UNWILLING WITNESS.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 7080, 28 February 1893, Page 4

UNWILLING WITNESS.

LITERATURE-

rCONTINUED.) The Keesner cabin consisted of two rooms, one behind the other, with an unfinished lolt above them, The rear room was built into the hill, window-

less, and lighted only from the adjoining room. Babe had slept in this 0 part of the cabin, called the 1 dug-oat, ’ • nntil Bodewin became one of the family, when it was given to him, and Babe took the garrett for her bedroom. The Keesners, father and son, slept below in the outer room, across the doorway of Bodewin’s room. They lay, with their guns beside them, on a camp blanket sewed to the hem of the calico ourtain which covered the door-way. The bladket was an extension of the curtain; sleeping on it, they were thus in a position,to be disturbed by any movement of it from within. At fire o’clock on the morning after bis capture Bodewin and his keepers were still asleep. The interior of the cabin was dim and quiet as the grey morning twilight in the woods outside Babe had been softly moving overhead, and now she came down the ladder which* propped against a square hole in the floor of the garret, served for a staircase. A few red coals were still winking among the ashes on the hearth. She raked them out, and started a blase with kindlings laid ready overnight. Then she took the water-pail and went out to fiil it at the well. By this time the father and brother were awake. They got up / with a noise of boot* like horses walking in their stalls, and limped, grumbling and carsing, to the fire. ‘Floor gets mighty cold, nights,’ said the elder Keesner. * Bum nigh psr’lized 1 ’ he muttered, rubbing his chilled joints. Tony, squatting on the hearth, shoulders drawn together and hands spread to the warmth, spat into the ashes in silence. Bodewin now came out and asked for water to wash with. Neither of the men stirred, but Dad said : • ‘ Guess Babe ain’t done with tbe basin yet.’ Tony on reflecion, went to the door and ordered her to hurry up, and was in turn ordered by his father ‘shut that door!' In a few moments Baba came in, looking pink about the ears and elbows, fwith damp rings of hair standing out around her forehead, and offered to Bodewin a clean bright tin basin, which had been not only emptied but wiped. She filled it for him as he held it, gave - him a coarse clean towel, and a square of yellow soap ; but not a glance or a word did she bestow upon him. ‘’Taio’t often Babe’s mad lasts overnight,’her father remarked as she left the room. When Bodewin, his camp toilet completed, went to the door to empty the tin basin, be was fain to linger there a moment for another look at Babe. Dad Keesner and Tony had followed him closely with their nflfes in their hands. He turned suddenly from the open door and confronted them, glancing coolly from their faces to to their weapons. ‘You don’t need to go to that door again,’ said Dad ; and Tonv aided, ‘ We kin empty your slops tor you.’ At breakfast the three men sat together, and Babe waited on them. During the next three days Bodewin was confined to the cabin, Dad and Tony relieving each o’her in tbe close watch they kept upon him. He saw much of Babe, as she went and came about her house work, but ho was far too wise in the ways of all proud, shy, dependent creature* to force himself in the slightest upon her notice. He was tolerably sure that be was observed, and that xeenly.-but he was not impatient to learn tbe nature of Babe’s conclusions with regard to himself. In small unobtrusive ways be made bimBelf useful to her, but mo?t of the time he was occupied with mild resources of bis own to which, she was a stranger. He made sketches in bis note-book. Happening to have about him a stvlograpbio pen charged with ink. he took advantage of its unexpected fluency, and copied some straggling pencilnotes from one book into another. This latter amusement, however, aroused the suspicions of his keepers. Keesner

remarked that there wasn’t any post-

office anywhere in that part of the woods, and that he guessed Bodewin’s letters could wait. Bodewin took the hint good humouredly enough. It wa* part of the situation which be had deoidea to accept. But afterwards, as he sat smoking hr the fire, his occupation gone, bis face fell into its habitual expression, a sadness which bore no re'eranco to his present circumstances, but was rather an aggregation dating from the time of his moody bov-bood. Babe, looking at him wistfully, and targeting in his evident abstraction to ignore hie presence in the room, interpreted it other-wise. Bodewin, having nothing else to do, continued to smoke-; and to stare at the water which wgs beginging to ruffle in a saucepan propped on two stones above a bed of coals. Babe bad goae out doors. Shortly she returned with something that moved, bundled in her apron. She came forward to the hearth, knelt in front of Bodewin, lowering her arms showed him a young setter dug, that Immediately began whirling about in her lap and caressing her hands and face alternately. She muzzled hlsj nose, with both hands. ‘Pretty, ain’t be?’she asked, smiling down into the creature’s face,, and trying to fix bis soft, restless brown eyes with her own. The dog- snuffed and struggled, and tried to free his nose from the pressure of her circling fingers. Bodewin leaned . down and admired {ugh polling bis ears, looking

at his teeth, and inquiring his age and name.

‘ We call him, ‘ Pardner ’ ’ Babe replied to the last question. ‘ Don’t you want him to play with ? Eo’s heaps of company.’ Toe dog was transfered from Babe’s lap to Bodewio’s knees. As Pardner objected to tbe smell of tobacco, Bodewin put bis pipe into bis pocket Babe stood up, and for a moment lost ber shyness of Bodewin in the full content with which she regarded liis wooing of her pet. She remonstrated with Pardner for chewing Bodewin’s sleeve-but-tons, but evidently thought no less of Bodewin for holding bis ornaments so cheap, or the dog so dear. ‘Yon can fool with him all yon want to,’ she said finally. *Ho don’t belong to anybody in this house but me. ’

After these first few days of confinement Bodewin was allowed to spend his time as be preferred, either in the cabin or outside m tbe woods close by. One day Tony was missing, and the next morning Jim Keesner volunteered that Tony bad beard from tbe camp yesterday. The Eagle Bird had obtained a'postponement of the trial for a month—‘on account of unavoidable absence of principle witness.’ Keesner quoted complacently. He then made Bodewin tbe offer of bis liberty, on condition that he would swear not to testify on this or any. subsequent trial of tbe case between the two mines, and that be would keep the secret of his abduction Bodewin smiled at this proposition. Keesner admitted that he bad not expected him to accept it, and advised turn to take bis detention as coolly as possible, since it would now necessarily be prolonged until after the trial. Keesner prot-sted that neither he nor Tony had anything against Bodewin, unless it might be Tony ‘ owed him one on that circus with tbe horse.’ And farther, be was willing Bodewin should know that, ‘although they bel’ fhe cards, Harkins was runnio’ the game.’ While they were on the subject Bodewin asked if it was not Harkins who had planned his capture. Keesner shut one eye tight and fixed the other on tbe toe s of bis uppermost boot, as he sat, with his knees crossed, 1 on tbe bench at tbe door. * That there Harkins is just murmurin’ h when he gets started ! He’s just omnivorous ! ’ He rocked himself forward on bis crossed arms and laughed with deep and silent enjoyment.

he continued.)