The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1888-04-18

ingly rs he settled
back, keeping his hollow eyes fixed on
the stranger His brother smiled
broadly. Josh Hydon had habit of
smiling upon all occasions, careless Of
whether smiles were appropriate at
that time or not
"How you feelin'?" he asked.
jest tolable,' Sam drawled.
Every day for several weeks Josh
had asked that self-same question. and
every day Sam had replied in almost
the same manner as now. Sometimes
he said "middlin' instead of "tol-
table, but the latter seemed to be his
favoritc adjective TO express his con-
dition.
Then. having exhibited the interest
in his brothers health, Josh laughed
again, and showed the boy forward.
SAM he said "this yere is leetle
jim. jim, that there is my brother
SAM"
Sam acknowledged the introduction
with a listless "howdy?' in response,
to which little Jim, the stranger,
grinned bashfully and said nothing.
"Hit's this away" Josh explained,
presently, when he and little Jim had
seated themselves. WAS jist bout to
light out o town when Hank Bird
hollered to me. Josh, seq he, light
in out?' Yes. SEE I. Then he lowed
he'd go with me but fer one thing. A
carload O orphans, plumb from New
York, had landed there not half day
before, an they was bein' divided up
'mongst the farmers. They're sent
West by some big charitable outfit to be
made men Of"
"Or to be shuck to death by the
agcr,' growlcd Sam.
For weeks the aguc had held Sam
Hydon in its grasp. He had his
"fever days. and his loft days" and,
altogether, his daily routine, which
was broken only by the taking of fire.
quent and large doses of quinine, was
any thing but IN enjoyable one. Josh
laughed and continued
oval, Hank went to the church
where the boys war bein' parceled out,
an | went with him. Hank lowed
he'd bet dollar his woman'd picked
ont boy. though she'd said before
she went that she didn't low to do no
sech thing, An blamed if she hadn't
gone an done hit. Her choice was a
pcart little chap. as tall as table an
as sharp as squirt. Blamed if he
didn't whip Bill Henderson's boy fore
Hank had morn signed the bindin'
papers. Hank was mighty took with
the lcetle chap. I'M sez he: wy
don't you git one, too?'
'Whatd l do with one, an nary
woman on the place, an no prospect
o gettin' one?' asst him.
Learn him to batch like You an
Sam do. he answered, an lowed
he'd be powerful help runnin' urrants
twixt the two claims an any amount
o other ways. Wal, fore | knowed
hit, was in fer hit, an the how O.
the whole matter was that 1 tuck a
boy, an yere's my choice"
The Hydon brothers had taken
up" claims mile or so apart, and,
had it not been for Sans prolonged
attack of the ague, would have passed
with but few drawbacks the time that
the Government required squatter rs to
live upon their claims before granting
them deeds to the same.
As the days passed, little jim grew
fond of the bachelor brothers, rough and
uncouth though they were. Beneath
their rugged exteriors beat hearts that
warmed wonderfully toward the or
phan boy. Uncle Sam" and "Unclc
Josh. - the lad called them, and they
were as proud of the titles as if they
had been his relatives in reality, in
stead of only uncle by proxy.
Josh taught the boy how to trap cot
ton-tail and jack rabbits, how to ride
bucking pony and to throw larict
with considerable accuracy; and up
VII u'o up da9 5 oatn winfield out Il
model of coyote trap and superin-
tended the construction of IL full-sized
one. During his "down" days, the
ague-atflictcd man, between the inter-
VaIs of chilling and perspiring, en-
p'ained to him the workings of trot-
line and elucidated the mystery of
"gronndhog day" and why some vege-
tables should be planted in the dark
the of moon" Thus the lad became
learned i'll the secrets of the Western
sQuattcr. He assisted at the work in
every way possible, both within and
without the shacks or cabins of each
brother. He sat at Sans bedside,
gave him cooling draughts Or famed