Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-04-21
MISCELLANEOUS.
"COMPASSES.n


jack from pan TO plate, just in time to give
and pocketing itself in the open window,
fell dpon the four Of us-Fosco Barkham,
the Colonel and me-riding toward the
house. our horses tired and detected, and
ourselves fit comrades for them.
One would think almost 40 soon of
building hotel in cemetery, and wait
ing for gbostly visitants, a. Of settling
near Mud Springs, in the heart Of q de.
serted country. But there the house
etood-a struggling, onc-storicd inn, half
adobe and half rough posts, like q broken
spider the supports Of the shed standing
like gaunt legs. One almost expected to
see it moving about the place.
A wild, uncouth place "a ragged, un.
shorn bit Of nature, in her most discordant
mood. A narrow valley, fringed, a. to
its sides, with gnarled oaks, that erouched
in silence, and cottonwo0ds, whose leaves
seemed glad to be hidden by their dusty
coatings Large bOulders ran slow races
down the hills, or gathered in sober
groups around stony chief; some gray,
and smirched with brittle moss; others
broken, and trying to glisten in the SUM-
Even the birds deserted the canon, at the
foot of which stood the house and though
sometimes peeping around the outlet,
never vcntured In. How the winter wind
snarled up the ravine, buffeting every
thing, and drawing cloud of dust In its
terky train! How the rains poured
down, as ii glad to wash out the land.
marks, pelting and soaking, running new
channels, and following out the surface
Only the little, thread-like brook, that
twisted down from the spring, laughed in
the sunlight, flashing back upon the
cliDgirg weeds that cOurtcsIcd to the
bright bubbles on their rapid course At
the fence the brook crept under, and mois.
tened the flow crs and vegetables that were
scattered about the garden-the pride and
care OF Aunt Clepsy, and the solace OF
her heart.
Hunting all day among the hills,
wearied with fruitless sport, we came un-
expectedly upon these signs of life, and,
urging our horses, pushed on to the
dwelling.
"Can we stay here tonight" inquired
Fosco, AZ the dame came to the door, and
stood, with arms akimbo, scanning our
party with curious eye.s
aye can try" was the sapient rejoinder
"a somewhat equivocal One-but be-
lated travellers are not wont to be over
nice.
We turned our animals into the yard
and bundled our traps into the front room
that served for sitting, dining and bar.
The hostess had preceded us, and gave
us greeting, leaning on the bar-rail She
coolly examined our baggage, such as 1t
was, and, with sigh of relief, remarked :
"Ye amt got no yaller vclise, see, and
ye can stay. You may think It Gurus, but
no man which has yaller volise can tie
up here. III tell ye why this is. There
was peart-like chap Onst came here.
prospecting around, which had sich q
baggage; and he KEEP on stayin' and stay
in, which we didn't see no money of
hisn' day after day. But a. We had found
his vOlfse heavy--which me and Com.
passes often hefted-we thought 1t was
all right But. one day, my man diun't
come back any more; and when we come
TO open the vOlise, we found II WAS nailed
to the door, empty; and no man with SIGH
: heavy thing hev we kept sence."
"Y0u are right In being cautious when
such men are around. But where 10 your
husbsndf" asked the Colonel.
"Down In the field, yonder. They call
him Cnmpasses, cause one of his legs is q
little irregular. But you mustn't keep me
with palaverin', or you wont git moth
Ing for provender," and she hustled into
: M 4 i Si1xss faced old lady as ever looked
uponX she had safely passed the age
when H"hen are apt to become blotting-
papers, 70 absorb all the milk Of human
kindnes1 about them. Tall and spare, .
plain pYfnt.gown neatly put ON, she had
oil possible dignity Of carriage and de.
meanOr.
A singular room we were occupying.
At one end jutted out from the wall .
few shelves, on which was arranged row
Of bottles. There were seven cans
Of oysters-always seven-having the
marks Of . daily polishing. 4 small jar
was labelled 6olace;" II you
rang It there came forth
an empty sound. A cigar.box, Of some
faded, medieval brand, hung close to this
for company. An old Dutch pipe, hung
up by the neck, had been strangling slow
" for years. There was . remarkable
print Of the Deluge upon one wall, whore
purple ark nsvigated among pink
wAalei that spouted raspberry soda
water; while Noah, with his select cempa-
ny,clad In naval uniforms, and bearing pm-
bfellss, seemed to chat the struggling