The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1889-05-03
The Marks on the Prairie,
A Story Of Pionses Life.

lll6 Walks On Inc DldIHe,
A Story Of rionssgs Life.
Rowing one day over the Western
prairie came on a deserted "dugout."
Near it lay a rusty old tna-kettle, a
horses skull, and a baby's shoe. Their
storyp This:
Early morning, y May morning in
Kansas. Over all the land a silvery
mist, a palpable dewiness, a delicious
freshness the peculiarly rich and sub
tie scent of freshly-turned earth, much
of it being soil ''broke" for the first
time. A proud and prosperous young
meadow lark poised upon a fencing
post. a spruce young meadow lark in
gray coat, yellow vest, and black era
vat pours out a series of tremulous
triple notes, a %roundclay to the little
mother cuddlingher eggs in the spring.
ing prairie grasses. Tho mist begins
to rise. Upward. still higher, one
marvellous scroll it curls, revealing the
pallid primrose of the eastern sky.
And now the vapory veil is quite with
drawn, and all the soft rose-tires her.
aiding the king kindle into brilliance
behind the bluffs. Lighter and bright
er it grows. Fraught with promise is
all that CLEAN and glow. Behold, the
promise isfultilled! Up rises a golden
II which swells into a curve, a semi
circle, Il huge, dazzling, binding ball
of flame. Up and up! A thrush from
its nest in a cottonwood lifts its voice
in jubilant mathis, which are chimed
in upon by the brisk brauaras of a
rival robin.
Men and horses appear in the fields:
plows are hauled out; the work of the
day begins. In the phrase of the Kan.
saD farmer, at is sun-up!"
Having numbered through the tiny
town-which lies upon the State line
which separates Kansas from Nebraska,
crossed the railway track and a brand.
new bridge. up Il steep bluff worn into
deep ruts by the daily passage o.
wagons laden with stone to be shipped
farther west, comes slowly and heav.
lily that most familiar of Western
sights, a prairie schooner. Ponder.
Dusty piod the horses up the ascent;
clumslly lurches along the level attain
ed the great wh~ite-canvased wagon.
Unlike the ordinary emigrant outfit in
some respects, this. 10 be sure evil
dences of habitation bulge from the in
terror, and chairs, stove, broom, with
various household utensils, are tied on
behind. But there are no cows. no
dogs. no scrubby ponies bcstridden by
bareleggcd boys. OF the thousands Of
wagons which trundlc yearly over the
Western p%rairies this presents u par
ticularly lonely appearance. Who
even saw n without children? Child
rem OF all ages, tow-headed, brown
skinned, healthy. hearty children, in.
Guiding the inevitable baby staring
solemnly from the clasping mother
arms.
Perhaps you may have seen some day
Roses crowding the selfsame way.
Out of II wilding wayside bush.
The driver, whose broad back OBJ.
scures the light of the front arch,
turns in his seat, and chances into the
comparative gloom of the interior.
''How is she, Corry"
asleep"
The woman within-a young woman
with q pretty, pale sad f~acc-directs
us "o'ohtioh " SlaHce 10 inc DaDy
IN her zap. he ~nods-draws up the
horses Dy the SIDE OF the road.
lSnft you SURF he says. lie de-
sends, unhitchcs the horses, finds
twigs, builds a fire, goes to the nearest
farmhouse 1or water, and comes back
with a full kettle, which he suspends
over the blaze by a couple of crooked
sticks. Soon the smell of sizzling
4at"n anu oolilnS coliee become appe-
aahinsiS apRsssht. linen no goes to
.ne MaSS9sEls.IFsz2sl WIG lays the child
Scnlly ssEEa51 all lie notices
'nht sue ss:MNahsaEs.e Are you slckF" he
shS sssesSss
19Hssashe murmurs. But quite
us As* 4 sMa ,s'Yays, and falls forward
h1as Sa,i&sa The journey, the
ouga strange life, the variable
weather.; the exposure, all have been
LOO mach' ne decides. Tor n ~delicately
,eaieu us sne was. When she revlvcs
ne lpsists .hey shalt proceed no Tar
.hef lof rev days. perhaps not for q
IL" weeks. ABOUT hfty yards from the
ROAD Is a niue deserted "dugout.'
some alstance rom 1t a new frame
mouse testllles 10 me prosperity OF the
FORMER occupants. FROM them tho
campers OBTAIN PERMISSION to axe
temporary possession OF the queer LITTLE
cabin. The whole interior consists OF
one room, u that room ten feet by
twelve. 10 enter it is necessary to de
send several rough steps. The walls
ana moor are OF earth, just as when
dug, quite u~nconcealed by board OF