The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1888-11-23
SELECT STORY. I.
DIoK JoHNsoN's VENGEANCE.

TduCueI, uub ue neNer suCCeeu Ill tHhk-
ing good living in any way. He
was remarkably handsome mountain
eer, tall and stroGg, and he looked on
honest labor as quite beneath him.
His word was his bond he contracted
no debts that he could not pay, yet he
often cut up fat steer and divived the
meat among his neighbors, who sent
him vegetables and groceries in return,
and never asked where the fat steer had
come from. Perhaps they knew.
When a herd passed along the du ty
high-road the women smiled at each
other and said; II guess we'll have
some fresh meat tomorrow tu.
Sometimes he would drive into town
with a team of high-stepping, smooth
coated horses attached to his rusty old
blackboard. Then his friends crowded
about them, stroking the glossy necks,
examining the white teeth, but no one
in this little Mormon settlement ever
thought of inquiring where he got
them. Z, -,ses, -..,..-- 5..--. #,
Dick johnson. was the kindest of
men to his friends and family, yet he
had his record. He would be lynched
promptly if he should ever return to
Montana he had shot bridgekeeper
who demanded toll of him, and, al
together, the deaths of half.dozen
men were caused by the well known
fact that "Ole Dick wuz mighty lively
with his pistols when he got huff whis-
ky aboard
His wife did not always have good
print dress to wear to town, the child.
ren were seldom supplied with shoes,
but she always seemed contented and
lazily happy, and there was not
merrier set of little ones. The mother
was a fair.haired, blue-eyed woman,
and the children all looked like her.
"The children mostly awl looks like
me-" she would say, with an amiable
smile; "awl of 'em 'cept Caddie, an l
guess she looks more like her pa.
"You kin Jest bet l do. and I'm
mighty glad l havn't no 'tow-head like
these here young 'ups,s Caddie would
answer. She was remarkably hand
some girl, and people who ADMIRED
her delicate, dark face, were always
shocked when her coarse voice and
language were heard. Of course, this
energetic girl ruled the whole family ;
| the man who in spite of his strength
and ferocity, was as tender hearted and
simple minded as child, the indolent
amiable woman, and the swarm of tow
headed children.
| Caddie had dreams of something
different from 'the vagrant life that
satisfied the rest of the family. Some
times she saw herself busy wife and
mother, moving about the two or three
rooms of log farm house, with few
hardy flowers struggling for existence
in the small front garden, with current
bushes, strawberry vines, and flourish.
ing vegetables surrounding the house,
and with waving fields of green stretch
ing away to the dark mount ins that
bound these Western valleys.
She confided these visions to her
mother once.
81 tell yer what, maw," she said
"when git married l hain't sgoin' to
hev no sech ferlorn DOLBY shaIty e2
this here. It'll hev to be log house
and derned well plastered an white
washed inside an out. An therell be
the purtiest rag.carpet on the front
room floor you ever see, an good
board floor in the kitchen, too. An
I'll hev a likely colt to ride, an some
cows, SOS to hev lots of milk an but
ter, an yer bet yer life I'll be boss o
the hull golderned ranch"
"Yew've always he'd fine ideas il
yewre head, Caddie,' drawled hel
mother; San eff yew marries Bishop
Burns, like yew'rc pa wants yew tew
marble he'll Civ yew log house bu
yew knew well enuff that Dan William
CANT do no sech thing fer ye"
"Huh !" observed Caddie; "ef tha
bull-headed ole Burns ever come
a-shinnin' round me, he'll get sech
crack in is jaw II make him see stars
or else my name haint Caddie John
son."
"Wall, l guess he'd better not risl
it then" said the woman, with feebl
laugh "yew're pas a-hitchin' up tn
hosses, Caddie,' an / reckon yew''
better pack that there bit o butter in
box, an mebbe old Burns ull give yev
some shoes fer it eff yewe're real mic
tew him"
"All right" answered Caddie
'look- -a-here, you Tom, I'll kick yo
into the middle of next week if yo
don't stop tryin' to lasso that ther
pig. Come along here now, an gi
yer face washed. We're goin, to tn
Coop, an mebbe you'll git som
candy, eff you behave yourselves"
There was only one seat nthe WACO
and on it sat Dick johnson and hi
wife, who held the baby in her arm,
Caddie sat on the box in the back c
the wagon, and the children role
around her in the hay that was alway
(. taken along for the horses to eat Will
the women were trading in the O.
operative Store and the man wa
drinking at the one saloon.
The road ran along the bank of
river, whose cleaning breadths, see
at intervals through the overhangin
WhioWr, V'Be'hei WIN lOnB sWtt
of green and brown and gold buncl
grass that bowed its tasseled heads {
the breeze passed over it, waving lih
many.colored sea away to the dar
mountains with their snowy tops, form
ed picture almost sublime in its pc
feet loveliness.
"That there grass is cen a-mo
ready to cut remarked old Dick,
guess I'll borry the bishops hay ric
n to,morrer, an go after load O. ha
~ an you youngsters kin come along a
help stamp it, eff you want so.'
The children set up joyful shou
for this was treat to them, as
would be to any one, to tumble abo,
in the long grass, to fish for minnov
. in the cool, gurgling creek, to wac
into it knee deep for water-cress,
!, pick tart, wild strawberries and to O
all these delicacies with the swe
homemade bread and country butte
N And after this delightful day, no
pleasant it was to roll in the swee
L II IL