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One bright ave a low, growling warning Dale was startled Torizzly or a straying stag Presently Dale espied a horse spruces And with that sight Dale's heart gave a leap, recalling to him a divination of his future relation to his kind Never had he been so glad to see afronized him to be John

At this juncture the jaded horse was spurred into a trot, soon reaching the pines and the ca his hand

For all his hearty greeting his appearance checked a like response from Dale The horse was led, worn, and white This hue of his face ue

"Howdy, John?" replied Dale

They shook hands John wearily swung his leg over the poray eyes onderingly riveted upon the hunter

"Milt--what 'n hell's wrong?" he queried

"Why?"

"Bust ed so I hardly knowed you You've been sick--all alone here!"

"Do I look sick?"

"Wal, I should smile Thin an' pale an' down in the one to seed"

"You've gone off your head, jest as Roy said, livin' alone here You overdid it, Milt An' you look sick"

"John, my sickness is here," replied Dale, soberly, as he laid a hand on his heart

"Lung trouble!" ejaculated John "With thet chest, an' up in this air? Get out!"

"No--not lung trouble," said Dale

"I savvy Had a hunch from Roy, anyhow"

"What kind of a hunch?"

"Easy now, Dale, ole man Don't you reckon I'm ridin' in on you pretty early? Look at thet hoss!" John slid off and waved a hand at the drooping beast, then began to unsaddle hied soht on the frozen snow"

"You're welcome as the flowers in May John, what month is it?"

"By spades! are you as bad as thet? Let's see It's the twenty-third of March"

"March! Well, I'm beat I've lost my reckonin'--an' a lot more, maybe"