The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1897-04-10
AUNT SERENA'S SALT BAG.
Icy CHARLES N. HARGER.

"What makes the trunk SO heavy?
asked Paul as he lifted the old-fash
toned leather-covered box from tn
wagon at the ranch house,
Gold and precious stones. likely
You know folks are all rich down il
New England, replied Theo.
Aunt Serena wouldn't bring those.
"Of course she wouldn't put in tina
lady herself coming from the dwellins
which was to be her home for a year
i guess know better than to bring
anything like that out here-why don't
you have a board walk instead of dirt
path to your house?"
This isn't Connecticut. Aunt: It's
Texas, an mighty near the Panhandle.
replied Paul. If you visit the Texans.
do as the Texans do; you know the
proverb.'
1T is not proverb, and you did not
quote it correctly; but hurry in with
the trunk"
So the heavy burden was with much
strainins of muscles on the part of the
two nephews, carried inside: but the
youths curiosity remained unsattsfed.
I've brought this twenty miles in a
wagon to-day. an ] ought to be told
what's in it, insisted Paul
So they waited while Aunt Serena
unpached.
Dresses, aprons, a few keepsakes-
out the articles came, all light Of weight
and furnishing no explanation OF the
mystery. But before the bottom was
reached the lid slammed shut and 10
more was to be seen.
Mighty funny she's 50 particular, "
commented Paul, as Theo and himself
sat on their ponies the following day.
couple Of miles from the cabin, watch-
ing the big cattle herd. I'm going 10
find out an right soon, too"
Make raid on the truuk?"
Don't know; but guess so. Father
and mother are going to take her over
to the school directors this afternoon.
III make a hunt then"
And he did. When he came back his
face was a study.
What dye Gnd?" asked Theo.
Couldn't guess it in a thousand |
years"
Gold, silver, iron, horseshoes, beans,
bullets?"
Your trail amt even warm-it's
salt"
What for?"
How do you suppose l know? I'm
goin' to ask her.
But Paul did not need to ask. Aunt
Serena suspected that he belongings
had been searched, and forestaIled any
comments by renarking at the break
fast table It's the purest, finest salt
I could get-a hundred pounds of it.
I've lived too long within smelling dis
tance Of salt water to risk having things
fresh. Even for a visit I wanted to be
prepared for emergencies, and besides,
suppose you use stock salt in Jumps
here"
Paul admitted that she was partly
right, and from that time the ranch
table was not without The aour-lfIEe. re-
fined product Of the eastern salt works
The sack was set inside the storeroom
door and was the subject Of many
joke in the family as well as among the
herders. I
Even the sturdy nephews were not
above referring to the freshness" that
their aunt expect to see in the south
west. r
But then it's just what you'd allow
TO find school teacher DOM" said
Paul His contempt for school teaca- :
srs, was. however, largely assumed. and
he often wished he We're capable Ct &
eacning the neighborhood school as I
his aunt was doing. He longed for her L
of books every time he saw o
Ter crossing the prairie to the sod u
chool house, a mile or more from the O.
anch, where all the settlers children II
.athered.
But something else was Of more d
ressing Importance The grass on the II
ange was becoming short, and the Sc 81
ere drouth had prevented the starting n
f a new growth. ry
We must move the stock down W
carer the ranch house ordered tie 70
hief herder; and the men allowed the til
attic 10 Craze closer to the corral.
Five thousand head of Texas cattle! gt
little sea Of horns, thin nervous faces, ",
larp backs and switching tails-it was co
difficult thing to manage, an army Sd
lat skill alone could control. For dr.
an or horse singiy they had neither be
spect nor fear; but a man on horse fri
'uld rule them. provided there were wa
Tough men on horses. to
AS the hot summer days merged into tn,
tumn, on rain came to start the grass Sta
something unezampled in the hle- wa
~ OF the ranch. Two o. threa ines gr,
herdera found 1t necessary to drive 20!
Q cattle several mnes TO, water, but ers
. sEsss nssg the TsEeh koass Fss