Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1907-12-26

throw a crlmp in them. Mines rattle
snakes and these little bugs with forty
million pairs of legs. l pass right out
when | see one of them things. They
give me feeling as if my stummick
had melted
Weren't the Indians terrible out
there, too" asked Miss Matte. I'm
sure they must have BEEN
''Oh. they amt bad people if you
use 'em right" said Red. Not that
like 'em any better on the ground
than in It," he added hastily. fearf;l
of betraying the sentiment of hi
country, but | never had but one real
argument man to man. Black WOii
and | come together over a matter %
who owned my cayuse, and from
words we backed off and got to shou-.
ing. lie raked me from knee to hip, as
I was kneeling down, doing the best
I could by him and wasting ammuni-
ton because | was in hurry Still.
did bust his ankle. In the middle OF
the fuss stray shot hit the cayuse H.
the head, and he croaked without a
n.
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. lie
was agreeable and we hunched up to
each other. 1t amt to my credit to
say 1t, but l was worse hurt than that
Injun, so / worked him. He got the
short straw, and had to crawl mile
through cactus, while | sat comforta.
and yelled to him that he looked like
badger and other things that an In.
jun wouldn't feel was a compliment"
Red leaned back and roared. 81 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. Feller that
sold II to me had stole 1t from him. J
oughtn't to laugh over it, but / cant
help but smoker when | think how
did that Injun."
Generally speaking, Miss Matte had
q lively sense of humor, but the jok.
Of this was lost on her. Her edIca
ton had been that getting shot was
far from funny.
"Why. | should have thought yol
would have died, WIFI
what. For a little crack I'm tho
leg?' cried Red, with some impotence
'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 game
leg for good, but the worst that's
stuck to me is yank or two of rheu-
matism in the rainy season. ! paid
Wolf for his cayuse," he finished
shamefacedly. Il had the laugh on
him anyhow"
Miss Matte 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 Matte 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-
haps because there was so little ma
terlal matter In the community, but
Miss Matte, doomed to a thousand
irksome petty economies, had often
longed for sympathetic ear to pour
into 1t good honest complaint of hat
ing to do this and that. She could not
exactly go this far with Cousin Will,
but she could say 1t was pretty hard
to 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
the conditions at once.
sit amt any fun skidding on the
thin ice," said he when they had con-
cluded the talk. 1--WE had to count the
beans put In the pot, and 1t made me
hate arithmetic worse than when l
went over yonder to school. Well,
them days have gone by for you, Mat
tie." He reached down and, pulling
out green roll, slapped 1t on the Gen.
ter table. BLOW that In and timber
up and remember that there's more
behind It."
Miss Mattie's pride rose at leap.
''Will," she said, II hope you don't
think I've told you this to get money
from you"
He leaned forward, put his hand on
her shoulder and held her eyes with a
sudden access of sternness and au-
thority.
"And hope. Matte" said he, "that
you don't think that think anything
Of the kind"
The cousins stared into each others
eyes for full minute: then Miss Mat
de spoke. mo, WILL" said she, II
1on't believe you do"
II shouldn't think did," retorted
Red. what In thunder would do
with all that money? Why, good
Lord. girl, could paper your house
with $40 bills! Now you try to fy
them green kites, like l tell you"
Miss Matte broke down. The not full
" realized strain OF fifteen years had
made itself felt when the cord snap
ped. II don't know how to thank you.