The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-11-23

L
i cash in the brown level of the
ESsszFM Dakota prairie, for the su-
Iy mach, dyed by the frosts of
the early autumn, covered It's sides like
II cloth whose upper folds were thrown
far over the Drinks of the winding ra-
vine and, southwark, half way to the
new cottonwood shack Of the Lancas-
ters. Near it, dark band against the
flaming shrub, stretched the plowed
strip. narrow, but widening with each
slow circuit of the team as the virgin
grass grown land was turned by the
mold board to prepare for the corn
planting of the coming spring.
The sun, just risen, shone coldly up
on the plain. and a wind, bearing with
it hint of raw weather and whirling
snow, swept down the Missouri valley
from the north, marshaling it's front
hosts of gabbling ducks and honking
geese that were taking noisy flight
from a region soon to be buried and
already bleak. Yet. with all the chill
In the air. Ben and Betty, the mules,
steamed as they toiled to and fro and
lolled out their tongues with the
warmth of their work and the effort Of
keeping straight in the furrow, and
Dallas, following in their wake with
the reins about her shoulders and the
horns of the plow in q steadying grasp,
took off her SLOUGH hat at the turnings
to bare her damp forehead, drew the
sleeve of her close fitting jersey across
her face every few moments, and at
last, to aid her in making better prog
ress. as we'll as to cool her ankles.
brought the bottom of her skirt
through the waistband front and back
and walked in her red flannel petit
coat. AS she travelled she looked sky
ward occasionally with n troubled face
and. resting but seldom. urged the
team forward. Clear weather and sun
shine would not long continue. and the
first field on the claim must be turned
up and we'll narrowed before the open
ing of winter
Come. Ben. come" she called coax
ingly to the nigh mule. IF you don't
dig in now. how d. you expect to have
anything to eat next winter? Betty,
Betty, don't let Ben do it all; I'm
talking TO you too. Come along, come
along"
Ben and Betty. lean and gray with
age. bent willingly to their labor at
the sound of her voice. Their harness
es creaked a monotonouS complaint
with their renewed efforts; the Golfer
came whining behind them. AS Dali
las gently slapped the lines along their
backs now and then to emphasize her
command clouds OF dust which had
been gathered as mud in the buffalo
wallow where they went each evening
to roll assembled and were blown away.
Faithfully they pulled, not even lift
ing an eyelid or tapping an ear in
protest when Simon. the stray year
ling bull that had adopted the claim
as its home and tagged Dallas every
who're, beloved about their straining
legs or loitered at their very noses
and impeded their way.
r. Flowing was strange work to the pa
I tent mules and 10 the girl who was
guiding them. To her the level prairie,
rank with soldenrod. pink lowered
+ smartweed and purple aster. was q
land of wondrous growth. For twenty
years her home had been an arid mesa
/ far TO the south. where her father
! captained the caretakers of spur
railroad track. The most western sta
! ton house in Texas. standing amid
I thorny mesquite. was her birthplace
! and that OF her sister Marylyn. The
/ gray plateau across which the embank-
fnent led was their playground. There
! they grew TO wonlanhood under the
careful guidance % their fran north
/ era torn mother.