The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1873-11-26
Pike face IN which he had ever seen
any signs of a soul.

| anU DfleHv iHlOililceu TIC emu Vi i'll
wife. Then, after some consultation
with the old woman, Sam rode to TIN
town on one of his horses, leadln.
another He came back with but ont
horse and a large bundle; and sool
the women were making for Mrs
Trotwine her lust earthly robe, ant
the first new one she had worn fol
| years. The next day wagon brougl
4 coffin and il minister, and the Who'll,
camp silently and respectfully follow
ed Mrs. Trotwine to home with
| which she could find no fault.
For three days all the male Pixies II
the camp sat on the log before Sans
door aud expressed their sympathy. a,
| did the friends of Job that is, they
held their peace. But On the fourth
their tongues were lulloosed. As a
conversationalist the Pike is not sue
cess. but Sans actions were so unusu-
al and utterly unheard of that it SEEM
ed as if even the stones must have
wondered and eommuned among
themselves.
II never heard of such a thing"
said Brown Buck; hes gone aud
bought new clothes for each of the
young 'uns.n
Yes" said the patriarch Of the
camp, 'an' this mornin', when went
down to the bank to soak my head,
COS last nights liquor didn't agree
with it, seed Sam with all his young
'uns as they was awashing their faces
an hands with soap. They'll ketch
their death and be on the hill with
their mother fore long, If he don't
look ont. Somebody ought to reason
with him"
""Iwon't do no good, sighed Lin
ping Jim. ''IIe's lost his head, an
reason just goes into one ear an ont
at t'other ear. When he was scrapin'
around this front door t'other day an
asked him what he WIZ a-layin' the
ground all beal and desolate fur, he
said he was done keeping pig-pen.
Now, everybody but bin knows he
never had a pig. His heads gone,
jnst mark my words.
On the morning of the fourth day,
Sanl's friends had just secured full
attendance on the log, and were at
work upon their first pipes, when they
were startled by seeing Sam harness
his horse in the wagon and put all his
children into it.
"Whar ye bound fur, Sam9" asked
the patriach.
Sam blushed as near as a Pike
could bat answered with only little
hesitation: "Goin' to take 'sm to
school to Maxfield-goin' to do every
day"
The incumbelts of the log were too
nearly paralyzcd to remolIstrate. but
after a few moments OF silence the pat
riarch remarked in tones OF feeling,
yet decision:
"He's he'd tough time OF it, but
he's no business to ruin the settlement.
I'm an old man myself and need
peace of mind, so I'm going to pack
up my traps and mosey. When the
folks at MaXtield knows what he's
doin', thcy'll make him a constable or
Il Justice. an I'm too much OF man
to live nigh any sich."
And next day the patriarch wheeled
his family and property to parts un-
known.
A few days later jim Merrick, q
brisk farmer a few miles from the
Bend, stood in front of his own house,
and shaded his eyes in solemn wonder.
1t couldn't be-hed never heard of
such thing betore--yet it was--there !
was 10 doubt of it-tlere was Pike, /
riding towards him in open daylight.
He could swear that Pike had often Wis
tied hin--that is, his wheat-tield and
corral after dark, but daylight visit
from Pike was as unusual as a social
,all of a Sanali itan upon a Sew. And
when Sam for it was lle--approached
Merrick and made his business known,
he farmer was more astonished and
confused than he had ever been in his
life before. Sam wanted to know for
low much money Merrick would plow
md plant a hundred and sixty acres Of
wheat for him, and whether he would
axe Sans horse-a fine animal
brought from the States, and for which
sam could show q bill ofsale-as secu-
'ity for the amount until he could har-
rest and sell his crop. Merrick so well |
Understood the Pike nature that he
made very liberal offer, and after
ward slid he would have paid hand
olnely for the chance.
A few DAYS later and the remaining
likes at the Bend experienced the
sreatest scare that ever visited their
ouls. A brisk man came into the
Bend with a tripod on his shoulder and
wire chain and some wire pins, and
queer machine under his arm, and
,eiore dark the Pixies understood that
,am lad deliberately constituted him
ella renegade by entering y quarter
ection OF land. Next morning two !
more residences were empty, and the