Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-10-28

l
 warm-sharpish nights on the prairi
 fin August-but darn it, Mattie," wrir
 king up his nose in disgust, q hat
 the sight of the brutesr
 ''But you wouldn't be afraid of
 man, Will"
 Well, mo-" admitted he. "I've ney
 CT been troubled much that way. YO
 see, everybody has a different fear t
 throw a crimp in them. Mines rattle
 snakes and these little bugs with fort,
 million pairs of legs. I pass right Ou
 when I see one of them things. The,
 give me a feeling as if my stummicl
 had melted"
 Weren't the Indians terrible ou
 there, too?" asked Miss Mattie. "In
 sure they must have been."
 "Oh, they ain't bad people if yo,
 use em right" said Red Not that
 like 'em any better on the ground than in it." he added hastily, fearfu
 of betraying the sentiment of his country, but I never had but one req argument man to man. Black Wolf and l come together over a matter o1
 who owned my cayuse, and from words we backed off and got to shoot ing. He raked me from knee to hip, as was kpeeling down, doing the best could by him and wasting ammuni, tion because I was in hurry. Still, l did bust his ankle. In the middle of the fuss stray shot hit the cayuse ill the head, and he croaked without a remark, so there we were, a pair of fools miles from home with nothing left to quarrel about! You could have fried an egg on rock that day, and it always makes you thirsty to get shot anyways serious, thinking of which hollered peace to old Black Wolf and told him I'd pull straws with him to see who took my canteen down to the creek and got some fresh water. He was agreeable and we hunched up to each other. It aint to my credit to say 1t, but I was worse hurt than that Injrn, so I worked him. He got the short straw, and had to crawl a mile through cactus, while I sat comforta- ble on the cause of the disagreement and yelled to him that he looked like a badger and other things that an In jun wouldn't feel was compliment" Red leaned back and roarcd. "I can see him now putting his hands down so careful and turning back every once in awhile to cuss me. Turned out that 1t was his cayuse too. Teller that sold it to me had stole it from him. I oughtn't to laugh over it, but I can't help but snicker when I think how I did that Injun."
 Generally speaking, Miss Mattie had a lively sense of humor, but the joke of this was lost on her. Her educa- tion had been that getting shot was far from funny.
 Why, I should have thought you would have died, Willw
 What! For a little crack in the legF' cried Red, with some impatience. You people must quit easy in this country. Die nothin'. One of our boys came along and took us to camp, and we was up and doing again in no time. Course, Black Wolf has a game leg for good, but the worst that's stuck to me is a yank or two of rheu- matism in the rainy season. I paid Wolf for his cayuse," he finished shamefacedly. T had the laugh on him anyhow"
 Miss Hattie told him she thought that was noble of him, which tribute Red took as medicine and shifted the subject with speed to practical affairs He asked Miss Hattie how much mon- ey she had and how she managed to make out. Now, it was one of the canons of good manners in Fairfield not to speak of material matters, per laps because there was so little ma terial matter in the community, but Mss Hattie, doomed to a thousand rksOme petty economies, had often onged for sympathetic ear to pour nto it q good honest complaint of hat ng to do this and that She could not exactly go this far with Cousin Will. | put she could say it was pretty hard | o get along and gave some details. ! She felt that she knew him so very well in those few hours! Red heard . with mods of assent. He had scented | he conditions at once. Tt ain't any fun skidding ou the l hin ice" said he when they had con- { 'luded the talk. I've had to count the { 'eans put in the pot. and it made me nate arithmetic worse than when vent over wonder to school. We'll. hem days have gone by for you, Mat ie." He reached down and, pulling ut green roll. slapped it on the cen CT table. Blow that in and Timber ID and remember that there's more ,ehind it"
 Miss Mattie's pride rose at a leap. will" she said. ''I hope you don't hink I've told you this to get money rom you"
 He leaned forward. put his hand on Ier shoulder and held her eyes with a udden access of sternneSs and au- hOrity
 And I hope. Hattie" said he, that on don't think that I think anything f the kind"
 The cousins stared into each others res for a full minute: then Miss Mat Ie spoke. No. Will" said she. T ont believe you do"
 T shouldn't think I did" retOrted ed What in thunder would I do 'ith all that money! Why, good ord, girl. I could paper your house -ith Sl0 bills, Now yoa try to fy