Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-10-31
An %Englishman,s Night,

| G]iencove, came to America some time
ago with = party of capitalists, and
joined in an enterprise 10 purchase
large tracts OF pine lands in Arkansaw.
Mr.. Lansing, before he met any of the
| squatters, wrote many amusing letters
home concerning them, for, being an
Englishman, he tancied that he knew
much OF these people, and did not think
that personal conta t with them would
| extend the already broad territory OF
his views. He wrote q number of dia-
| logues, in which he always '.wound tho
| spuatter up" but he is wiser now.
Several days ago he set out on an en-
aaong the hills in Il part OF the coun-
try which had not been viewed by the
members of the company. 1t was sug-
gested that Mi. Lansing should be ac-
companied by some one who knew the
| country, but he hooted at the idea, wise
owl. and declared that q man who lad
held his w in the iungles of India,
was eminently able to take care Of him
self anywhere in q bloody American
State.
Onc evening after Mr.. Lansingl had
gained q rough and thinly populated
d%strict. he was overtaken by lrain
storm. In vain he sought sh{ter.
Darkness came on, and missing the
road, which had narrowed down to q
mere bridle-path, he wandered around
in the woods, alternately choked by
grape-vines and sawed by green-btiars.
The lurid lightning illustrated tie sui
phurous i~mprecations which he called
down upon the American Government,
and as he lost his hat and was struck
on the torch ad by his hose, who
threw up his head to avo d Il briar, he
shook his damp hand ut the olackness
above, and in u loud oath. Questioned
the purity OF our institutions At last
he saw a light glimmerng family
underDrush. Slowly guiding his horse
in the direction whence came the well
come CLEAN, he at last reached a low
rail fence, surrounding a small log
house. Mr.. Lansing shotted..
.'Hello, yerself!n exclaimed a voice,
as q man poked his heal from the
door.
"Who lives here?"
81 do"
"Of course. What is your namc"
whats your namey"
George Lansing. Does SIMON Butt
live here?9"
''Not at present"
"Where oes he live?' ..~.
'Eon't know"
''Did he ever live here?" !.
"No."
"Ihcn why do you say mot at pres
ent?:'"
"'Cause he don't live here at pres
emit"
s.My friend, I am wet and
"Must NV been out in the rain?"
eyes, | was i'll all OF that heavy
shower"
"No, yer want"
81 say l was"
81 say yer want Some O. that
shower fell here, an l know vor want
here when ii fell. Good night" clos
ing the door.
s.say, thcrc!!" called the English
man. -
"Wall?" opening the door.
81 sa, ! am wet and"
s.Must NV been out in the rain"
''And I'm hungry
''Didn't had nuthin' to eat, mebby."
I'D like to stay here until morn
ing"
"All right, help yerself," closing the
door.
.Hello, thcre!' cried the English
man.
''Hello, ~yerself!!" again opening the
door.
'.Look here, my good fellow"
6SNpo ~ tho bact fo1l,,, 20, o,..
seed"
"Glad to hear it. l am wet"
"Must NV been out il the rain"
81 don't want any Of your blasted
to%olishness, you know. l want to
come in"
"All right, never said yer Couldn't
The floor Of the little room seemed
to be covered with children. and
from a bed in q corner a head with
long hair protruded. The squatter
raked the chunks together = those
people always keep a fire, winter and
summer-and the cheerful blaze, shoot
ing up the spacious ''staek'' chimney,
invited the stranger to take off his coat
and hold his steaming hands out to feel
the warmth.
elbow far is it to Simon Butt's?"
Young Simon Or old simon:?"
either one, ! suppose"
'.Wall. they live about a mile apart.
Old Simon lives on II hill an young
Simon lives on t'other.n .
''But how far from here?:''
eyer know whar the spout spring
$50"
NO"
"W all. that's bad, fur it's the best
water in the ~curmunity.'
"Does Mr.. Butt live near the
spring."
Nv no, old Simon?:"
''Yes.'
':Wall he don't live as close to it as
young Simon dces.'
'How can | find the spring.
''By goin' to young Slmon's."
''But how can l find young ST.
mon
''By goin' to the spring"
''See here, old man, [ have fooled
with you long enough"
''Thank the Lord" said the SQUAT
ter's wife, %nervously jerking her tan
gled hair. "Wish yer would git through
with yer transacshun an let !, BODY oft