Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1886-01-28

to know what that meant. Each week
a foot or two of land was gone. Then
| the water seemed to doul lie It's thiev-
ish energy and, as it undermined the
soil sometimes ten feet would cave in
at once and disappear. The Majors
farm was long, narrow strip of land
and before year had passed there
was nothing left but the house and
about thirty feet of the farm.
The Major knew nothing about law,
but he had a very long head. One
| day he fastened ropes around his house,
hired all the horses in the nelghbor-
hood and had the house hauled out
| into the stream His wife waded out
| with the little ones and then the Ma
jor poled the house into the deep wa
| ter and let it drift. Mrs. Buckhinge
and the children sat in the parlor
| looking back at the dim Nebraska
shore and the old red-topped school
house, while the Major stood in the
back door of the kitchen and kept
his eye on the great and growing State
of Iswa, to which his farm had been
taken by the river.
| Wherever the durn house lands
I'm a-goin' to SETTLE" he said, "for I'm
drifting just as my property did and
Pm bound to strike the same place."
In. an hour the little house ground
ed on point which had been newly
made by the river. The Major order
ed his household TO forage, while he
hustled around for horses. Before
night the house was hauled high and
dry, and the Major marked off with
stakes the amount of land which he
considered was his own. Then he had
his farming implements brought over,
and in little while erected a good
stout fence around his wayward farm.
Then the Major got out his rifle and
declared that he was prepared to de-
fend his property against all comers
During the winter the Major made
friends with his neighbors, and swore
that of all the States in the Union
Iowa was the idol of his heart. He
worked his way into the village Sun
day-school and told the scholars to be-
ware of the evil one and to vote the
Republican ticket always. He was
elected as an elder in the church, and
on the strength of that, borrowed seed
for next years crop. In the spring
the Major worked hard. He ploughed
up his land, sowed his early crop and
got things in good shape.
A lawyer came down from Omaha
in May and hnnted for the Major.
The two met i'll the village.
care you Mr.. Buckhinge ?" asked
the lawyer.
81 am" said the Major.
"Well, [ learn that you have squat
ted upon some land owned by one OF
my clients
.'Oh, you have, have you ?" The
Major became freezingly polite. A
little party of church friends who
were with him drew away.
| "Yes, I have; and what's more, l
nov hand You a notice to quit
| The Major crumpled up the bit of
white paper which was handed to him
and stamped on it.
"I'm man of peace, and l have
deep religious feelings" he said, "but
durn my eyes if ketch you around
my house I'll fill you so full of lead
that it'll take two horses to draw your
hearse."
Then they parted. The Major went
home and cleaned his rifle. After the
family prayers his wife sat up until
midnight moulding bullets, while he
himself sharpened the old axe on the
grindstone In the morning two mar
shals came out to the farm and order
ed the Buckhinge family to leave. The
Major got out his rifle, but before he
could make move he was thrown on
his back and disarmed. Then he was