The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-08-24


they called him), and he promised to
help me out. When got down with
the we'll so l couldn't throw the dirt
out any more overhead, he came down
and drew it up for me.
at was on one of these occasions q
was down the welD when a waterspout
burst about three miles north of us.
and came roaring down the valley. We
had just time to get into the shantee.
when over it went and us in it. The
door being on the south side, it had us
nicely cooped. You see, l had the
shantee up first, but couldn't live in it
till we struck water: this was another
simple trick! ! should have dug the
we'll first, but then. you see, l had
reckoned on the stream-and that went
back on me.
at was while we were cooped up
there. and the rain driving through the
cracks in tho floor (Which now stood to
the north, of course,) that John said:
"'Dan. didn't you say this was the
northwest quarter of 10?' (He was
sitting there on the side of the over
turned stove, despite the way the light
ming flashed, just as unconcerned as if
things were right side up.)
YES l said.
9, Seems to me mighty strange said
John. why our place is on Sc, in the
next town" west
This set me to thinking, and sure
enough, when got land agent down
the next week to survey it out, he just
said that old Lockyear was Il fool, and
had worked me for sucker. The
land that had filed on was over two
miles away. So | had to file on the
same piece over again as a 'pre-emp-
ton and lose my homestead right
for nothing, and didn't get the money
back either.
when we set the shantee up again
we put her down solid, you bet!
a got John to break two acres for
me Gas required to prove up), and l
put in a patch of beans. Then the
drought set in. The beans came up
about four inches. and there they stood!
Where in thunder was to get sticks
from? That WAS q thing l hadn't
thought Of; but it didn't appear as if
they would ever need any, anyhow.
II was out one day after antelope q
'rustled' all my meat. except ham
now and then as Il luxury, when |
happened to come across 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 sunhowers make the best kind of
bean sticks? So came the next few
days and dug up young ones, about a
foot high, and set down one to every
hill of beans.
There they stood. For a month
neither of 'em grew an inch, but the
beans just twisted round and took
hold. | could see that my scheme was
going to work like q charm!
AT the end of the month we had a
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 a scorcher. l
thought toward afternoon that those
beans looked sort O sickly-and siclkly
they were! When l came to investi-
gate the matter, the sunllowers 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 go thirty miles after my
mail. Sometimes | used to 90 up and
back in a day, and sometimes up one
day and back the next. Sage was u
pretty poor place to stay at, and what
few people there were there used to
say with 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 I 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.
Zone time when l returned from
Sage all that was left of my chickens
q had two hens and a rooster) was u
plateful of bones and the old rooster
Che was 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 q believe he had deal
more sense than had), for day by day
he wilted; until one morning, when he
could crow no more, 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 dom
believe it, but missed that old rooster
as if he had been something human.
Then skunk took up his abode
under the floor of the shantee.
And the grasshoppers came, and.
take my word for it, gentlemen, they
would have eaten all the siding off the
house (there was fine crop of SUM-
flowers, but they didn't appear as-
thetic), but, luckily, strong wind got
nm aod tooly than fo otbar uact Ito