Alton of Somasco

Alton of Somasco, by Harold
Bindloss

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Title: Alton of Somasco
Author: Harold Bindloss
Release Date: December 5, 2004 [EBook #14261]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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SOMASCO ***

Produced by Al Haines

ALTON OF SOMASCO
A Romance of the Great Northwest
By HAROLD BINDLOSS

Author of
"Winston of the Prairie," "The Dust of Conflict," "The Cattle Baron's
Daughter," "The Young Traders," etc.

With Illustrations
By R. MARTINE REAY

A. L. BURT COMPANY, PUBLISHERS
NEW YORK

COPYRIGHT, 1905
BY FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY
This Edition Issued in March, 1906.

CONTENTS
CHAP.
I THE FIRST ENCOUNTER II AT TOWNSHEAD'S RANCH III
HARRY THE TEAMSTER IV HALLAM OF THE TYEE V THE
HEIR OF CARNABY VI MISS DERINGHAM MAKES FRIENDS
VII ALTON BLUNDERS VIII HALLAM'S CONFEDERATE IX
MISS DERINGHAM FEELS SLIGHTED X THE UNDELIVERED
MESSAGE XI CONFIDENCE MISPLACED XII IN VANCOUVER
XIII THE SOMASCO CONSOLIDATED XIV THE COMPACT XV
ON THE TRAIL XVI CAUSE FOR ANXIETY XVII ALONE XVIII

IN THE WILDERNESS XIX FOUL PLAY XX THE NICKED
BULLET XXI OKANAGAN'S ROAD XXII MISS DERINGHAM
DECIDES XXIII THE AWAKENING XXIV HALLAM TRIES
AGAIN XXV ALTON IS SILENT XXVI WITHOUT COUNTING
THE COST XXVII THE FORCE OF CALUMNY XXVIII ALTON
FINDS A WAY XXIX THE PRICE OF DELAY XXX SEAFORTH'S
REINSTATEMENT XXXI "THE THIRD TIME" XXXII ALTON
HOLDS HIS HAND XXXIII MISS DERINGHAM'S CONFESSION
XXXIV THE CONSUMMATION

ALTON OF SOMASCO
CHAPTER I
THE FIRST ENCOUNTER
It was snowing slowly and persistently, as it had done all day, when
Henry Alton of Somasco ranch stood struggling with a half-tamed
Cayuse pony in a British Columbian settlement. The Cayuse had laid
its ears back, and was describing a circle round him, scattering mud and
snow, while the man who gripped the bridle in a lean, brown hand
watched it without impatience, admiringly.
"Game!" he said. "I like them that way. Still, it isn't every man could
seize a pack on him, and you'll have to let up three dollars on the price
you asked me."
Now three dollars is a considerable proportion of the value of an Indian
pony fresh from the northern grass lands, with the devil that lurks in
most of his race still unsubdued within him, but the rancher who owned
him did not immediately reject the offer. Possibly he was not especially
anxious to keep the beast.
"Oh, yes," said a bystander. "He's game enough, and I'd ask the boys to
my funeral if I meant to drive him at night over the lake trail. After
being most kicked into wood-pulp Carter hasn't any more use for him,

and I'll lay you a dollar, Alton, you and your partner can't put the pack
on him."
Perhaps the Cayuse was tired, or desirous of watching for an
opportunity, for it came to a standstill, snorting, with its wicked eyes
upon the man, who laughed a little and shoved back the broad hat from
his forehead as he straightened himself. The laugh rang pleasantly, and
the faint twinkle in Alton's eyes was in keeping with it. They were grey,
and steady when the light sank out of them, and the rest of the bronzed
face was shrewd and quietly masterful. He wore a deerskin jacket
fancifully embroidered, blue canvas overalls, and gum boots to the
knee, while, though all of them needed repair, the attire was
picturesque, and showed its wearer's lean symmetry. The man's age was
apparently twenty-five, and eight years' use of the axe had set a stamp
of springy suppleness upon him. He had also wrested rather more than
a livelihood from the Canadian forest during them.
All round him the loghouses rose in all their unadorned dinginess
beneath the sombre pines, and the largest of them bore a straggling
legend announcing that it was Horton's store and hotel. A mixed
company of bush ranchers, free prospectors, axemen, and miners
lounged outside it in picturesque disarray, and high above rose a dim
white line of never-melting snow.
"Well," said Alton, "it's time this circus was over, anyway, and if Carter
will take my bid I'll clinch that deal with you. Have the pack and
seizings handy, Charley."
The rancher nodded, and Alton got a tighter grip on the bridle. Then the
Cayuse rose upright with fore-hoofs lifted, and the man's arm was
drawn back to strike. The hoofs came down harmlessly, but the fist got
home, and for a moment or two