Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-06-26

me, IL L IN going to make failure
of it,
"It's not that, Ned, not that! But
to think that boy of your age should
make the discovery SO soon! There are
dozens of men in the valley, who
would give thousands of dollars to have
found that out in time. The trouble is
that they always start IN thinking that
they do know, you see. Don't worry
my boy, you are safe. ~
When they returned to the house Mar
tin seized the opportunity for himself
and accosted the doctor.
"Haven It you any wife and children, ,
DR.. John?''
Neither of the three ever forgot the re-
ply.
A change swept over the Doctors face,
making it look gray and old, all in an
instant.
"I had, - he said. otis an 'aban-
doned claim 1 have never proved
up. ~
CHAPTER villa HOME AND THREE
PATRIOTS.
Acting upon DR.. Johns advice, Ned
went down to oakland on the early train
the next day, and made formal entry of
his claim. Returning to the village, he
Abbott nursery.
The plain talk he had with the old
nurseyman was a liberal education in the
principles of farming, and as Mr.. Abb
bott enforced this lesson by showing the
boy the different operations IN progress
on his own land, Ned came away feeling
that this was the most profitable day of
his life. The old gentleman kindly IN
dertook TO attend to the purchase of the
various tools that the boys would need,
and offered them several second handed
implements at prices that involved con-
siderable saving in their small fund He
also offered them the use of q harrow
COW, in return for her pasturage, until
Beauty should come to an age when she
could supply them with milk.
The road Ned took on his way home,
led directly across the range. Steep as
it was in places, 1t was as finely maceda-
mixed as the drives in Golden Gate park I,
and the view 1t commanded was one con-
tinuous panorama of beautiful scenery.
Guided by the directions of some people
he met, he finally left the main road and
for a mile or more followed an old wagon
road that ran obliquely back towards the
divide. To spare his horse (for the ILL
nourished beast had long since begun to
show signs of exhaustion), he dismounted
and led her along the road, which soon
dwindled to a rough bride path.
Suddenly a turn in the road brought
into view sight SO at variance with all
the landscape that for a moment he was
inclined to rub his eyes and question
whether he were no. dreaming.
All the ranches he had heretofore
seen bore some evidences of thrift and
comfort; but here was a slatternly
shanty, Imprinted and decaYing, its
broken window paues stuffed with gunny
sacks and cast off clothing. There was
no attempt at garden, save one small
patch, few rods away from the house,
where some sickly looking cabbage
plants, enclosed by rude rail fence,
strained upwards for glimpse of sun
shine. A great boy sat astride the top
rail, gun in hand, his eyes intently fixed
upon some point invisible to Ned, while
a smaller boy crouched beside him.
In the doorway of the shanty sat
woman with soiled Bingham sunbonnet
pushed back from her forehead and a
clay pipe between her lips. Around her
sprawled several children, their hair I'M
kept, their faces covered with dirt.
"'Good afternoon, madam, ~ said Ned,
politely.
''Good afternoon TO yees, - responded
the woman, without removing the pipe
from her mouth.
''Can you tell me the way to the Nc
Crazy ranch2' asked Ned.
"'1ts the road tax yer afther?" she
said, sharply.
"Oh, no, indeed, " replied Ned, smil-
ing.
"Thin its the poll tax?''
HNo, ma am.
81 know yees. Its the assissor, ain It
ye?''
"Why, no, a'am. I'm quite n
stranger here. We have taken up the
claim opposite DR.. John $50
The woman's face changed as if by
magic. A look of genuine kindliness
came into it.
'Wan av thin poor boys. Come in,
sonny, and it's glass av milk IN get
ye, Pm Mrs. McCra y.
FOh, no, thank you, - replied Ned,
TO whom the prospect of the glass of milk
did not appear so attractive as it might
have if her hands had been cleaner and
there had been no pipe. az IN in quite
hurry to reach home before shutdown.
l wanted to see about some chickens.
Mr.. Abbott SAID he thought you might
have some to sell, and that Mike would
show me the trail | aiding down to our
place. Can see him?''
"He's over there grunted the
woman, settling back to her pipe and
lazily putting away.
She pointed in the direction of the
cabbage patch. Ned tied his horse to
an oak tree and walked towards the two
boys. The younger put up his hand in
warning.
"Now you we done it!'' he cried, ad-
dressing Ned.
"Done what2" demanded Ned, in
amazement.
''Oh, nothing" replied the elder
boy, lifting his gun 10 his shoulder,
then rising and stretching his long limbs,
lifting a torn straw hat from his head
and revealing good-natured and some
what comedy face, with curling, red
dish hair and frank blue eyes. "It's
nothing he explained, "only I'd been
after that gopher all day yesterday and
since sun-up this mornin', and-f jist
had him. Another second, sir, and I'd
popped him over.'
"what had he done?' asked Ned.
"Donei He was gopher. You bet
he IL do enough. He's got his eyes on
those cabbages. -
Ned thought to himself that if someone
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