Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-06-21

p
mo':' said Mrs. PinsOn, mecitative!y. that
night, when she and Becky were getting
supper u the brush arbor behind the cabin.
81 amt been sence you was a baby, Beck.
20 paw an NE went 70 Wash Ding?TaiI s
infair-he died with his boots on four year
ago; an TeHp1nce Lo0--thct's his wilder
she's married agin 10 Biiy Green. rid
benin him, an he tOted you on his lap.
Towrfolls ar mighty bigaty," she added,
warningly; IN We mus co up thct pu pie
calil1er o. yourn, Beck, an put on yo' shoes
an st0cI-in's."
''Seem; lax 20 days won't nuvcr 20, "
fretted Beck, AN ole q 10y az sho TO la!ae
his sci or sump'n'. It's ai.uz that away
whence body arc PLUMB sol on dom d
thing"
But the four days cid so. and when the
eventfCl Sunday afternoon came, old Baby,
unusually sound and spirited, was with
,.inny, the Gaunt cray mule, harnesscd to
the wagon; the patched and dizzy cover
WAS drawn over tne bows. . bundle or Two
OF fodder aad a few ears of corn were
! thrown into the hinder part, and IL. Pinson
drove gayly alongside of lac ra:l-fence IN
front of the cabin. The ricllety hoGse door
was drawn 20 with rock behind it to keep
it shut. A couple Of chairs were handel up
for Mrs. PinsOD and Becky, and they clam
bered in with the baby. The yellow cotton
poke, well stuffed with corn bread and
bacon, ard the battered cofee-pOt and fry
iaC-par, were slowed under the chairs.
Polly Maria and the boys sat On quilt
spread over tGe sweet-smClliag fodder;
Rove. Ring and Spot. the lean, long-eared
brown hounds. yelped and Whined az Inst
the wheels.
They jOltcd away, serious, as became
perIcssin' family on a Sunday, but full Of
inward excitement. At night they camped
on the p,can-fringed banks of Jim-Ned, and
were off betimes in the morning. But not
too soon 10 find the roads lively with friends
aud ac9Uaiutances from all the settlements
around, bound on the sl;le Joyous GRAND as
| themselves. They passed Joe Holder. with
his wife and sistcr-in-law and the thirteen
children of the two families, crcaGing along
| IN huge froightcr'S wagon drawn by i've
yoke o. gaunt, wide-horned oxen; they were
overtaken and outstripped by noisy squad
Of girls and young men on horseback from
the Fork Valley neiShborhoOd; they kept
within hailing distance fer dozen miles or
more of old Daddy Gardenbricr and his wife,
riding double on their blind yellow mare.
The Mount Zion folks, they heard, were
ahead of them by some hours, and an i'm
patient youngster who trotted by on paint
pony threw over his shoulder the infOrma-
ton that the Big Puddle lay -out was coming
on behind.
Lord, Nancaw Mr.. Pinson exclaimed
more than once that morning, 81 wouldn't
of took five dollars to of staid at home"
"Nuther would !, Newt" Mrs. Pinson as
often returned, with kind of solemn de-
light on her thin sallow face.
The long reaches of post-oak trough
were heavy with sand; the shinn-oak prai-
ries between were a tangle OF roots that
zigzaggcd across the road, and made prog
ress slow and painful; the abrupt banks of
the frequent dry creeks" were steep; the
October sun was hot: and b. noon old Badly
had become utterly dispirite1 He had,
moreover. fallen little lame, and he moved
deiectedly along by jimmy. who long ago
had Topped her big ears downward in sign
of WEAKNESS and discomfort.
The Prisons under the dingy wagon cover
| were well nigh speeches. with impatience.
| Suddenly Dan stood up. knocking his head
against the low wagon bows. ''Jes over
yam" he declared, pas one little bit o.
shinn-oak prery, an crost dry creek, an
up hill, is town" Dan had been to town
once with Sam Legg5tt to lay out his long
boarded egg money in a four-bladed knife
and PAR OF store SuSDeEueFS-
| Polly Maria slim and thin-legged, stand
ing up beside him, pitched backward into
| the fodder as the wagon came to sudden
halt behind a group of dismounted horse
men, who, with their brides over their
arms were squattfng down. apparently
searching for something in half-dried mud
puddle TO the right Of the road. "Hullo,
Jack" called Mr. Pinsoa: ''whGt We LOST"
| Oue Of inc men looked over his shoulder.
| ''Hy're. Newt! Howdy, Mis- Pinson.'' he
| cried. springinG to his feet and coming bacl.
| to the side of the waTOn, where he shook
| hands all around. I'VE amt lost nothir','
he went on. putting foot upon the hub of
| the front wheel and rcSti ng his arms on the
hot tire; I'VE Done found sump'n', though,
YOU BET, A gcnoone erpaunt track in the
sof' :nad yinder, plain ez daylight. an no
mistake"
Poly lIaria aud the boys scrambled in hot
haste over the tail-board. Mr.. Pinson
throw dow; tdc reins, and held the ba3y
while Becky and hey mother jumped ont.
Wish may die ef it ant a erphunt track
sho." he exclaimed, when lie had joined the
wondering circle gathered about the huge
footprint.
lit looks to m lax ez cf it We're hind-Side
aforc somehow" said Mrs. Pinson, timidly.
Il have just been explaining 20 Mr.. Jaci,
! CvGrtnr here and these other gentlemen,
MADAM" said IIr Tolliver, the Old Virg.nian
who taught the school at Ebenzer Church.
that il is IA fact in natural history that the
track of the elephant always presents that
! appearance" He removed his hat as he
spoke. and ma dc an old-fashioncd courtly
bow.
I've don't say" murmered Mrs. Pinson,
over-awed.
| Jack Carter AMI his friends mounted their
horses ana dashed away. followed at more
sober pace oy Mr.. To liver on his slab-sided
plOugh-mule.
The Prisons eli inbed back to their places
and logged on. across the bit O. prery and
over the dry creek-waere they came near
getting sta!led-and up the hill. On its
crest Newt Pinson involuntarily drew up.
| by jing! this beats me- he CALCULATED,
with widening eyes. The square at the foot
Of the slope was in an uproar. Horses stood
nose to nose around the courthouse fence,
and were hitched to the scraggy mesqGit-
trees that shaded the town well. The dusty
streets leading away from the plaza were
blocked with Wagons little and big. carts.
ambulances, dilapidated hacks. high-sTung,
rcd-bodied sta2es-every imaginable kind
| OF vehicle-and all the Intervening spaces as
well as the irregular sidewalks in front of
| the four infacing rows of stores, were alive
with men, women and children. who ell
bowed one another, whooping laughing,
gesticulating-su about in a state of
the widest, best-naturcd excitement. Be
yond the implanted little Baptist church, on
the further side of the square, the circus
| tents were visible Flags and streamers
were 3ying from their pOles and a vanish