The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-12-12

Thursday Dec. u, 1907.
-
eye on the Bible and his sleeves rolled
up for hard duty was another. Tha
troopers cared little for sermonlzinr
but they honored service. Then. Il
was Jameson for whom the evangelist
was caring. And Jameson held the
very heartstrings Of the garrison.
As for Lounshury. Brannon enter
tanned him no less gladly. HIS was the
rare good humor that enlivens every
occasion. lie practiced at target shoot
ing with the enlisted men; he PLAYED
billiards with the officers; he dined.
made up sleigh rides. lent himself To
theatricals. furnished a fourth at cards
and ut the frequent dances led ont
homely ana pretty alike.
To David Bond it seemed as II tha
storekeeper We're Indifferent TO his own
dismissal from the shack. But one
morning the evangelist accidentally
came upon the younger man. He was
watching the bend through a tele-
scope. aud his face was anxious and
troubled.
Lancaster hasn't started for the
land office again." he said. Then, aft
er moments silence, i've just about
decided to go Bismarck way myself to-
day. When you can. will you let me
know how they are over thereY'
charles will keep ME posted" an
sWeFed the evangelist. and / shall
send you any news by the mail sleigh"
Thank YOU" said l.ounsbury sim
ply. "Goodhy" And at the noon mess
he was missing.
Al the shack the days were number
ed slowly for all their seant hours OF
light Sleep consumed most Of tba
time. The rest was taken by the meals.
the chores aud the effort Of keeplny
warm. The line Of calico covered books
helped to vary the monotonv. So did
the visits of Squaw Charley. But these
were becoming more brief now. Not
that Lancaster made them unpleasant
Charley was necessary to hlm-but
that the Indian was always in a fever
to be gone. Since the council his eyes
were less downcast, his face was less
stolid.
One day brought totally unexpect-
ed visitor, whoa Lancaster recognized
with some misgivings as the United
States land agent at Bismarck. The
section boss was soon treasured. how.
ever. The agent said that, having busi-
ness near Brannon and remembering
that Lancaster wished to file an entry
on the bend when the first Claimants
six months We're up, he had come by.
In the case of man who was hurt, he
said, the law allowed such q course.
The section boss. thus saved the ardu-
Gus trip signed the necessary papers
with jubilant mark.
Then came old Michael for time or
two. 1t seemed at first as If he were
to be a favorite. He could adapt him
self with ali the art of his race. And
before Lancaster he was intensely
southern IN his views, whipping the
north in many broguey strife. Until
lit befell through a slip of the aaRgue
"a slip that sent him packing s...sor
he boosted how in CO his f,.. d
hands had helped in plotting the j.
erals to Island No 10l
1t was an outcome that gave Dallas
/ little concern. Marylyn was her wor-
~. The younger girl was llstless, pale
and moody. Now and then Dallas be-
lieved she saw a look of actual suffer
| ing in her eyes. Once, awakening ia
the night, she heard her sob.
Marylyn was unhappy, and the
thought made the elder girl desperate.
This led her to plan: Lounsbury must
be asked to forgive their father and
come again-must be told of Marylyn's
confession.
Soon afterward a second worry pre-
sented itself, one fully as serious. The
provisions were dwindling, the seed
sacks shrinking fast and, estranged
from Lounsbury, they had nowhere to
ask credit but at the fort.
When Dallas spoke Of 1t TO her IA
ther, he chuckled. WAL, we got 81
mon, amt WEI" he said.
That same night Marylyn put down
her fork and stared across the table at
her sister. ''Why, Dallas, you don't
eatr' she complained.
Dallas laughed. Il don't work, hon.
ey," she answered.
The question OF fuel entered next
and became a grave one. So far the
weather had been fairly mild for the
place and the season. Now it took a
more rigorous turn. The bitter cold
was intensified by a stiff wind. Snow
began I'd fall, and the wind, growing,
drove the fakes level, so that they cut
the face like filings Of steel. Charley's
trims became uncertain. then impossi-
bic. The work Of getting out hay for
the stock was desperate tax. 1t was
SO difficult that Dallas dared not spare
a straw for the fireplace, and Ben and
Betty's manger had to be drawn upon
for wood. When this source OF supply
failed, the benches were sacrificed one
By one. the cupboard was torn down
and the bunk and part Of the table
were split into kindling.