Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1898-03-18
like pharaoh's Hosts.
BY Albert Bigel0w Paine.

N7HERE the city of Topeka, Kan.
w stands to-day there was once a
trading post 40 years ago, and the coun-
try roundabout was but sparsely settled.
The winter had been unusually long
and hard, and many of the farmers
found their stock of groceries and other
provisions running low long before
the roads became passable for teams.
Trips to the post were made on foot
and horseback, and, by few who lived
along the Kaw river and were fortunate
enough to own them, on skates.
Among these were Robert Chan
ming, boy of 16, and his sister Eliza,
q healthy red-cheeked girl two years
younger. The Channings had moved to
Kansas from western New York the
summer before, and Bob" and LILA"
had brought their skates along as a
matter of course. A little before Christ
mas they had made the trip together
to the post, dragging hand-sled be-
tween them, and returning with few
Christmas trifes the post afforded, and
such necessarjes as were running low at
that time. A severe storm set in the
next day and continued for more than
a week. Then came week of intense
cold, followed by rain and a general
breaking up which made the roads
worse than ever before. The river, how
ever, still remained frozen over and the
ice was considered safe, though some
what mushy in places along the edge.
It was Just at this time that the Chan
nings found themselves entirely out of
coffee and very low on bacon, with no
other meat whatever. "Bob" and ''Liza'
were eager to make the 15-mile trip
again, and Immediately began cleaning
and sharpening their skates for that
purpose, but Mr.. Charming shook his
head.
II don't like to have you do it," he
said, anxiously.
"Why, father, the rivers safe. Just
little wet, that's all" replied 'Bob,"
gayly. -.
81 think the rivers all right myself
after the hard freeze we had. 1t wasn't
that I was thinking off,
'What then! Not robbers, hope?"
mo, not human robbers, but worse,
perhaps. This hard winter has been
felt by beasts as we'll as men. And
beasts come to men when they're hum
CRY. I thought heard wolf howl
this morning across the prairie. I'm
not sure. but it makes me uneasy to
have you 60"
"Oh, pshaw; I'm not afraid Of a cow
ardly wolff" said "Bob," rather grand
ly. care you, Liza?
Eliza was not to be outdone.
''No; of course not" she assented
'"They couldn't catch us, anyway, and
you can take fathers pistol"
Mr.. Charming went outside and
looked out over the prairie listening.
There was no sound but the cawing of
some hungry crows, and the cup OF
coffee he had missed that morning
weakened his resolve. Mrs. Charming,
who was a hardy New England wom-
an, did not encourage his misgivings.
Half an hour later he saw his two fresh
checked children skate away with
swinging stride, the little hand sled
bobbing along behind.
1t was pleasant thaw morning, and
though there were pools of water on the
ice in places the skating was not bad.
Once or twice the skaters thought they
felt the frozen surface give beneath
them, and concluded that perhaps after
all there would not be many more days
of safety. They reached the post how
ever without accident, except that,one
of "Liza's' skate straps broke and
had to be repaired, which caused some
little delay. They ate lunch at the
store, and after loading the sled started
back about three o'clock.
They felt almost Immediately that
the warm day had told on the already
ice Every few strokes there
was a cracking beneath their feet and
IN almost imperceptible swaying move
uent of the frozen mass. you had
better skate on ahead, Liza" said
Bob" at last. ''There is too much
weight with both of us and the sled.
[ can drag it all right, and I'll let you
Aake it awhile later"