The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1891-07-30

i
cy, this gentleman'is Mr.. Byers, who
lives near Deer creek, wher we air bound
fur, an he's goin' ter stay fur supper"
To Tom Byers it was the most delight
full supper he had eaten since he had left
his mother and sisters back in Kentucky.
There was a vast and an agreeable diff
ference TO him in slowing away food
which . pretty girl had prepared from
having to fare morning, noon and night
on hard, tough biscuits and meat burnt
to Q scrap.
Tom gave the newcomers much inter
esting information about the country
and settlers where they expected to es-
tablish their home. He nearly forgot
his business to Fort Scott as he sat on
q log in the little woodland, answering
the fair Nancy's questions. But when
the moon rose and began to shed her
silvery luster over the prairies, he mount
ed Popcorn and rode reluctantly away
from the little camp fire where some
witchery had seemed to enchain him.
Quiet brooded over the camp Of the
tired travellers, and they soon slept
soundly. But Tom Byers pursued his
lonely journey, the music Of q new,
sweet voice ringing in his heart, while
q pair Of wondrous hazel eyes smiled at
him from every moonbeam that darted
across his path.
Bright and early the next morning
Hamlet and his daughter resumed their
journey southwark.
The man seemed inclined to bestow
! much nraisa on their acouaintanca of the
preceding night, but Nancy was entirely
non-cOmnital regarding the opinion
which she had formed Of the young
ranchman.
When they reached the Cherokee
county line they left the military road
which led to Baxter Springs, and took
rough wagon trail that zigzagged across
the prairie in a southwesterly direction
toward the Neosho river.
At four o'clock that evening they halt
ed before log cabin, where Joe Dugan,
a primitive Kansan, having settled there
in 1851, kept country postofice, to
which the mail was carried once a week
from Baxter Springs, nearly twenty miles
distant.
Adam hamlet presented his note OF In
troductlon from TX render, and Joe
Dugan and his wlfe came out to the
wagon and talked In most tr1endly
manner tor more than an hour;
Wnen the travellers were ready 70 start
on, tney having declined the Dugans'
pressing invitation to stay overnight at
their CABIN the old Dorderman SAID;
wen, seem yer won't stay with US,
Flput Ned on the pony an let him 'scort
yer Ter tner claim Deer creeks erOout
iour miles turder on; Out Ned Knows
renders place IKE oook, t9r manys
the day tne boys spent with render In
ms dngont wnen tne nunun was extry'
Ohder tne guidance Oh NED Dugan'
suapplng youth OF seventeen the ham-
iets reached tneir CLAIM on Deer creek
Just before the sun nad dropped below
the tree tops along tine Neosho river.
Deer creek was a prairie stream, with
tmckets Oh wlld plum ana blackberry
vines along lts 6anks' wltn now and
then q cottonwood or Wild cherry tree
70 preak the monotony. IL took a south
westerly course moving into the Neo-
sho about SIX or seven miles from Ham,
let's claim.
There were no cabins on the stream,
and q rude rock chimney protruding
from o high bank and showing above
the tall prairie grass proclaimed the situ-
alton Of the dugout, which was to be
their habitation for the present at least.
well, I'm plumb glad ter git hyer at
last, pap, et 1t is only q dugout," Nancy
remarked with a sigh of relief as the
tired team halted before the habitaion,
followed out OF the SIDE OF steep bank.
There was smooth bank about eighteen
feet wide, hard as q hoor, right before
the dugout door, and sloping very grad
ually to the little creek bed below.
I'm ateared yer goin' ter hnd It
mighty rough hvin in dugout, Nancy"
said Hamlet as he inspected the anything
but cleanly interior.
"Oh, III slick it up heap, pap" said
the girl, who had followed him inside,
It'll it'll look plumb different. It's
home, pap, an thet means q sight to
folks like US, who hain't he'd one o ther
own fur q long spell"
Eyer right, Nancy; an we'll make q
reglar home of it ef 1t is only ole dug
out"
Ned Dugan rode home, leaving the
new settlers alone.
They had just finished their evening |
meal, and had started to remove some Of
their goods from the wagon into the dug
out, when man rode up and shouted in
loud, harsh voice:
"HelloP
The bright light Of their cAfnn tra |