Something clicked in Smith’s brain. He
knew he had never seen this man before
—or had he? Something looked

familiar about him.

GC ICK” SMITH sat on the door-
step of the small cabin over-
looking Bobtail Lake, about

70 miles due north of Quesnel, B.C.

This cabin was actually one of the
many repair stations scattered along
the vast length of the famous old
Yukon Telegraph Line, and the sta-
tion itself was named after the lake
beside which it stood. As a matter of
fact most of the time Smith himself
was named after the lake, too, especi-
ally by the oldtimers passing up and
down the trail, who formed a habit of
calling him “Bobtail” Smith.

Smith was a short, solidly built man
of about 24 years, and as a rule had a
very sunny disposition, but at the
particular time of which we write he
felt anything but cheerful, and was
looking at life in general with a very
jaundiced eye. There were several
reasons for this, the life was a lonely
one and to make matters worse his
partner, the lineman, had left three
days before on a ten-day trip to
Quesnel.

To make matters still worse, Smith’s

CHARLES BAYNTON

Watchmaker and Jeweler
Waltham, Tavannes, Elgin Watches
Hamilton Watches

CRESTON B.C.

COMPLIMENTS
OF

Creston
Sawmills Ltd.

*

CRESTON British Columbia

Page Sixty-four

saddle mare had eaten loco weed, and
that very morning he had come across
her body alongside of a small creek
not far from the station, where she
had evidently gone to slake a des-
perate thirst.

Now on this bright and sunny June
morning Smith sat disconsolately on
the doorstep gazing across the lake.
The lake itself was nothing very much
to boast about, being less than a mile
long and not more than half that
distance at it’s greatest width.

On the far side of the lake a lone
loon was disporting itself in the way
loons do, and in the intervals be-
tween diving was loudly making
disturbing calls which had a pene-
trating effect on Smith’s nerves. In
fact the loon had so annoyed Smith
the last hour or so that he had taken
several pot shots at it with his 30.30
rifle. Several times he thought that
he had hit the bird, as it disappeared
so quickly, but only, he found, to
emerge from the placid surface of the
lake several yards away.

A Lone Rider

Suddenly he was awakened from his
unpleasant reveries by the sound of
horses’ feet and from the north side
of the trail a lone equestrian broke
into view. The rider was seated ona
small roan, and was leading a spare
saddle horse, considerably larger and
which might have been termed a
sorrel, although it had two distinct
colorings.

Smith immediately recovered some
of his old time buoyancy, and arising
from the door sill, he stood out on the
trail so as to intercept the traveler.

The rider, who had been walking
his horses, was now practically com-
pelled to stop, or run Smith down, so

Royal Hotel

B-A PRODUCTS

Kingsgate

*

By
Guy LAWRENCE

*

he did the natural thing and reined
his steed in.

Smith noted that he had never
before seen this traveler, but this
made very little difference where in
the woods strangers when meeting
would inevitably rest a spell and have
a chat, and perhaps a cup of coffee.

“Good morning,” said Smith, “you
better give your horses a rest and stay
to lunch with me.”

“I can’t do that,” said the stranger,
“I am late now, but can you tell me
how far it is to Quesnel from here?
and I would like to know where the
best camping place is for me tonight,
where I can get good feed for my
horses.”

KOOTENAY HOTEL

A Home Away from Home for

Travelers and Tourists

*

CRESTON B.C.

CRESTON MOTORS

LTD.
LC]
Chevrolet - Oldsmobile

Pontiac - Buick
|

PHONE 10
CRESTON, B.C.

FORSYTHE PHARMACY

A Complete Drug Store Service

Magazines, Photo Supplies,
RCA Victor Records

Phone 34

NEW DENVER B.C.

THE SHOULDER STRAP