Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-11-08

wagons ACROSS the plain. As far as
she could see to the south, until it
disappeared in the dim, level line Of
the horizon, stretched that broad,
struggling line Of white-topped
wagons. fringed with galloping,
shouting horsemen; and when she
looked back the picture was the same
wagons, horsemen, stragglers.
They issued from the northern hori-
zon as though a mighty nation were
emptying itself through the funnel
OF the Ponca trail, upon the upper
border Of Oklahoma.
And this vast concourse was but a
portion OF the expectant throng. To
the south, up to the Cimarron trail
toward the Canadian, beside the reg
ular settlers, large bodies OF armed
cowboys were coming, crowds Of town
boomers from Texas. and companies
Of war veterans.
All were bent toward one gaol,
swayed by one emotion. As they
neared the twenty-second, the day
of formal opening, when those on
the ground would be allowed to cross
the line into Oklahoma, anxiety ran
up to fever heat. Sometimes shud-
der and hoarse swell of excitement
went down the line with the news
that they were letting them in by hun
dreds on the southern border, and
that all the best places were already
taken. Scouts brought back word
that the soldiers under Colonel Miles
were turning everybody back; that
the Salt Fork was unfordable; and
that the temporary bridge thrown
across it by the boomers and soldiers
was unsafe; and later, that it had
gone down, carrying nobody knew
how many people to death with it;
that they were going in by train-loads
on the Santa Fe, sworn in as deputy
United States marshals for the sake
OF lodging the regulations, and were
pre-empting everything worth hav-
ing. The helpless fury raised by such
news-often untrue-added it's sting
to the bitterness Of that frighful
journey.
Poor Myra!
In the terrible press to hold the
trail every moment was crisis. 1t
took the skill and nerve Of an ocean
pilot to guide tho tall mules safely;
the myriad boots and wheels either
raised red, sitting dust or churned
the hub-deep mud to the consistency
of mortar. Where the roads were
toughest, Myra's skillful, sun-burned
little hands were not strong enough
20 Lo1I Ia ft,1t ao
and the little foot that ran so lightly
all day about her work. that was so
untiring on the most wearisome err
rands, was but feather upon the
brake. She had no time to stop and
comfort Boy, nor even feed him, and
he cried continually. Myra was al
most as helpless and bewildered as
he, and the two pairs Of big, soft,
black eyes, that seemed about alike
for age and knowledge of the world,
overHowed together.
Just beyond the Arkansas River
the forlornly Differed outfit came to
grief. The wheels stuck immovably
in the mud, and all she plunging and
floundering of the mules failed to
bulge them. After willing helpers
had pried them out and set them
fairly on the way again, there re-
manned upon the drivers seat tall,
road-shouldered, blonde young fell
low, who, with his partner, had been
driving just behind Myra.
He had offered to help her over the
''bad piece" but it seemed to his
generous. boyish heart cruel to desert
her for his own welfare, even after
they were in what seemed, by COM
parison, moderately good road. His
partner could manage their outfit;
and, after all, il he lost anything by
lingering to befriend Esr-why, let it
go!
So the two wagons stayed together,
Myra cooking for both outfits, pro-
viding such fare as the boys had
never dreamed of on camping-trail,
and breaking out into girlish gayety
now that the strain WAS removed
and the responsibility where every
genuine Southern woman religiously
believes responsibility beiongs-on
masculine shoulders. And go it came
about that Myra's wagon went over
the Oklahoma line, on the moment
Gus twenty-second, well at the front,
and with Dave Anderson oa the driv-
er's seat.
Everybody, as Myra had expected,
was kind to her and to her baby, but
these two boys-little older than her
self-seemed, in manne,, to have
adopted them. 1t was found that
Hubbard's special quarter section,
which he had picked out and at
tempted to take possession Of, in de-
fiance of the whole United States
government and all its minions, in
the old booming days, had been en-
tered by some one else before Myra
got in. Never mind" sSid the
boys: "what could you dc with
quarter-section ranch, anyhow?
Couldn't live there all alone with the
kid. Well rustic you town lot in
Guthrie, you can enter it, Gnd get
your wagon and tent on 1t, and
keep boarders. There'll be naed for
lots of such places right here and IL
you cook for them like you cooked
for us, you'll make your fortune"
A suitable lot which had no6 been
entered was found (she will 2ever
know just how and Myra, her paby
in her arms. stood wedged Ia the
crowd about the land Office, waiting
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