Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-06-05
Written for TIE GRANT COUNTY HrRALpJ
LITTLE STORM.
CHAPTER ".

CHAPTER ".
"Bill, why in thunder don't you pui
| that eur out?" said jim Dane, rising
somewhat hastily, for him, and opening
the door. he kicked the whining pur
out into the darkness, slammed the door
shut, gave bill" hard cuff that Sent
him Keeling across the room. and took his
chair again grumbling sorely. Thar
amt anybody around this house tina,
does any work but me-" Jim Dane
Numbered. THE more | work, the
more you pack of whelps eat. Bill
curse your lazy pelt-take that lantern
and go feed the bay mare. Stir your
shank or I'll bust your hump"
The addressed bib" stirred his
shanks and got outside right quick. He
evidently bore a grudge against the
door, fer after getting it shut between
him and his irate sire the burly fellow
set his lantern down, made faces at il
(the door, pounded at it with his fists
and kicked at it with all his might; but
it will do to mention that he executed
all these maD@uvres quietly and was
more than careful not to really hit OF
kick the door.
Jim Dane, father to Bill Dane and
seven other little and big Dane, also
husband To Martha Dane mother OF the
eight little and big Danes aforesaid,
was a man often found in frontier towns.
He led civilization. He squatted upon
q claim, waited until the Spring run of
"suckersh set in from the States, sold
out 1T q profit and moved on. Wealth
might have been his portion had he not
patronized the eorn-juice sutler so freely
Jim took to rum and rum took To jim
until where one was the other was sure
to be, Jim's friend was fearful
e1t0rtionist and exacted not only all his
spare money and time, but also his
whole stock of good nature, and his
entire invoice of heart-sympathies. But
Jim didn't get offended at rum, and
rum didn't forget there were more
claims ahead and more I" suckers :"
behind, and so they got on well enough
together
Notwithstanding his oft repeated
assertion that he performed all the labor
about the claim, Jim's Danes hard
work consisted chiefly in riding about
the country, spying out new and
favorable spots on which to pitch the
Dane habitation in future moves. From
sunrise till late at night be strobe the
bay mare, Jessie" and rode away
nobody knew whittier
William Dane, Jim's oldest boy, at
tended the farm claim and looked after
the young stock. Jim vented all his
ill-humor on William who took the same
privilege with his next younger brother
Sam and Sam in turn paid the descend
ing compliment to his younger brother
Dan, so that a general uproar or grabbed
solemnity pervaded the Dane cabin
continually.
Once upon a time, jim went down 10
the nearest settlement, where religious
revival was in progress, and SO moved
was he by the proceedings that he arose
and said: my conscience has often
arranged my soul in dark hours of
labor, and have been tried and found
guilty" Then the audience, who knew
the man, cried with one voice, "Its
pity you warn't hung at those same
times" Jim pulled his pop" but
heavy Colts artillery looked ut him
from every direction and he retired in
good order without offering any burnt
powder remarks.
Martha Dane, wife of Jim Dane,
mother of the eight Danes, was a tall,
muscular lady of great
energy and endurance.
Once in every seven or eight moons,
Jim and Martha got on quite friendly
terms and went so far as to use little
phrases of endearment toward each
other. Whenever Jim said "My dear
old wind hound, | must give you little
money next week, and Martha chucked
him under the chin with the wet dish
cloth and said, Jim you're a good
dogf' their son Bill saddled Jessie"
and took II ride on his own hook, and
the seven younger Dane gourmands
slipped into the cellar and stomached
all the ready yictuals on hand with
perfect impunity
Although these periods OF unbending
occasionally came upon him, on genel al
pfinciples0Jim Dane was savage man.
White people gave him out as a
dangerous character with some educa-
ton, while the red forest children who
had seen or heard of him accounted Jim
2 terror. 1t was not positively known
that he had ever killed man; but
devil looked out beneath his left eve
brow and pulled the shutters most to rs
it chuckled. Thar eye was deep
scheme, and was respected. or feared
Martha, YOU 60 out and see if that
Tout OF a Bill has fed the bay mare vet
Like enough he's ridin' her about the
prairie Tve rode her seventy miles
to-day an if he's on her back I'll break
every bone in his lazy carcass What
a fool that boy isl said jim Dane, as
he drew his heels ili-naturedly backward
and forward over the stone hearth in
front of the fire place.
go look after your own horse, Jim,"
Martha replied. then added You're
lazier than Bill. You're an old tool.
Jim, you're drunk"
Then Jim's bad eye rested on her as
she moved about the room. The owner
of the eye spoke not word. The
children crawled under the bed and
breathed low. The Eye followed her
unwaveringly several minutes till she
took her bonnet and went out, when it
fell back upon the dying embers. and the
devil chuckled and pulled the blinds
clear shut.
CHAPTER V.