The Red Cloud chief., 1881-05-05

But the season wa getting late: al
ready the frost had nipped the grass.
and they were yet a weeks drive from
their claim.
One evening John said: a believe
we'll camp earlyto-night, Mary. Idon't
like the way Topsy holds her head. 1t
will not do for the horses to get sick"
But poor Topsy was already sick;
hardly was the harness lifted from the
faithful creatures back before she
dropped on her side. Not a mouthful
would she ea.., though Mary plucked
handfuls of tender grass for her. All
night long they watched beside her,
doing all they could to alleviate her
sufferings, but in the morning there was
but one horse to feed, for Topsy was
dead.
John must have another horse, and,
of course he was obliged 20 pay a most
exorbitant price for it. When they
started once more upon their journey
Johns face was rather sober, for the price
of the new horse had taken a huge
slice of the money devoted to building
their house.
Their route now lay through the re-
gion Of homestead claim. On either
hand, prairie stretched from the rising
to the setting sun. Here and there a
few trees were set out, a small house
built, and a tract of black sod upturned.
Sometimes they saw a smoke curling up
from the side of a hill, where an emf
grant, too poor to build a house, had
scooped out a dug-out for a home.
These people knew the meaning of
hard times, but they had faith TO be-
lieve that sometime this beautiful, new
country would yield them an hundred
fold" for their toll.
At last they reached their destination,
and John pointed out as fair a piece of
land rs ever the sun shone on as "our
homestead"
Old Jerry Stevenson, their nearest
neighbor within four miles, saw the
wagon, and came with true hospitality
to invite them to his home and some
warn grub"
You a bring your beddin' in and
stay with us till you git a roof over your
heads. The weather bites most too hard
for a-body To live comfortable in a
prairie schooner"
John and Mary gladly accepted his
kindness. Mary was all eagcrness to
learn Western ways. She watched
Jcrry's wife as she went about preparing
the evening meal; she went with Jerry TO
feed the horses and hogs, and before
the evening passed she had confided 20
him Just how much money they ha l.,
and all their plans. So Jerry was well
acquainted with their financial affairs.
The next morning, after breakfast,
Jerry said. as he pushed back his plate:
"Now | reckon you young folks are
thinkin' about gettin' "a place to live in.
Ii you'll take old Jerry sadvice, won't
charge you nothing. In the fust place,
you've got n little money, and you want
TO build n house; but there are a few
things more important in the West than
4 house. Now" said Jerry, marking
of the items with his long foretinger,
"you'ye got 10 have n cow; and you
must have q stove, and coal to burn in
il the year round, for you hain't home
s;eaded no timber land; and you've got
TO have corn for the horses, and feed
for yourselves, till your fust crop comes
in. You needn't count much on sod
corn. Mebby you'll raise enough for
your horses, though You've got to
have a breakin'-plow; and as for gettin'
work, people mostly does their own
work on bOmestid land. Then there'll
be expenses coming up all the time that
| hain't mentioned; and you'd better
take old Jerry's advice and jist dig you
n comfortable dug-out and live in it till
you are able TO build"
Poor John groaned in spirit. Take
Mary into a dug-out, when she might
have lived in a mansion! But Topsy's
death had lowered his means, and
a dug-out was better than going
hungry; so yery reluctantly,
John shouldered his spade. and
choosing a spot where the ground sloped
abruptly he commenced digging into
the hillside. Shovelful after shOvelful
was thrown ont, until n large, square
cavity was made; then with Jerry's as
sistance sods were brought and built
into a wall. Two square places were
left for windows, a floor was laid, the
door swung and John was ready To take
Mary TO her new home.
Mary was blithe and happy, and set
about making things look home-like.
But John was disconnected, for in spite
of himself, Silas Green's mansion would
persist in rearing its fair walls i'm con
trast to his humble dug-out, and again
he wondered if Mary might not regret
marrying so poor a man.
The winter passed away, and during
ummer John worked buSily ut his
breaking. He found, as Jerry said. that
sod corn would not make his fortune;
and so another winter cam and John
longed for spring. for the crops must
build his house this year. In the spring.
n little life fluttered in and fiuttered out
again. and left Mary sick nigh unto
death. When John saw the grief on
Mary's face when they told her her
baby did not live, John almost cursed
himself for bringing her to live in that
..hole in the ground" as he bitterly
called his home. For he thought that
if Mary had had a better home. she
might have had more strength TO meet
her sickness.
Mary'S health came slowly back. She
vas lonely at times. and wished the
bachelors would marry and bring their
| wives to live with them that she might
have near neighbors. One day she
carried water to John and sat on the
pillow while he drank TO her health.
Then they stood looking at the wheat
as it tossed in billowy waves.
"We'll have our house this year."
saidJohn; Il never saw a better pros
pect."
shall we have a marble or brown
stone front?" said Mary.
~ trust it will not be n brown-sod-
'front.'
Mary started rs something whirred
past her ear. struck her cheek, then
fiuttered TO the ground.
What was that?' she said.
John glanced down; then, with a
start, he shaded his eyes and looked up
ward.
what is it, John? What makes
you SO pale?"
Its destruction" said John, huski-
ly; Its the grasshopper! Look up.
Mary"
Mary shaded her eyes and looked up.
Yes, there, between her and the sun,
was the shining mist made by the gauzy
wings of the d~eStroyers and down.
steadily down, they were coming, until
n -