The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1880-03-12

sAa"s ~ "Hs, o."
S'But can't walk, says Dave.
@'What's the diff says l; you can
ride, an here's y'r mule. You'll go If l
have to carry you every step OF the
way
$50 off we starts. Well, we got to Los
Angeles, on the coast, In four weeks,
an it was no time ut all after that before
Dave begin to pick up. Then we went
up to Frisco, the boy still improvin',
an from there we worked our way to
Fort Klamath, in Southwestern Ore
gon. Then I told Dave we'd rasseled
round about long enough; that l was
goin' to see my brother, who lived In
Washington Territory, about twenty
miles from Walla Walla. Dave had got
tolerable hearty, but do you suppose
he'd stopped frettin' about that wilder?
Not bit-he still had her on the brain
bigger'n straw stack. Now an then,
when he'd get blue, he'd give me the
wire edge of his tongue for havin' drug
him away from Indiany. But we
started for Waha Walla, cat-a-cornered
acrost Oregon, an follerin' the trail a
clean 400 mile. We walked it all, ev-
cry step of the way. 1 had to carry
most of the traps myself, for Dave was
weak in the chest, and had to 60 light
Dave had on pair of moccasins; had
heavy pair of boots. Dave carried
the revolver; carried the double-bar-
relied shotgun an the other traps.
Purity soon his moccasins cut to pieces,
an gave him my boots, which made it
easier for him. THAT'S mighty lonesome
trail from Klamath to Walla Walla, and
people are sprinkled over it about as
thick as gold nuggets is here. We
didn't have much money, and some
| times were two days together without
food. Then we'd take up a notch or two
in our belts, to reef in our stomachs to
suit the supply of grub, and go ahead.
One day we'd jist crossed the Oregon
line, an was nearin' Walla Walla, when
we see thin curl of smoke risin' above
the timber. knowed from the wind
Ill it that that smoke didn't come from
any open fire, but came through a
chimley, an we soon sighted cabin 10
clearin'. Then up flies a big, yaller
rooster an gives how-de-do that put
more strange feelin's III me than I'd he'd
fur long time-poetry and music TO-
gether, you know. Carried me back to
the days when was boy on the old
farm, an a lump came to my throat an
my eyes got moist. What do you sup
pose Dave said? Says he: Jim, Well
have eggs for dinner, as sure as the
Lord made little apples
"The very thing was thinkin' of,
says l.
"The door of the cabin was open, SO
we didn't have to knock, an nice, tidy
woman, with fresh white billed apron,
asked us in. Her man was in the field
back of the house, and he and hired
man came TO see us. Travellers Al g
scarce out there. The woman saw that
we were hungry-we hadn't he'd any
thing to eat for two days but handful
of parched corn. She said she was
sorry there was so little in the house,
an all that sort of thing, but would try
to get something up. Dave asked if
she hadn't eggs, and dozen packages
of chat fruit, billed with the husks on,
would be agreeable. Two round-eyed,
tow-headed boys were sent out to find
'em.
well, there they was, heaped up be-
fore US on plate, in their nice white
kivers-a dozen of 'em-an' Dave an
me pitched in. That wasn't all the
meal, though, fur there was jerked ven
ison, an as good bread as ever was
turned out Of pan, an ginewine yallar
butter. But it was the eggs that ketched
me. Eggs an civilization go hand in
hand an shoulder to shoulder. Did you
ever think OF that? We started in Oh q
egg apiece.
"My first egg Just struck the spot, an
I let out my belt a couple of notches,
an took egg number two. Dave lifted
his second one the same time. SO we
KEEP company, egg fur egg, right along.
At the fifth or fourth egg, don't know
which, Dave says: Jim, this reminds
me of old times. used to have little
bow-legged, hump-backed hen got OF
one of the Brazier boys-Bill Brazier,
dead now; killed out on the pike, east
of Gray's mill; throwed off'n his horse
down the steep hill there, an struck his
head on bowlder.'.
"Then we both reached for the plate
Il reckoned he'd lost count while
tellin' his story, 30 says: Go slow,
old boy, that eggs mine.'
Not much,' says he, you're of
your nest
~This was too much. I fared right
up. To think he'd tried TO blk an old
pard outen egg, after all that pard had
done fur him, soured' me clean to my
heels. You zee, I'd shared everything
with him, drug him through his sick
ness, tended him like woman, an now
to have him come the hog game on me
The devil was IN me, an drawed the
revolver; it was lsyin' on the floor be.
tween us, an was goin' to let daylight
through him, when the woman screamed
and the man of the house spoke up
This brought me to myself; but tell
You / had him down fine. We both go,
up from the table, leavin' the last egg
on the plate, Dave talin' the shotgun
from the place where it was leanin' out
side the door. / scorned to take any
advantage of him then, mad as l was
an gave him a fair chance to git the
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