Argosy All-Story Weekly, June 27, 1925 — page 93: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“MAN COMING OUT.” 7 SSS woolen shirt. This he wrapped around the ‘‘ Looks that way.” Whitey cast an eve forward end of the toboggan, lashing it over their work. The front of the toboggan tightly in place. was bent im a semicircle lke the letter ‘Water’s boilin’,” Whitey reported. “CC.” -Fhe first batten projected beyond “You goin’ to do the week’s wash?” one sapling. The second batten, where the ‘Bring heem,” Bateese grmned. “ Bring curve flattened out, was just clear of the queeck |.” other. He seized the pot of hot water and Whitey, holding the contraption in place poured it over the shirt until it was against the natural sprig of the birch, saw soaking. an objection: “If I let it go, it Hl spring ‘So that’s it?” Whitey was quick to back,” said he. see things, once he had the clew.. ‘“ No “ Mais non.” Bateese drew a strip of chance to stick that there wood into the rawhide from his pocket. With it he Jashed water, so you stick the water onto the the ends of the two projecting battens to- wood, eh?” gether. The rawhide stretched taut, form- “For sure.” Bateese watched as the ing the cord of the curve, taking the strain steam rose from the shirt. “‘ For one, may- of the birch’s remaining elasticity. be two hour we drop water on dis toboggan. “TI ft'ink she do now,” said Bateese. An’ den, w’en the wood she get sof’ an’ wet, Whitey let go of his end. The toboggan we bend between dose tree.” kept its shape. ‘“She’s a toboggan,” he An hour later he unloosened the old admitted. ‘ But how're you goin’ to get it shirt, and tried the wood with his thumb- clear o’ this tree?” nail. Bateese pretended to be perplexed. “T t'ink perhaps maybe she ben’ new,” “ Dat’s fonny ting,” said he. “ De raw- he reported. hide on one side, de toboggan on de odder. They -lifted the toboggan up, inserted By gar, what we do, Whitey?” the forward end between the two saplings, Whitey looked blank. He joggled the and began to bend. The end bore against toboggan to and fro. But it was just as the inner side of the left sapling. Slowly, Bateese said. The half circle of the to- watching carefully lest he crack the wood, boggan’s curve was on one side of the tree, Bateese bent the back end around till, at the rawhide joining the ends of that curve a point two feet from the front, the tobog- passed to the other side. gan began to shape around the second sap- Whitey dropped the toboggan. “ What ling which stood to the right. about it?” he asked. ‘Hol’ heem—lak dat!” he commanded Bateese grabbed his ax. Two swift suddenly. ’ strokes and he had cut through the sapling “What’s wrong?” Whitey asked as he three feet above the ground. obeyed. But as he took hold he under- “Lif? heem off,” said he, with a grin. stood. “This don’t bend any too easy,” Whitey obeyed. “ Simple, ain’t it?” said he cried. “It’s all I can do to hold it.” he. “ Me, I’d have set here figurin’ for quite “ Dat’s for why.” Bateese ran into the a bit before I’d ’a’ done it that way. Guess cabin and came out with more hot water. it’s bein’ city folks makes me so dumb.” He wrapped the old shirt around the tobog- “TI t’ink you’re not so—what you call gan once more, spilled boiling water over heem—dumb,” Bateese yawned. “ An’ it. Then waited, wetting the shirt again now I’m tired, me. I t'ink I go to sleep.” from time to time. “‘ Now I t’ink she go,” ‘Suits me,” Whitey agreed. “ Just the he reported at length, and took hold again. same, I don’t see the sense of it all. We This time they Gompleted the curve, ain’t got dogs, and a man can’t haul that bringing the back end of the toboggan contraption far on bad going.” around the second tree. “Wen we want dogs, we get dogs.” Ba Bateese looked things over for the last teese was optimistic. ‘“ Mebbe we get dem time. “ By gar,” said he, “I tink she is from Injuns. Mebbe we don’ want dem mak’ for sure, Whitey.” anyway. We stay here till the ice go.” conniclooolkks Co