The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-04-22
Stories of an inland State.

|
Ship ahoyp'
In answer to this si1rilI summons, a plank
was run out from the threshold which was
some three feet from the ground. The boy
sprang upon this plank and disappeared.
Misty Dawn now studied the building. IL
was similar to Mrs Sweeney's domicile. ex-
cept that the windows were round. On
the roof was a long. slim. high fag-pole,
| with q cross-piece near the top which was
reached by a ladder of rope and from the
peak of which futte.ed a flag of white,
made from an old sheet. Misty Dawn did
not know then that Mrs. Sweeney's house
was not similarly ornamented on top. As
| she watched she saw the little boy Chamber
| Up the rope ladder. prech himself on the
| cross-piece and unite the white flag and
descend. Presently she saw two ropes
moving and flag of the national govern
ment ran up and unfurled TO the prairie
breeze.
do all white people have those flags on
their houses?" she asked. How pretty
It is
well it may be pretty" said Mrs. Swee-
ney. But don't see any sense in it. All
peopi don't. It's only Sooner Snoogles that
does such foolish things. He's crazy, 1
| think. Now you know that noise you heard
a little while ago."
Bang!
Now there goes the old duffer again"
AS the house ratified under the shock,
/ Misty Dawn went to the window again
and saw a strange thing. a large instru-
ment built of wood was standing on the
ground just IL front of the other sod-house
An old man whom she took 10 be Snoogles
and who was indeed Snoogles. and the
young boy were loading a large rock on
| this machine. They then disappeared in
| the house, pulled the plank in after them
and suddenly the large wooden instrument
| jumped, the stone flew straight for the
Sweeney home, struck it and set things
| chattering as before.
Misty Dawn viewed all this complacently
He amt been doing that for only about
three weeks said Mrs. Sweeney. 81 don't
know why he does it, unless it is to drive
US of the claim 1t worries Pete good
deal. You see it might lose him the claim
if he got 10 shooting guns ct US or clubbing
US but the land law saws nothing about
rocks and those kind of machines and Pete
is afraid TO interfere with him. Besides
he don't do it at night and I've got used
TO 1t in the day time
| Us the old man your enemy?"
We'll We're contesting him. Don't you
know what that means? Well, first he's
| sooner. You see all this land was opened
TO settlement and every body run for it one
| day at twelve O'Clock. Pete makes the
| run from the state down and when he gets
| here to this claim which he had picked out
! before, he finds this old Snoogles and his
kid there. Snoogles had made the run
| from your Indian reservation and some
| body has held that that makes him a sooner
running from Indian land-and it's been
| appealed and we are just waiting here for
| it to be decided. Meanwhile we're both
| holding down this claim and he's lombard
| ing US or doing something of the KIND all
| the time. If ! was Peter ia make him
| stop. But Pete IS queer. You wouldn't
| think it, but after hitting our house all
day with those stones he will run up that
old white flag and ask for what he calls
a truce Then Pete VIII take his tobacco
and pipe and go over there and spend ali
evening casing with him. I've never been
| in his old shanty. He's an old sailor or
| something and he's got ii logged out fun
ny. Pete says he is the most entertaining
| lar in seventeen states. Pete will come
back calling the old man a darling old
soul and the next morning bang, bang,
bang, will come those rocks again. Old
Snoogles comes over in the night and takes
the rocks back to Ere again. Pete is a
good man but have to subdue him"
rs the little boy his son?'
mo, he amt. He's an orphan or some
thing old Snoogles picked up in Kansas
Now that that boy has seen you here Old
Snoogles will take up some jackassical ex-
cuse TO see you. You'll see that old white
Gag go up pretty soon. That means that
he has suspended bombarding for while
the old duffer. Did you hear that boy ask
you il you was Turk?''
Yes"
well that's some of the old mans lies
always telling Pete those kind of stories
and sometimes 1 believe he actually gets
Pete to believe him, the fool. Pete says
that he would give 100000 to have had old
Snoogles experiences II he ever had 'em,
and $4,000 for his imaginatio If he didn't
have 'em. He's always telling Pete what
he's done and how many beautiful women
across the pond has fallen in love with
him and how many ships he's captured
and how many people he's killed -
There" said Misty Dawn. 1.-The boy is
putting the white flag back again"
Now you just watch" said Mrs. Swee-
ney.
1t was not long until timid knock on
the door summoned Mrs. Sweeney who
opened it and said sharply Welt"
The boy saluted end said:
Captain Snoogles presents his compli-
mepts 10 Mrs. Sweeney and makes this a
formal demand that the fair captive held
by her be at once and forthwith
Ia Sfa ho1
his message.
He wants her released, Ell? Or he will
clear for action? Tell him 20 clear away
10 his hearts content, the crazy old jump
ing-jack. And don't you forget to tell him
that Mrs. Sweeney presents her compl:-
ments and makes this her formal demand
for him to go and soak his old bald head"
The boy went out and presently came
back again saying:
Captain Snoogles again presents his
compliments to Mrs. Sweeney and requests
that she forward information if Mr. Pete
Sweeney IS on board
The woman laughed. ''You tell old Snoc>
giles that he's got wheels in his head: that
Mr.. Pete Sweeney esquire is in a cell some
where charged with doing out liquor 10 the
Indians and that two helpless and despair
ING women are mere alone az the mercy OF |
The savage beasts Of the field and their own |
timid fears. and if he was half man or |
even whole brute. he'd bare his right arm |
TO defend en-
IT'S so long complained the boy.
''Well. just tell him any ord thing
81 wish 1 could ship with you said the |
boy giving a wisiful look al the surround |
ineS
well sit down and stay and let him |
sweat q While"
He'd purish me"
How does he punish you?"