The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-01-23
CHAPTER II.

The whole village knew before bed
time how Shickshack had threatened
the stranger. A community of interest
as swift as the telephone carried news
the length Of the winding street.
"Shickshack screeched loud enough
to be heard at Wolf" gasped Mahala
Cameron, telling the tale to her folks,
"and drew his knife and jumped at the
man like Wildcat"
"And Abe Lincoln and the other
boys caught him." put in Martha Bell
Clary, assisting her. "The mans horse
and the mail-carrier's horse both
\ reared up-they were scared nearly to
death like the rest of us! But just
as, soon as the boys caught hold of
Shfekshack he dropped his head and
stood, like he was ashamed"
"He's live Indian yet," said Ma
hala Cameron's father. Hell stir him
self and take scalp one Of these days.
I wonder what he had against the
stranger"
Rutledge's tavern entertained rare
travellers who stayed over night in
New Salem. The candles were all put
out early, yet before folks covered their
fires they had in some way absorbed
the facts about the new arrival. He
was well-spoken man, with a for
eign twist TO his tongue, inclined to
laugh at the rage of Shickshack, whom
he knew very we'll. He told openly
that he was Don Pedro Lorimer, a
sugar planter from the island of Cuba,
and that his errand through the states
was political in the main; though he
Intended when other matters pressed
Tim less, to remove his half wild young
cousin, Consuelo Lorlmer, from the
sare of the Indian, who had taken ad-
vantage of her fathers death on the
plains to adopt her.
A tropical sun had given him the
darkest skin ever carried by white
nan around New Salem. He walked
abroad in the early morning, and hav-
ng had Shickshack's closed house
pointed out to him. stood and looked
1t 1t smiling, without attempting to
enter.
The Indian and his adopted daughter
we're not seen abroad during that day,
though both of them were accustomed
10 live outdoors at all seasons. Shick-
shack said he loved to see the deer
galloping in the bottoms, or to watch
them as they gathered in herds, the
sun shining in their eyes.
New Salem was a single long and
winding street on high ridge, which
sloped so suddenly on both sides that
Ill the gardens ran down hill. Seen
from the schoolhouse, it looked like
huge wave of earth riding against
the northern horizon. The school
house, standing at the base Of another
ridge, was divided from the village by
deep ravine, through which ran q
small stream called Rock creek.
The schoolhouse was the only meet
ing place. Its log stack and white clay
chimney represented church, town hall
and theater-if SO goddess place as 9
theater had been allowed-in New
Salem. 1t was headquarters on mus.
ter days, and the arena of those wordy
wars which the pioneers called de.
bates. Eager to hear any strange, new
thing, the whole town hocked across
Rock creek as soon as candles begaI
to bloom like prmroses at dusk il
boot-shaped sconces on the schoolhoust
walls. 1t might be that the cousin O
Shickshaclls girl had not as much tt
say as he had given out that he had
But New Salem would hear him ant
judge. Minter Grayham's pupils-par
Hcularly the smaller ones-were linet
up on front benches, which their owl
long use had worn to the smoothnes
of glass. The stranger had advertise,
!. through their schoolmaster that h
would give the prize of a book to an,
boy or girl who could, at the close O
the lecture, stand up and spell cor
rectly the word Ompompanoosuck!
Unusual war had ragged on the play
ground at both recesses and noon con
corning the spelling of this wore
Camps divided to play Indian or horse
& thief met to wrangle over combina