Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1886-01-14

| was thoroughly frightened, 1 believe no /
one would be surprised As getting |
into that house meant simply lie or |
death to me, into that house l deter
mined 10 get by door or window, by |
fair means or by foul So. as the door /
closed, hurled myself against Il with
al the might could muster. Although |
! ride much heavier now than | did |
then. all my weight nt that time was |
bone and mdsclc. The violence of my |
attack tore from the Intel the staple |
which held the chain; the door went |
back with bang. and fell forward |
into the house, fully resolved TO stay
there whether welcome or unwclcomc. |
H.
The door through which had burst
like n battering-ram opened straight
into n sort of Kitchen, so although |
entered in n most undigniiicd way, In
fact on my hands and knees, / was
well-eslablishel in the center of the
room before the man and woman
emerged from behind the door. where
my successful assault had thrown them.
| stood up and faced them. They we're
a couple OF ord nary, respcvtably-at-
tired country people. The man
/
stood scowling at me- and, / con-
cluded, making mp his mind as to what
course TO pursue.
"My good people" / sail, "you are
behaving in the most unheard-of man
ncr Can't ycu Understand that mean
to pay you vc'i fOr any trouble ! give
YOU? But whether you like IL or rot,
here ! stay tonight To turn me out
would be sheer murder
So saying I pulled on my ovcrcoal
and began shaking the snow out OF my
VIII 'skcrs
dare say my determined attitude
my respectable, as we'll as my muscular
appearance impressed my unwilling
host. Anyway, they gave in without
more ado. While the woman shut the
door, through which the snow flakes
= were whirling, the man said. sullcnly.
"Well, ou'll have 30 spend tie night
on a chair. We've no beds here for
strangers. Specially those as amt
wanted
"vcry we'll my friend Having
settled The matter, YOU may MS well
make yourself pleasant Go out and
put my horse under cover and give hin
20 a feed of some sort-make a mash il
YOU can.
After giving the woman a qulcl
glance As Of warning. my srowling host
J, lit horn lantern aud went on the er
n rfgd / suggested / gla iiv sank into
r hair, gnd warmed myself before ,
n C'cerful lire Ths prospect of spend
= ing the night amid such discomfort wa
= not alluring. but had, at least, a roo
= over my head.
l. The more churlsh the nature, IN,
e more ayaricou it is, a a RUE. foun,
y TO bc. My promise Of liberal rcmuncra
J, ton was, after all, not without its elec
u upon the strange couple whose refusa
l TO ailori me refuge hal so nearly en-
e dangcrol my lie They condcsc N lc,
i To get me some tea and rough food
After | had disposed Of all that, Oh,
G man produced botus of gin W,
D. filed our glasses, and then. with IN,
:; all OF my pipe. settle down to max,
n the best of night spent in a har,
y wooden chair.
i had cone across strange people II
!; my ira els, but have no hesitation ii
saying that my host was the sullcncst
o sulkicst most buorish specimen Of hu
l. man natureI had as yet met with. lr
IS spite Of his recent III treatment OF me.
s. was quite ready TO establish matters on
a a friendly footing. and made several at
Il tenpts TO draw him into conversation.
70 The brute would only answer in mono,
a syilables, or often not answer az all Sc
e gave up talking a. a bad joh. and sal
u in silence. smoking and looSing into
+ the fire, thinking "a good deal, il MAY
r be-, of some one / should have met thai
o morning at Lilymere, had the wretchcG
u snow hat kept on.
y The long clock that cumlrous eight
e day machine which inevitably occupic.
q one corner Of every cotiagcr's kitchen o.
u struck nine. The woman rose and left
Il u. l concluded she was going TO bed.
5 If so lenyied Ter Her husband showed
no sign Of retiring. He still sat over
? the iiie. opposite me. By this Gmc
l was drcaliully tired; every bone IN my
i body ache ]. he bard chair which, am
hour or two ago. seemed all ! could de-
e s're, now scarcely came up 10 my ideas
j of the comfort / was justly entitled to
s claim. Ny sulEy companion had been
G drinking lenily but steadily. Perhaps
; the liquor he had poured inso himself
l might have rendered his frame Of m md
more pleasant end amenable 10 res. on.
my good fellow / .aid. "your
chairs are excellent ones Of the Kind.
, but deucedly uncomfortahl. ] am hor-
ribly tired. II the resources Of your
cstabl shment can't furn sh bed for
me to sleep In. couldn't YOU find a
mattress ~ something TO lay down be-
fore the 1ire2''h
you've got an you'll get tonight" +"
he answered, knocking the ashes out of
his p'pe.
'Oh. but say!"
80 do say. / say this. II you don't
like It you can leave H. We didn't ask
you to come
Never mind" said. "but, remcm-
Der, civiliiy costs nothing. and often
gets rewarded. However. IL YOU wish
10 retire 10 your own couch, don't let
your native pOlitsness stand in your
way. Pray don't hesitate on my ac-
count. Leave plenty of fuel, and ]
shall manage until The morning
Where you tag. STAY" nc an
swerei. Then he filled his piDc. aud
once more relarscd INTO st0ey silence.
! bothered about him no more.
dozed on for few minutes woke
dozed of again for some hours. / was
IN au uncomfortable sort Of half seep.
crammed full OF curious dreams -
dreams from which / started, wonder
ing whore was and how / got there.
i even b gan 10 grow nervous. All
sorts Of horrible travellers tales ran
through my head. II was in lust such
places rs this that unsuspccting yoy-
ayers were stated 10 have been muir.
dered and robbed, by just uch unrnit'-
gated rnlliani as my host can tell
you that altogether ! spent n most un-