Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-01-14
THE MOUNTAIN RIDE.
A Wild Lover Saved From Death
in Spite Of Himself.

The country schools of Shasta County
open for their six or eight months annual
session pretty well on in the fall; but it
was late, even for them, when John Raw
Inns, school teacher, called on the County
Superintendent to make inquiries about
place. Yes, there was one school in need
of a teacher-but it was pretty hard po-
sition.
81 nave had some experience" said
Rawlins, land somehow l manage to get
along with schools that are called hard.
In fact, rather like the fun of them.
guess you needn't be afraid to send me
there"
The district was far east in the pine re-
gion, the Superintendent said. 1t was in
hot water most of the time. Teachers sell
dom staid over q month, and never had the
support of more than half the people. The
trouble had begun in political differences
between the leading trustees, Aichenay
and Kester, and it furnished sensational
pabulum for the eastern half of the coun-
ty. Yet if only a treaty OF peace could be
negotiated between the opposing factions,
there need be no trouble with the school
it was pleasant one in every other re-
spect.
Rawlins was disposed to try the expert
ment. He hired pinto mustang, rode out
of the picturesque mountain town, and
through narrow canon, whose stones
were now in burrows by years of staging
and teaming.
Broad and clear the Sacramento River
swayed from bluff to bluff, and the cap
tain of the ferry boat was named Flora
Wilson. A handsome, darIl-eyed girl she
was, modestly affable and chatty as she
turned the steering wheel. She had bit
of crochet work to take up as soon as the
boat was set at the right angle against the
current. and rustic chair to do it in,
hemmed about by flowers.
When darkness came, Rawlins was rid
ing across broken, rolling plain of red
gravel. thickly set with scrub-oak. pine
and thorny bushes. Dogs began to bark :;
it was Michenay's clearing. He slowly
skirted it, making a wide detour, and
reaching the branch road half a mile dis
tant for he was bound to Kester'S first.
More than two miles it was, and the bride
paths were hard to follow. At last he rode
up to a rail fence, and faint light cleaned
from a cabin beyond.
"Halio the house, he shouted, in pioneer
phrase.
"Hullo yourself" came back in stento-
rian tones.
SLOW far is it to Milburns"
s'Twenty good miles. stranger"
''Can l stay here all night? Able to pay
NV own way"
"Au right, stranger. Hitch the boss in
the shed, an como ill.,"
The MisSourian pioneer of the Pacific
coast is much criticised individual, but
unless YOU irretrievably offend some of his
numerous preiudices, he Is as garrulous
and mild-mannered a mortal as this planet
holds. 1t did not take long for Rawlins to
get on comfortable terms with the kesters
q few bits of Shasta news, and hope that
the mines would soon beg lin operation, and
SO make times more lively, were quite suf-
ficient. Pretty soon a little school talk be.
gan. engineered by the willy Rawlins.
Here is a bright lad he said. II hope
he has good school to attend"
Tcster flung himself out OF his chair, and
rose to his full height of six feet four.
Mister, we orter, thet's fact: But
we've had Internal poor schools. | hain't
sent the children for most "A term. Schoo
he'd orter begin now, but there's cross
tongued, black Republican kanuck down
on the crick, an he an l CANT pull to-
gether nohow. Besides old Mish'nay,'
Continued Kester, II hate the sight of that
fool nevew of his"
The oldest daughter, seventeen or eigh
teen. who had been sitting SO far back il
the shadows that Rawlins had only seer
the dimly outlined figure, rose silently
went to the door and slipped out into the
darkness. She was very pretty girl, fal
and Sweet-faced.
Al ter the smaller children had gone tC
bed. Kester grew more confidential. Niche
nav had ''hired the last fool of teacher
but he should not hire the next one, MOI
have anything to say about ii" No shad
ow of suspicion that Rawlins belonged K
the uedagogic order of creatures crossed
the Missourian mind.
The next morning the young man sa
on a rawhide- bottomed chair, tipping l
bac;; against the bole of giant whit
. OAK: ate grapes that one of the tow-head
ed ,ounpsters brought in his straw ha
and opened fire on Kester as he mende'
his broken wagon tongue. r.
Sow, Let us talk business" he said. -
am ;. school-teacher, and willing to tax
your school, but il must be on my terms.
~ on don't say so! Well, what sort o
proposition hev' ye!" .s;,
-; his: / will teach week for nothing
then. if do not like the school or the Ius
tees. | shall leave. If 1 stay, YOU mus
pay me what you did the last teacher-ne
more. no less"
hester at once acceded to these terms
"But We CANT persuade old Micnehay,
he said as Rawlins mounted his morse
"W ere powerful anxious ter hev We, pu
hen make trouble so soon's he knows Nv
hired ye."
Kswlins crossed the creek near Kes
crossed another stream and reaehe
Michenay's from quite different direc
ton. The grizzled old maq was dry
blowing, to SOW his wheat before III
rains, and the clouds of dust foiiowe'
his creaking gang pillow. Rawllns ore,
rein, talked crops and county poIltics
and was invited to dinner. The old ma
sat like patriarch at the head OF
family of nine children, of whom two wer
girls.
After dinner they sat on the porch
smoked the pipe of mutual good Will an
discussed Canada-"ze bes' country on
globe, while a barefoot girl swung o
the well curb, and two or three more on tn
porch rail, to listen to and watch tn
stranger.
'And so your cattle ranges &C five mile
beyond that peak" said Rawlins. Their
is enough for all your children, and 20
must manage to give them good educa
tions."
.Ah. kind SIR" cried Michenay, sit zee
not posseeble, not now! Ze school is for
ever a despair" He pointed excited
toward Kester's ranch. "Zare ees ma
nat knows noting at all. A Democrat,