Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1894-11-17

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 horseinen; and when she
looked back the picture was the same
wagons, horsemen, .tragglers.
They issued from the northern hori-
zon as though 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 cxpcctant throng. To
the south. up to the Cinarron 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
tho 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 hum
dreds on the southern border, and
that oil 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 unfordnble; and
that the temporary bridge thrown
across II by the boomers md soldiers
was unsafe; and later, that IL had
gone down, carrying nobody knew
how many people to death with It;
that they were going In by trnin-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 unIrue--added its sting
to tho bitterness Of that frighful
journey.
Poor Myra!
In the terrible press to hold the
teAll every moment WIS Q crisis. 1t
took the skill and nerve OF an ocean
pilot - gaide tho tall mules safely;
the myriad hoofs and wheels either
raised u red, sitting dust or churned
the hub.deep mud to the consistency
OF mortar. Where the roads were
toughest, Myra'a akillful, sun-burned
little hands were not strong enough
to hold and guide her powerful team;
and tho little foot that run 50 lightly
oil day about her work, that was so
untiring on tho most wearisomo err
rands, was but q 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 rs helpless and bewildered as
he, and the two pairs Of big, soft,
black eyes, that seemed about alike
for ago and knowledge. Of the world,
overlooked together.
Just beyond the Arkansas River
the forlornly Differed outfit came to
grief. The wheels stuck immovably
In the mud, and all che plunging and
foundering Of tho mules failed to
bulge them. After willing helpers
had pried them out and set them
fairly on the way again, there re-
NAMED upon the drivers seat tall,
broad .shoHldcrcd, blonde young fol.
low, who, with his partner, had been
driving just behind Myra.
Ho had offered to help her over tho
bad piece" but 1t seemed to his
generous. boylsh heart cruel to desert
her for his own welfare, even after
they were in what seemed, by COM
! parison, moderately good road. His
| -, nA,,ll that's ns,tNt .
!! and, after oil, II he lost anything by
I lingering to befriend l;ar-why, lot IL
! go!
( So tho two wagons stayed together,
, Myra cooking for boil, outfits, pro-
: viding such fare as the boys had
0 never dreamed OF on campiny.trall,
8 and breaking out into girlish gayety
: now that tho strain was removed,
3 and the responsibility where every
genuine Southern woman religlously
!. believes responsibility ttiongs-0n
: masculine shoulders. And 10 1t came
0 about that Myra's wagon went over
: the Oklahoma line, on the moment.
s GUS twenty second, we'll al the front,
4 and with Dave Anderson on the drlv.
8 er's seat.
n Everybody, as Myra had expected,
9 was kind to her and to her baby, but
d these two boys-little Older than her.
!, self-seemed, In manne;. to have
h adopted them. 1t was found that
o Hubbard's special quarter section,
which no had picked out and ut.
i tempted to take possession of, in de-
!, fiance OF the whole Unittd States
y government and oil its mi 1ions, In
d the old booming days, had been en-
d tered by some one else before Myra
i got In. "Never mind" sSid the
y boys; "what could you de- with &
quarter-section ranch, anyhow,
n Couldn't live there oil alone With the
q kid. Well rustic you town lot In
i Guthrie, you can enter 1t, Cnd get
: your wagon and tent on 1t, and
keep boarders. There'll be nsed 10,
o lots Of such places right here and !
!. you cook for them like you cooked
! for us, you'll make your fortui.e."
!, A suitable lot which had noe beer
; entered was found (she will pevel
n know just how and Myra, her aaby
1t in her arms, stood wedged IT, the
1t crowd about the land office, waiting
's to register It, Tho dust, stirred by
" weary, impatient feet, rose choiing
0. ly; the sun beat down, bright ant