressed entire disapproval. "I never thought you'd let
them run you out, Doug!" She turned to Mr. Fowler. "Don't let him be a
quitter, Mr. Fowler."
Mr. Fowler was watching Douglas with troubled eyes. "I don't know," he
said, "that I blame Douglas. It seems to me that Lost Chief will have to
become conscious of its needs before it can be helped. I love Douglas
very much. I'd not be sorry to see him get out into the world where
there's a bigger chance for his abilities than in that godless valley."
Judith turned from the preacher impatiently. "Douglas Spencer! You know
you'll never be happy anywhere else. Lost Chief is your home and the
home of all your people before you."
"How about its being home to you?" asked Douglas.
"No place can be home to me that doesn't need all that's in me," replied
Judith. "Lost Chief is no place for me. It's not a woman's country."
"It ought to be made fit for women and for little children!" cried Mr.
Fowler, with sudden vehemence. "I should have done it. But I failed
there as I have everywhere. I didn't bring God to Lost Chief, nor to
Judith, nor worst of all, to Douglas."
"Don't you two young people believe in God?" demanded Elijah Nelson.
They stared at him without replying.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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