Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-12-22

thiHn hihc SoibS ~ Iiss oOhhS
joke" one OF the men remarked after
They had seated themselves in their
places and ordered billings to ill up
The glasses with hot toddy.
"He NAV. but | doubt 1t He's got
some plan in his noddle, you can gam
bic on H." another rejoined.
III bet any nm thei Mike fetches tn
game" Nate Cummings spoke up as
he threw a log OF wood into the fire.
"It'sa go. Nate. III take you up:
III bet yer forty tibet he DON'T"
Here it air. Now We put up an
Billings will hold the dust"
Jack Billings was on hand and took
the dust from the men. weighing It on
n scale TO sec IL 1t were just weight.
and then put IL away until tho time
came when tho bet should be won.
Three days passed by, Mike Field
had not yet returned and 1t only lack
ed one more day before it was Christ
mas. The committee had completed
their work, the dinner was all AZ
ranged for aud the meats md game
were being prepared by Pete. who flew
about the camp with an air of great
Importance.
u ' u tbo IL
ties were assembled at the Arms and
still there was no sign Of Mike Field.
The members Of the committee, as
well rs the others who had been in
formed OF the Judges expedition, be-
gan Il grow anxious aud to fear that
some accident had oysrtakcn the man.
Some suggested that n searching par
ty bo organized, but this was squclched
by the committee. who knew that il
any such thing were undertaken all Of
their work would be thrown away.
During the night the clouds darken-
ell, the moo was obscured and when
daylight dawned a terrific snow storm
was raging. One by one the Snag-
townites awoke, peered out at the
storm and made their way from their
huts rs quick as they could over to the
Arms. The large room was filled with
savory aroma of the cooking, and Pete
moved from the kitchen into tho room
at frequent intervals, busying himself
at setting the table. He vas assisted
by Hattie Billings. the pride of Snag-
town and the only daughter of the
boniface. a bnxom lass Of nineteen,
would permit OF 10 undue familiarity
from any Of them. She had come to
the place with her father and was the
only In the camp. The boys
treated her like a queen, but the only
one she looked upon with any favorit-
ism was Mike Field.
at does look, pards, es Of tn Jedge
war not goin' ter keep his promise
about that thar turkey" Nate Cum
/ vatn..c a.,I.tn,aI op In gt,rxuEAI tl,a
decorated table and smacked his lips
at the hot spiced run he was slipping.
@Wot think ye. Hat?"
"Whai do you ask me for?' the girl
asked with q toss of her head ~ she
Hounccd oul Of the room. And then
coming in again she said, IF any OF
YOU had q spark Of sense you wouldn't
have let him CO."
"Wot has we uns ter do with it?"
Nate asked with an offended air.
"iou had enough. How do you
know but what the Indians may have
waylaid himP"
"Wal. Hat. ef yer goin' tor lay tn
blame on us, an CT yer say so we'll
start Of sow an look arter I'm"
This is a high time to make such .
uTODOSitlOu.
Pete stood in the doorway during
this spat between Nate and Hattie.
and y broad grin spread over his face.
"Nebber mind. Marse Mattel" the
narky exclaimed. Yves got the o
and dat's jest es good es turkey any
day In the week.
Pete was driven back into the kitch.
en- by Hattie and the miners were left
alone TO discuss tho probability Of
Mike Fold having met with some ac-
cident. They bad never known the
Judge TO fail yet in anything that he
had undertaken, and even up to n
o'clock they still had hopes that Field
would turn up. Nate looked out OF
the window and, seeing how the storm
was raging, exclaimed:-
"Thar's no chance for the Jedge
now"
whats that, Natc?" Hattie asked.
rs she came into the room with a largo
bunch Of evergreens which had been
gathered and which she hung up in the
center OF the room
II scd thct tn lodge won't come ter
time" Nate answered.
"What do You want to bet" the girl
said, looking down from the box on
which she was standing.
"Ill bet yer twenty ounces o. gold
agin q kiss thct he don't an we make
our Christmas dinner of coon instead
o. turkey"
an 90 you," Hattie exclaimed, az
she jumped down of the box.
The girl vas in exuberant spirits.
and when the other miners offered to
make the samo bet with her she ac-
ccpted every one OF them and made
them put mp the dust her and there
in the hands OF her father, who took
particular pains to see that tho weight
was correct. All the Snagtownites con-
sidered IL u hugo joke. and that Hattie
was to to a tho forfeit after dinnar
Two O'Clock was the hour set at which
the feast was to ommence. When
that time arrived the miners were as
hungry as bears and werc anxious for
tho signal 10 DO given for them 10 take
thoir places. AZ The hands Of tho clock
pointed 10 the hour OF two Hattie step
pod ont Of the Kitchen and exclaimed:
Boys stand up and make two lines,
with an alley Ia the center"
The miners obeyed with aIacrity.
wondering what Hattie could be up to
aud imagining that she had found
some luck.
"Stand there now.s she said as she
reviewed the limo and then dartsd
back into the Kitchen. o appearing
with big fowl In her hands. ~For-
ward, march!'
Then, with head erect and holding
aloft the fowl. she marched down b.
tween Tho rows. Shs was followed BY
Pete. who carried : stsamla9 het coca