Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-10-01
CHAPTER II.

|
he was too cowardly or he had large
enough spark of manhood within him not
to fire at woman.
Nancy had flung her strong young
arms around her father'sneck and placed
herself loving screen between him and
danger.
There she stood in the little camp
| fires rudy light before that isolated dug
out, such brave, sweet picture of pro-
lection for her deformed father that
| even Dick Hines, villain and rough char
acter though he was, was struck by it,
and wheeled his horse around as if he
would depart Immediately.
stranger, reckon yer kin use ther
dugout ternight, but give yer warnin'
ter git off'n Their claim afore tomorrer
sunset"
"Yer very kind, I'm shore" returned
Hamlet with quiet scorn, ''ter low me
ther privilege O. 'bidin' overnight on my
own property"
Remember" said Hines, unheeding
the others sarcasm and putting his re-
volver in his belt, Eyer ter be off'n this
hyer claim afore tomorrer sunset"
''Thank yer fur repeatin' it; my mem
ory's plumb good yit, Hamlet made an
swer, in spite of Nancy whispered warn
ing to say no more to the armed villain.
GIVE give yer ample warnin'," Hines
concluded. 81 don't want no trouble
with yer, but unless yer off'n Their claim
by tomorrer night yer kin expec' ter be
waited on by a committee appointed ter
tend ter sech cases as yer'n."
"Waal, l low yer committee couldn't
wait on er better man than Adam Ham
let, the new settler flung after Hines, as
he put spurs to his horse and rode swiftly
away in the darkness.
Next morning as they ate their break
fast Nancy said:
''Pap, I'm thinkin' maybe yer'd best
quit the claim an save fusSin'. Thet
Hines is a desp'rate man."
Eyes, low he is, but aim ter make
him heap more desp'rater afore l quit
this hyer claim I've come so fur ter git, u
replied Hamlet, spreading molasses on
his cornbread, and eating his coarse fare
with keen relish.
81 reckon it would be kinder hard fur
me ter leave the claim now tibet I've
been settin' such store on havin' home
of our own, after Twin on a rented place
so long. It's mighty purity place hyer,
pap, an I'm gittin' 'tached ter Twin hyer
already" said the girl, as she gazed
about-her.
The large drygoods box which served
them as table, and at which they now
sat, was placed just outside of the dug
out door, and where they could com
mand an uninterrupted view of the sur.
rounding country for miles away. II
was a wild but beautiful view indeed.
Miles and miles of trackless prairies,
clothed in richest green and rarest wild
flowers, sloped gently away, until the
eve encountered a line of timber, firing
ing some stream in the distance. The
warm amber of glorious sunrise bur
nished the landscape and increased its
natural loneliness to great degree.
On some of the little ''swells'' in the
plain flocks of cattle and ponies of all
colors could be seen grazing on the be-
dewed grass of early morning, while a
spiral wreath of blue smoke here and
there, outlined against a cloudless sky
and appearing afar off, marked the loca-
ton of : settlers cabin.
1t was the Kansas of nature, before
the settlers mad turned her broad acres
into the fertile fields Of corn and wheat,
IS the traveller sees them today.