The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1889-08-29
ming flashed, just Is unconoerned a II
things wore right side up.)
sGSVo. ~ :,

Yes, I said.
Seems to me mighty strange, said
John. Why our place is on Sc. in the
next town west
This set me to thinking, and sur.
enough. when got land agent dow,
the next week to survey it out, he jus
said that old Lockyear was = fool, ant
had worked me for sucker Tn,
land that had filed on was over two
miles away. So l had TO file on the
same piece over again as q 'pre-emp
ton, and lose my Homestead right
for nothing, aud didn't get the money
back either.
when we set the shantee up AGAR
We put her down solid. you bet! s
Il got John to break two acres 70,
me Gas required to prove upD, and
put in a patch of beans. Then the
drought set in. The beans came ur
about four inches. and there they stood
Where in thunder was to get sticks
from? That was thing 1 hadn',
thought of; but it didn't appear as il
they would ever need any, anyhow.
Il was out one day after antelope q
'rustled' all my meat, except u ham
now and then as luxury, when !
happened to come across q large patch
of suntlowers. where an old sheep cor
raj had stood. and just happened to be
struck with the idea, why shouldn't
these sunflowers make the best kind Of
bean sticks? So came the next few
days and dug up young ones, about 8
foot high, and set down one to every
hill of beans. =,
. There they stood. For 4 month
neither of EN- grew an inch, but the
beans just twisted round and took
hold. 1 could see that my scheme was
going to work like charml
AT the end of the month we had q
good storm, and looked out with sat.
isfaction on the crops. How they did
shoot up in that one day!
':But the next day was q scorcher.
thought toward afternoon that those
beans looked sort O. sickly-and sickly
they were! When 1 came to investi-
gate the matter, the sunHowers had
grown at least two feet, and had taken
every last bean up with 'em-by the
roOts-and their name was Dennis!"
Mr.. Dunstan paused, and then went
on:
Il had to 60 thirty miles after my
mail. Sometimes 1 used to 20 up and
back in a day, and sometimes up one
day and back the next. Sage was a
pretty poor place to stay at, and what
few people there were there used to
say with a smile when they saw me:
"'Hello, Dan! How's crops down
your way?' You see that bean racket
had got out on me. But they don't act
that way now.
"Although when L was at home at
the shantee no one would ever come in
sight except John, yet, somehow. when
l was away they could find the place
right enough.
lone time when / returned from
Sage all that was left OF my chickens
Il had two hens and rooster) was a
plateful of bones and the old rooster
Che was a tough old cuss). The shantee
was full of feathers, and the two heads
and insides laid on the table-but my
guests had gone.
Single blessedness didn't suit that
old rooster Il believe he had deal
more sense than had), for day by day
he wilted; until one morning, when he
could crow no more, l found him on his
back, dead, with his head turned up
and his feet stretched out, one behind
the other, pointing to the east in an
attitude Of derision. Perhaps you don'1
believe it, but missed that old rooster
as if he had been something human.
Then a skunk took up his abode
under the floor of the shantec.
And the grasshoppers came, and,
take my word for it, gentlemen, they
would have eaten all the siding off the
house (there was a fine crop of sun.
flowers, but they didn't appear ;es.
thetic), but, luckily, strong wind got
up and took them farther west (tc
perish, l hopeD before they had their
job finished.
"Another time l rode up to Sage and
back the next day. As l got near home
I saw several ponies standing round
outside the shantee; when l got there
and looked in there sat four COW
punchers' as unconcerned as you please,
round the table, playing seven up.
The fire was out, a pile of dirty cups,
plates and dishes stood on the stove
they were all chewing tobacco, and the
place was in a fine mess, can tell you
One of them saw me standing there
looking astonished, so he said:
"'Come in. Don't stand knocking.
"'Boys,' I said. looking round at thu
mess there was, why don't you come
out here with the spade and go t.
shovelling dirt in--'
another interrupted me with:
is your name DAMP
when 1 said that it was, they go
up. One started the fire, another wen
to the we'll to fill the kettle. the thir6
got broom and went to sweeping up
the other threw a cloth over his arm
and commenced to wash dishes.
when the fire burnt up, one went t
the corner of the house, where an ante
lope hung, and began to cut steaks.
believe I'd a little sooner have
ham, said /.
''They looked at one another, ani
then one said: L reckon if he wants
ham Che spoke as though addressin.
the others, not meg he'll have to turf
cannibal,' and in confederation another
produced the ham, bone.
However. they stayed the night
and We put in right sociable evening
playing poker. When they left mex
morning I was sorry to see them 70
for all my spare cash went with EN-
and in those times thirty odd dollar
was thirty odd hard iron dollars.
but beans, skunks, grasshopper
nd