The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1886-12-18
AM IS
The homestead settlers in the Loup Valley.
Adventure of PIucky Woman.

! On a still, hay afternoon in the
month OF October, 1877, heavily
+ laden, canvas covered wagon drawn BY
pair of faded mules, plonghed its way
/ through ridge of low sand hills which
divide the Loup from the Platte
Valley, Nebraska. The spring seat in
front held as oddly an assorted couple
as ever crossed those lonely hills which
at that time formed the southern bound
airy Of the Pawnee Indian Reservation.
The man was a hunchbaCk, his body
thick set, his legs short and slender.
His broad, though misshapen shoulders
were surmounted by large head COW
cred with an cXtravagant growth OF
red, bristling hair. He possessed a
pair of twinkling blue beads for eyes, a
flat nose and suggestions mouth con-
cealed by dense growth OF whiskers.
This Is fair portrait Of Andrew Bren-
nan, known back in Missouri from
whence he came as ''And" and also as
man whose genial disposition greatly
behed his looks.
OF Sairey, his daughter, who shared
with him the seat, it can be said that
she was white faced, womanly loo. ing
girl of -, with mass of tawny hair
and hair of intelligent gray eyes, well
opened, and in which appeared look
of protective tenderness whenever they
rested on Ands grim and SPIDER like
proportions. 70 her he now, and for
many years had filled the offices of both
father and mother.
"Hain't we e'enamost thar, paw?'
querled Sairey with an air of intense
WEAKNESS, "I'm clean beat out with Their
alfred joltin'.''
"Only one section fur Ter, Sairey, an
ther trail goes kitterin katterin aCrost
that. Dye see that win'mill yander );
right kerslap over Dolls head? Thet' 5
ther place, thet's Hank Wclles post
office"
And impaired this cheering intelli-
gcncc in a wheezy undertone and polu-
ting in the direction he had indicated
with his bIacksnake whip. The kit
term katterin' road was soon passed
over and the emgrant wagon rumbled
up to the door of low, black sod
house and the travellers were greeted
with a duet from a brace of angry
herd dogs. This salute had the effect
of bringing the whole Wells connec-
ton, great and small, on the scene with
.uddenness that suggested the idea
that And and Sairey had been taken
stock Of from sundry peep holes while
approaching the premises.
"Howdy, neighbour wheezed And,
removing clay pipe from the dense
chapparcl which concealed his mouth.
blank" Wells, 2. NJ, had by this
time gained the side OF the wagon and
stood with one foot on the ground, the
other braced against the hub of the
front wheel.
Glow dye do, stranger, an you,
too, miss ?" replied the owner of the
postoftice, shaking hands with And
while duckng his head politely at
Sairey, (Which way might We be goin' p
"Wall, yer see, neighbour" said And
1T depends mostly on you uns ez ter
whether we moves along er gifts cr grub
stake right hyar. Me an Saircy hev
h0mesteaded the northwest quarter of
section twenty-five, township fifteen,
range eight, west, an we kalkilated ter
stop with you uns spell tell | could
git the 'dobe patched up bit-thet is,
eff we would make hitch"
The postmaster shifted the foot on
the hub to terra tirma, and telegraphcd
the question to Cinthy, his wife. She
he'd remained framed in the doorway
of the sod "dugout,' which humble
editice served the dual purpose of milk
house in summer and storm house in
winter The signal was observed by
And, and he fastened to reassurc the
somewhat fleshy power behind the
throne of their desirabiIity as boarders
by saying:
1--WE hain't over particular, me an
Sairey hain't; an cf SO be ez yer air
short Nv shakedowns, why, we can sleep
in the wagon hyar, an I'll yer either in
DAYS works with ther mules, er green
backs, whichsumever you uns I'D
rather"
And's pat allusion to grcenbacks
settled the question, and Cinthy came
around to Sairey's side of the wagon
with a late show of alaCity
so you've taken up the old Kellogg
claim, Ell? Light right out an come
in, miss. Now, I'll Icy you're right
smart shook up with yer trip"
Sairey avaied herself of this tardy
invitation and followed her corpulent
hostes. into the house. The cotton
wood plank floor was bare and badly
warped. \ lounge made OF rough pine
graCed one side of the room and a
kitchen table, milk safe, six splint chairs
and a wash bench completed the port
able property. In the way of deCora
tive art the walls were guiltIess of or
namentation unless the one-color litho-
graph cmbcllishlng the door was a
pathetic attempt at the higher life. The
postot1icc per SC consisted of box
about three feet square, hanging against
the wall over the lounge, And assisted
the postmaster in attending to the