The Red Cloud chief., 1885-08-21
CHAPTER XvIII.-CONTISUED.

CHAPTER XvIH-CoSTISUED.
When this was all settled between
them, and n memorandum of the whole
matter made and carefully deposited in
the pockct-book OF Mr.. Blake, that gen.
tleman returned the pocket book to his
pocket. buitoned up his coat, and
mounting his horse. rode back to town.
When he was gone Mrs. Parsons gave
o sigh of relief.
'.Well. | am glad it is all fixed up"
she said, land I shall feel better still
when The deed is made and we are in
possession All the time he was here
was afraid that the trade would fall
through some way. and | can not begin
TO tell how anxious ] am to get away
from here. or how 1 dreaded having to
rent a place. I'd rather live in a hut
and have it my own. than in a palace
that belonged 10 another, and | am like
Johnny; ] begin TO feel as il this awful
mass that is about us might raise sud
denly and swallow Us all in q moment.
YES" replied her husband, 1t is
better that we go. though it's mortal
hard 10 leave :his place. which was the
purticst AMI best in tie valley. But it
don't MAKE much odds, s'pose. where
n is. 20 they have enough 10 eat; and
/ CUES we can git that up there.
II II load up TO ni%ht. an start to-
morrow with the fir,t load. It'll take
me- two days 10 make the round trip,
an lard days at thai. but I'll put on all
four of the horses and take all / kin
pile on the wagon. Then I'll get
Ritchie 10 help with the next load an
we'll take Johnny in the carriage an
make it ill in two trips with somebody
to drive the COWS. You'd better write
Jennie AMI Lacy. mother. an tell EN-
70 come TO Phiprsburg. SOS to meet us
there when we go with the last load.
Ihat'll save comm after EN-, an
they'll DO thar to hep you fix things
when We git thar"
''POor things. what a home coming it
will be to them" sighed Mrs. Parsons.
Nevertheless she wrote telling the
girls what had occurred and how they
must take the boat on the night of the
day on which they would get the letter.
1hcy were 10 get Of at PhiDpsburg in
Stead OF the old landing and wait at
the hotel until their parents called for
them on their way TO the new home up
in the mountains.
This letter John Parsons mailed the
re day. while his teams were eating
and resting from the pull over the
hills with their load OF household goods.
That night he slept in the shanty
upon the place which he had bought,
and the following day returned 10 his
family and the doomed cottage.
With the help of q neighbor he loaded
the remainder Of his worldly posses
sions upon the two wagons the heavy
Il and the spring fruit wagon. This
pcighbOr was to drive one team and Mr..
Kitchie volunteered the use of another
animal TO attach to the carriage in
which was Mrs. Parsons with Johnny
proppcd up among his pillows.
1t WAS a sad leaving of the old home.
The muddy water was now entering
over the front steps and beginnin" to
form pools on all tho lower floors.
Only tho topmost twiGs of the apple
and pear trees. which were i'm lower
ground than the house. and portions Of
~cvrrgrecns in the front yard were above
the deposit. Every other green thing
upon the valuable portion of the ranch
had disappeared entirely from sight
Martha Parsons wcpt as she DOL a
last look at the place. and yet she wa
at heart glad to get away.
Ii was like a nightmare, staying there
and seeing that mass of mud and water
rise dav by day. And besides. however
poor their home might be. it was hence
forth the only one they were 10 know.
md she wa nx;ous to get into it and
legin the work of Improvement
rs for John Parsons. he lOoked neither
10 the right o to the left. He did not
even turn his head for a last look mt the
cd place rs he rounded the hill that
81 II. it from their view.
Pride and ambition were well nigh
dead within him. and he hoped for
nothing beyond a bare existence for the
rest Of his life.
lie would come back, he thought,
when the roads got good again. and if
the buildings were no burned down.
would tear of some Of the boards from
overflow. and use them to help patch
mp with. on the new ranch. Beyond
that The place was absolutely worthless,
and probably some tramping miner
would carc!cssly set fire to the build
ings after having campcd in them over
night
The fleeing family had perhaps
placed q distance OF three mile; be-
tween themselves and their ruined home
when from the other direction appeared
two horscmcn
As they cam opposite the cottage.
they looked for evidences of the pres |
rec Of its former inmates but did not |
pull up their animals.
Evidently. they. too, have pulled |
out" remarked one of the horsemen TO
his companion. Il say. Jobbers. it's
pretty hard. now, on the poor ranch,r rs. |
and Ill be hanged if l don't wish there
some way of getting out the gold
there now; finest ranch and finest family
in the whole country. Ranch gone I o
the dogs and the family gone. God
only knows where"
.Oh 'e's all right" returned the
other. "'En get another bit of land
somc'er's and 90 to work again. ami in
n few years Ell ave it all set OFT with
trees and g~rapc-vineS. Great country.
this for, 4 man as as to work for is
great country. and wen | return
90 iiingland l intend TO hadviSe all my
nacquaintanecS 10 hemigrate 10
L. lorna"
And then the two men relap>ed INTO
81 nee AID rode on. The neNtday Mr.
DO becS took the boat for Sacramento.
AZ irom there went To New YORK. f-om
uce he returned To his own country.
full impressed with The idea that how
eXn rough i tic it might be in the
or gentlemen, California was \
aa for men who wn-e for y