The Red Cloud chief., 1889-08-23

up until 1 got my house up and well
dug.
He was q nice man (.Honest John
they called him.. and he promised to
help me out. When l got down with
the well so / 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 well) 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 il went and US in it The
| door being on the south side. it had US
nicely cooped. You &c, l had the
shantee UP first. but couldn't live in i;
till We struck water; this was another
| simple trick. ] should have dug the
well first. but then. you see. l had
| reckoned on the stream-and that went
back on me.
1T was while W Were cooped up
there. and the rain driving through the
cracks in the floor (which now stood to
the north, Of course.) that John said:
".Dan. didn't you say this vas the
northwest quarter of 1GF (He was
sitting there on the side OF the over
turned stove, despite the way the light
| ming flashed. just IS unconcerned as il
things were right side up.)
Yes, l said.
"tSeems to me mighty strange said
John. Why our place is on 30. in the
next town" west
This set me to thinking. and sure
enough. when / got a land agent down
the next week to survey it out he just
said that. old Lockyear 'w4 a fool, and
had worked me for a sucker The
land that I had fled on was over two
miles away. So / had to file on the
i 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 pu; her down solid. you bet:
II 60: John to break two acres for
me las 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 a thing l hadn't
thought OF: but it didn't appear IS if
they would ever need any. anyhow.
Il was out one day after antelope q
.rustled' all my mea. except . ham
now and then as a luxury, when l
happened to come across a Large patch
of suntowers. where an old sheep cor
raj had stood. and just happened to be
struck with the idea, why shouldn't
these sunfowers 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 70 every
hill OF beans
There they stood. For a mouth
neither Of EN- grew An inch. but the
beans just twisted round and took
hold. / could see that my scheme Vas
going to work like a charm!
AT the end Of the month We had a
good storm, and l looked out with sat-
isfaction on the crops. How they did
shoot up in that day!
..But the next day was . scorcher. /
thought toward afternoon that those
beans looked sort O sickly-and sickly
they were! When l came to investi-
gate the matter. sthe s~undowers had
grown At least " 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 60 up and
back in a day. and sometimes up one
day and back the next Sage was a
pretty poor place to stay al. and what
few people there were there used to
a 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 / was at home at
the shantee no q would ever come in
sight except John. Yet. somehow. when
l was away they could find the place
right enough
..Oue time when I returned from
Sage all that was left OF my chickens
, Il had two hens and a rooster) was a
p~lateful Of bones and the old rooster
(he 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 q believe he had a deal
more sense than l 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 deri>ion. Perhaps you don't
believe il. but l missed that old rooster
As if he had been something human.
Then a skunk took up his abode
under the floor OF the shantee.
And the grasshoppers came. and.
- 49,