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White, Stewart Edward, 1873-1946

"The Claim Jumpers"




CHAPTER X
THE WORLD MADE YOUNG

The morning fulfilled the promise of the night before. Bennington de
Laney awoke to a sun-bright world, fresh with the early breezes. A
multitude of birds outside the window bubbled and warbled and carolled
away with all their little mights, either in joy at the return of
peace, or in sorrow at the loss of their new-built houses. Sorrow and
joy sound much alike as nature tells them. The farther ridges and the
prairies were once more in view, but now, oh, wonder! the great plain
had cast aside its robes of monk brown, and had stepped forth in jolly
green-o'Lincoln. The air was full of tingling life. Altogether a
morning to cry one to leap eagerly from bed, to rush to the window, to
drink in deep draughts of electric balmy ozone, and to thank heaven for
the grace of mere existence.
That at least is what Bennington did. And he did more. He despatched a
hasty breakfast, and went forth and saddled his steed, and rode away
down the gulch, with never a thought of sample tests, and never a care
whether the day's work were done or not. For this was springtime, and
the air was snapping with it.


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