XX. ALONG THE FOOTHILLS
XXI. "GIT ALONG CAYUSE"
XXII. BOX-S BUSINESS
XXIII. THE HOLE-IN-THE-WALL
XXIV. CHEYENNE PLAYS BIG
XXV. TWO TRAILS HOME
[pg 1]
CHAPTER I
LITTLE JIM
Little Jim knew that something strange had happened, because Big Jim, his father, had sold their few head of
cattle, the work team, and the farm implements, keeping only the two saddle-horses and the pack-horse,
Filaree. When Little Jim asked where his mother had gone, Big Jim told him that she had gone on a visit, and
would be away a long time. Little Jim wanted to know if his mother would ever come back. When Big Jim
said that she would not, Little Jim manfully suppressed his tears, and, being of that frontier stock that always
has an eye to the main chance, he thrust out his hand. "Well, I'll stick with you, dad. I reckon we can make the
grade."
Big Jim turned away and stood for a long time gazing out of the cabin window toward town. Presently he felt
a tug at his coat-sleeve.
"Is ma gone to live in town?"
"Yes."
[pg 2]"Then why don't you go get her?"
"She don't want to come back, Jimmy."
Little Jim could not understand this. Yet he had often heard his mother complain of their life on the
homestead, and as often he had watched his father sitting grimly at table, saying nothing in reply to his wife's
querulous complainings. The boy knew that his father had worked hard to make a home. They had all worked
hard. But, then, that had seemed the only thing to do.
Presently Big Jim swung round as though he had made a decision. He lighted the lamp in the kitchen and
made a fire. Little Jim scurried out to the well with a bucket. Little Jim was a hustler, never waiting to be told
what to do. His mother was gone. He did not know why. But he knew that folks had to eat and sleep and
work. While his father prepared supper, Little Jim rolled up his own shirt-sleeves and washed vigorously.
Then he filled the two glasses on the table, laid the plates and knives and forks, and finding nothing else to do
in the house, just then, he scurried out again and returned with his small arms filled with firewood.
Big Jim glanced at him. "I guess we don't [pg 3]need any more wood, Jimmy. We'll be leaving in the
morning."
"What? Leavin' here?"
The Project Gutenberg eBook of Partners of Chance, by Henry Herbert Knibbs
CONTENTS
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