The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1888-04-06

I5SEN the door as his
kVXs ssseSsS#5 brother and lad
MlD%SS : 5yss1AXN entered
VM yl MS@3M26MI "W alp" Sam
- 1" 'V'V' VII drawled, question
ingly, as 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.
GLOW you feelin'?" he asked.
''Jest tollable," 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-
liable" but the latter seemed to be his
favorite 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 listless "howdy?" inresponse,
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, SEE he, light
in out?' Yes, sez l. 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
ager," growled Sam.
For weeks the ague had held Sam
Hydon in its grasp. He had his
Clever days. and his off 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 an 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
out boy, though she'd said before
she went that she didn't low to do nc
sech thing An blamed if she hadn't
gone an done hit. Her choice was q
peart little chap, as tall as table an
us 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 leetle chap I'M SEE he; WY
don't you git one, tooP'
'What'd 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 a powerful help runnin' urrants
twiXt the two claims an any amount
o other ways. Wal, fore l knowed
hit, / was in fer hit an the how o
the whole matter was that 1 tuck {
boy, an yere's my choice"
The Hydon brothers had "taker
up" claims a 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 tha
the Government required squatte rs t.
live upon their claims before granting
them deeds to the same.
As the days passed, little jim grew
fond of the bachelor brothers, rough ant
uncouth though they were. Beneath
their rugged exteriors beat hearts that
warmed wonderfully toward the or
phan boy. "Uncle Sam" and "Uncl
Josh, " the lad called them, and the,
were as proud of the titles as if the,
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 lare
with considerable accuracy; and up
on his ''up' days Sam whitfield out
model of a coyote trap and superin
tended the construction of q full-size,
one. During his "down" days, tn
ague-afflicted man. between the inter
walls of chilling and perspiring, ex
planned to him the workings of trot
line and calculated the mystery o
grounding day" and why some vege
tables should be planted in the "darl
the of MOON" Thus the lad becam
learned in the secrets of the Western
squatter. He assisted at the work il
every way possible, both within an,
-. without the shacks or cabins of eac
brother. He sat at Sans bedside
gave him cooling draughts or fame,
him when the fever was on, and, whel
he felt better, detailed to him the littl
gossip of the neighborhood, how new
conner had taken up aclalm on section
AZ or how Lige Banner Cherokee COW
had been "mired" in the "branch."
Among inc STOCK at feeding tim
Jim made himself useful, and man,
So, trip he made from one claim to thu
other, running on errands for the
brothers. ~
One day, so late in the fall that TIN
brick-colored tops of the iron-weed
had long ago turned almost black anC
the rock.weods OH the slop stood lik