Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1885-04-16

plicitly believed Tim. had had to admit
that this particular story was a trifle
''steep." She usually asserted, as in
creasing Tins credibility, that he was
one of those lucky people of whom it
might be said. as of one of Mrs. Whit
ney's well-knOwn characters, that
'.where he was, things happened,
which was the reason why he always
had SO many strange adventures to tell.
Even the expression of her doubt in this
instance was tempered with charity.
Il think it might be true Tim." she,
had added. 'You always pay your
bills and keep your promises. and 1 al
ways try to believe such men till they
are proved false"
| Beats all what women will swaller"
laughed ..Skep" Thompson.
Mrs. Titus Perrin's sister, Mrs. Hard
away. who had just arrived in town to
| pay her ster visit. after many wears
absence in the far West. had brought
her sewing in from the living room be-
hind the store to keep her sister COM
| pany. Her son. a boy of sixteen or
seventeen. who had attended her on
her journey. was among the group of
men around the stove. Mrs. Hardaway
| evidently did not agree with her sister.
| and she now took occasion to say so.
II didn't believe it. she remarked.
coldly. Its just as hard for some
| women to swallow lies as it is for some
men,"
They all laughed.
YES. l suppose So" said 'Skep"
Thompson. But Tim here counts
most too much on everybody's ability to
| swaller. You can talk. Tim-Ill own
you re glib as if you'd been to college,
| and hang me if don't rather enjoy
hearin' YOU on the whole. But YOU
musn't expect us to beliere you, that's
ALL"
"All right" said FISHERMAN Tim.
with imperturbable good nature. Il
don't know as l can expect an igno-
ramus Ike yon, Skcp. to understand
these yarns. It's like tellin' blind
man about colors, or those fellows
down there where l used to be about
ice. They never would believe that
there could be such thing. But. good
ness knows. don't want to talk any
more. Ny tongues downright tired"
80, nor said Titus Perrin, encOurag-
ingly; You were going to say some
thing about Dakota. That's a change.
Maybe Skep could understand that.
He's been to Dakota himself. Let's
have it.
The men. after cracking few more
jokes at Tins expense. gradually as
sumed a listening attitude, and that
oracle proceeded.
You see. Lem Schroeder-he was
Minnesota man / used to knOw-and |
were up north, prospectin'. 1t was
just after came back from the tropics.
knew l was CROWN old, and l didn't
want to die down there, SO Twas comm
north to settle. Lem was a peddlcr.
and he had good team. so. as we ped
died along the way, we hadn't been at
much expense, and we'd had pretty
good time. 1t was late in September
when we sci ont, and when it got into
November, and pretty squally, we both
thought we'd better be gettin' back to
his place. Just then Lem took sick
hard sick, too.
"'Never mind says he. You take |
the cart and go off for few days
there was quite a lot of goods left
and by the time you get back I'll be
all right
''Well, there was a good farmers |
wife up there promised to see to him.
and went off; but when came back |
he wasn't any better, and the weeks |
went on. and still he didn't get well. |
The snow got deep, and rather thought |
we'd better winter up there. but nOthin' |
would do for Lem but he must 60 home:
so, as soon as he got pretty strong
again, we started. We'd planned it SO |
that we could get from one place to an
other pretty comfortable every day. and !
if there was storm we'd put up till it
blew over.
''It was Christmas mOrnin' when we
started. before light, and clear and
cold as piece of ice. The sun came
out, though, after awhile. bright enough.
The snow was deep, but it was packed
hard. and we drove over the smooth |
prairie Ike mad. At noon we stopped |
for dinner at a farmers named Perkins.
but we ddn' want to lose much time !
such good day. SO we were on the
road again shortly after one.
ut was along about half-past two
when. all of sudden. Lem looked of
at the sky behind us. and. SAYS he.
What in thunder is that black cloud?'
and, sure enough. right back of us
was big cloud and vet not cloud
neither, a sort of darkness. more like
you know how it looked if you've
ever been in a regular blizzard it
wasn't creep;n', it was comm along
faster than any express train You ever
saw. We whipped up as lively as we
could. and Lem headed for little house
that we could just see way off on the
skyline. But the cloud was goin' about
a hundred times as fast as we were. and
1t wasn't fifteen minutes before we
knew it wasn't any use. our tearin'
along so. So far as we saw, we had got
to stand and take it the best way we
could
1T grew darker and darker around
us. till it was all a kind of twilight.
but once in awhile this twilight would
sorter lift Ike. and then we could see
two or three clumps of trees there were
in sight, and the little house off on the
sky line. full six miles away, and they
looked white. as il they We're made of
snow. I've heard since that that sort |