The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-10-20
Dick JOhnson's Vengeance,

They were the most contentcd family
in the world. The father was by turns
n prospcctor, trappcr, or rancher.
but he never succeeded in making
good living in any way. He was re-
markably handsome mountaineer, tall
and strong. 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 divided the meat
among his ncighbors, who sent him
vegetables and groceries in return,
and never asked where the fat steer
had come from. Perhaps they knew.
When herd passed along the dusty
high-road the women smiled ut each
other and said: Il guess we'll have
some fresh meat tomorrow
Sometimes he would drive into town
with a team of housekeeping, 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.
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 'nuff whis-
ky aboard"
His wife did not always have good
print dress to wear to town, the child
rem were seldom provided with shoes.
but she always seemed contcntcd and
lazily happy, and there was r.ut a
merrier set of little ones. The mother
was fair-haired. blue-eyed woman,
and the children all looked like her.
1.-THE children mostly awl looks like
smile; "awl of 'em 'cept Caddie, an I
guess she looks more like her pa
'.You kin Jest bet | do, and I'm
mighty glad havn't no tow-head like
these here young 'uns," Caddie would
answer. She was Il 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 rs 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 a busy wife and
mother, moving about the two or three
rooms of log farm house, with a few
hardy flowers struggling for existence
in the small front garden, with currant
bushes, strawberry vines, and flourish
ing vegetables surrounding the house,
and with waving fields of grain stretch
ing away TO the dark mountains that
bound these Western valleys.
She confided these visions TO her
mother once.
al tell yer what, maw," she said,
when git married hain't agoin' to
hev no sech ferlorn dolby shanty ez
this here. Itll hev to be log house,
and derned well plastercd an white
washed inside an out. An there'll be
the purtiest rag-carpet on the front
room floor you ever sec. an good
board floor in the kitchen, too. An
I'll hev n likely colt TO ride, an some
COWS, SOS TO hey 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 in
yew're head, Caddie,n drawled her
mother; "an' eff yew marries Bishop
Burns, like yew're pa wants yew tew,
maybe he'll Civ yew n log house; but
yew knew well enuff that Dan Williams
CANT do no sech thing fer ye."
"Huh!' observed Caddie; "ef that
bull-headed ole Burns ever comes
a-shinnin' round me, he'll get sech n
crack in lis jaw II make him see stars,
or else my name haint Caddic John
son."
"Wall. / guess he'd better not risk
it then," said the woman, with feeble
laugh; "yew're pas a-hitchin' up the
hosses. Caddie, an' | reckon yew'd
better pack thet there bit o butter in n
box. an mebbe ole Burns ull give yew
some shoes fer it Of yewre real nice
tew him."
"All right" answered Caddie;
"look-a-here. you Tom, I'll kick YOU
into the middle of next week if you
don't stop tryin' to lasso that there
pig. Come along here now, an git
yer face washed. We're goin' to the
Coop an mebbe youll git some
candy, eff you behave yourselves"
There was only one seat in the wagon,
and on it sat Dick johnson and his
wife, who held the baby in her arms.
Caddie sat on the box in the back of
the wagon, aud the children rolled
around her in the hay that was always
taken along for the horses to eat while