The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-11-27

upon for possession and farmed for a
living. Now as she brushed the hearth
clean with the wing of a duck she lis
tened quietly to her fathers confident
boasting.
Its this way, NJ GAL" he said-he
compassed a goodly quid and shifted
it dexterously into the sagging pocket
of a cheek-"inside O six months after
a man files he's got T. dig q dugout er
put up a shanty. He's got T. do a lee
tie farm work an sleep on his claim.
When tibet six months is up eff he amt
done no buildin' er farmin' tn claims
abandoned, an tn first man comm
along en- hev it.
I'm this case tn gent in question
amt built, dug er farmed. Eff he was
t show up an want this quarter he
could get it by payin' fer our improve
ments. All reckon we'd hey t. sell an
pull our freight, but eff he was T. show
up an not pay like a honest man,
they 'd-they' d-waal. they'd likely be a
leetle disagreement"
Dallas shook her head. "If he comes
before his six months is up and i'm
proves, we got to go. That would be
the only square thing. Amt it 500"
"Waal-waaI'- stammered Lancas-
ter lamely.
at is" she said. HE fled on the
quarter, and we had no right to set
tie
We hev settled, an tn lam s goin
t. be worth money" broke In her ia
Their
She put up her hand. 1--WE got to go
if he comes, but'-she rose YEARLY
IF he didn't offer pay for our improve
ments how could we go or get through
the winter or build again next spring?
Our moneys gone"
Look a-here. Dallas" began her IA
Their GROSSLY, they amt no use t. worry
tn way you do. Winter is clost 1t
amt likely tn man1l come along this
late, an eff he don show up pretty
soon he amt got chanst cause when
his six months is gone Anil make an
other trip t Bismarck. contes' his
entry, hey it Cancelled an file. Then
Yves SAFE
She silenced him, for Marylyn was
entering. and quit the shack. Outside,
before the warped door, she paused
Hes always so sure of himself. but
ne can't do anything. And Marylyn-
oh, wish there was some one with US
now-some one that d help US If any
thing went wrong"
OF a sudden, looking down at her
hands, her eyes fell upon the crimson
stripes left across her palms by the
plow, and, in fancy, a horseman was
riding swiftly toward her from the
east again, while she leaned on the
cross brace and waited
Twenty miles," she said thoughtful
iy-"twenty miles" and turned the
marks under.
Sun baked, deep of rut and straight
as the flight of a crow lay the road
that led northeast from the swift,
shoally ford of the Missouri to the cat
tie camp at Clark's. 1t began at the
rough planking upon which the rickety
ferryboat, wheeling like some asth-
matte monster, discharged it's load of
soldiers or citizens and ran up through
the deep cut in the steep, caving river
bank. From there over the western
end of the Lancaster quarter, across
the coulee under a hub depth of mud
dy backwater-at the only point where
the sumac grown sides sloped grad
ually-it took its level, answering
way.
Twice only in its course did 1t touch
the ravine curving along near by it
once, six miles from the ferry landing.
where ON the limbs of a cluster of
giant cottOnwoods that grew in the
bottom of the gully. score of Indian
dead were dashed. their tobacco pipes,
jerked beef and guns under the blanket
wrappings that hid them, and again at
Murphy's Throat four miles farther
up, where the coulee narrowed until
man standing in its bed with arms
outstretched could place the tips of
his fingers against either rocky wall.
Beyond the Throat the crack in the
plains grew wider and shallower, veer-
ed out to the eastward and at last
came to an abrupt end in high mead
ow below the distant river bluffs.
For decades the road had been a
buffalo trail, a foot wide and half as
deep. that in the dry season guided
the herds in single file from the cak-
ing meadow to the distant waters of
the Missouri Then the travee poles Of
Indian tribes gave 1t the semblance of
a wagon track, the center of which
was worn bare by the hoofs of laden
ponies and the feet of trudging squaws,
and finally the numbering carts of trad
ers, the Stockholders of settlers and
those heavier wagons that roll in the
rear Of marching men made of the
track plain and hardened highway.
Down it that morning, approaching
to the accompaniment of loud talking,
the tramping of horses. the cracking Of
whips and the jingling of spurs. came
a long procession. Yet so absorbed
was Dallas in her blowing that not
until the head of it's column was close
I,ov onI he TINA 70