Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-11-06

schooner. Then the old section boss, with his crutches beside him and his daughters seated in the all but empty box behind, said husky farewell to the men crowding around the wagon and started the mules along the road that led northward beside the rails.
 He gave no backward glance at the wind battered house where he had brought an ailing bride. Instead, eager to leave that plain of flying sand and scanty grasses, he drove the team rapidly forward, bound for a country where there were wells and not water cars, where rain fell oftener and where food, both for man and beast, could be got easily from the earth. But Dal- las, seated in the schooner's bed, her weeping sister held soothingly against her breast, watched, dry eyed, as a mound by giant mesquite faded slowly from her sight and saw her girlhood's home give way as light house sinks behind a speeding vessel until only it's gray sprinkled roof showed through the scattered trees. Then, after pillowing Marylyn's head on a Navajo blanket beside the swash- ing water cask, she climbed forward to the drivers seat and took the reins from her father.
 It was April, and when the mesa was left far to rearward a world almost forgotten by the crippled section boss burst in new, green loveliness upon his desert children. Towering pines and spreading oaks, lush grass strewn with blossoms, clear running streams and gay feathered birds replaced thirsty vegetation, salt lakes and hov- ering vultures. They travelled slowly, each day bringing some fresh delight to ear and eye, until one evening in the waning Dakota summer they camped beside great crooked split in the prai. rie, on fiat peninsula made by sweeping westward bend of the muddy Missouri.
 Across the river from their stopping place, where an amber sun was going down, the horizon was near High bluffs, like a huge windbreak, stood upon the plain, leaving at their feet only enough space for the whitewashed frame buildings of Fort Brannon. But to the east the paralleling bluffs lay at distance and broke their ridgeback far up the scarlet coulee; from where, southward, stretched a wide gap-ten broad and gently undulating miles that ended at the slough studed base of Medicine mountain. Even Lancas- ter, as he stood bareheaded under the unclouded sky, looked about him upon acres heavy with tangled grass and weeds, and pleased with the evident richness of the untouched ground and with the sheltered situation of the claim on the bend, swore that the white topped schooner, with its travel stained crew of three, had found on the yellow pillows of that northern prairie its permanent moorings at last.
 The felling and hewing of cotton woods for the shack had occupied the first few weeks that followed, citizen carpenters from Brannon doing the heavy cutting and lifting But when the little house stood, it's square log room and dirt floor open to the sun, Dallas performed her part of the build ing, and matched the hip roof with coarse grass from a meadow. Next, the well was dug. and the barn built as a lean-to, for the Lancasters knew little, but had heard much. about the bliZzards of the territory. Then, while the elder girl covered the slanting raft CTS over Ben and Betty's stalls. the sec ton boss hauled scanty stock of hay and provisions from Clark'S, a cattle camp and settlement to the northeast. And finally. when shack and barn were alike done, Dallas put the mules to the end of an oak beam and took up the task of blowing.
 Now she was winding at black rat that was gradually growing upon the brown carpet of the prairie. Up and down she walked, her whiplash trail ing behind her like a lively snake, her hands striving to guide the cleaving share she followed. look of deep con tent. despite all fear for bad weather. upon her sun Drowned face.
 But while working the morning hours slowly away she gave full attention to the holding mules and the young bull struggling at their head. she did not stop to watch the fiOcks winging by above her or to look or to where the plains fell away from the pale azure line of the sky. so she failed to see. at the middle of the long forenoon. a group of dark figures that came into sight tO the eastward and moved slow ly forward in the direction of the bend.
 Toward noon. however. the furTows were turned less regularly. Ben and Betty were so tired that they DO longer drew evenly. but waver0d from side to side Agan and again the of mule terked the share out of the sod. Each time Dallas patiently cirCled tho team and steered it hack into place again. for her arms were not strong enough to swing the pIow on the whifFletrees- And each time simon caught sight of her red flannel pettieoat. and faint. half awakened objections stirring be- heath his sprOuting horns came back to challenge the Eoading color and butt her crossIy in the skirts
 Just tefOre dinner time and halfEay Of the plOwed strip. going east. Dallas suddenly lifted her shoulders to tight en the slack of the reEnS. Iet % the horns and brought the mHIes to a stand. and then as they halted with lnunrr.l hea1s sha eanrhf ssrhf Of fhe