Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1909-03-27
CHAPTER xvI.-continued.

Along about noon the tOOl-Shed-the
late lamented WaShy's boarding house
blew down with a bang Then the
Dora Bassett broke loose from her
moorings and drove into the cove head
first. She was bound to bang herself
to flinders unless somebody got to her
quick, so out l went into the storm.
did think maybe the Heavenlies
would offer to turn to and help, but
they was pitching half dollars at a
crack in the floor and was too busy to
think of anything else.
1 had sweet time blowing through
the sand against that wind and rain,
and when 1 got to the cove my job
was cut out for me. The sloop was
hard and fast aground on the fiat and
the tide was coming in. She couldn't
stay where she was, so 1 worked for
two hours up to my waist in ice water,
and more a-pouring on to me from the
clouds, getting her off and made fast.
The Twins did help me long towards
the last part of it. That is to say,
they set in an upstairs back window
and pounded on the glass and made
experimenting, as usual.
wish they could have heard some of
the language 1 hove back at 'em.
3
full 1 was.
l got supper without changing my
wet clothes, and when 1 woke up next
morning 1 decided without no argu-
ment that something else had hap
pened. 1 was took with the galloping
rheumatic my old trouble - and
couldn't move, scarcely, without
bowling same as a dog with his tail
shut in door. The fire was out-the
old chimney had unloaded half of its
top rigging in to the wind storm
was bad as ever, and there 1 was laid
up on the corn-husks. The Heavenlies
was worried. Breakfast was some
where's round the next corner.
Too bad, old man. says Hartley.
What can we do?"
'Do?" 1 answers, between yells. Il
don't care what you do. Only don't
bother me- Owl O-o-o-o! my Shout
der."
But what'll we do for eatables ?"
ask Van Brunt.
1 liked them fellers first rate and
they knew it. But now they made me
mad.
'-Do?" says I. ''Do? Why, scratch
for your living, same's I've had to do
all my daysi Work, consarn you!
work."
said considerable many other
things Twas sort of jerky talk-I
had to stop every minute to attend to
my shoulder-but there was meat in it.
They heard some plain truth that moth
ing but rheumatic could have fetched
out of me. / didn't skip nothing
leaStways 1 tried not to. l hope it
done 'em good; it seemed to help me
heap.
They went to work, but they was
way down in the primer class so far as
that branch of learning was concerned.
l could hear things falling around in
the kitchen and a million matches,
more or less, a-scratching, and / judged
that Hartley was trying to build a
fire. And under my window there was
the dickens of a humping and a most
astonishing number of cuss words, so
gathered that Van was chopping
wood.
L managed to hobble downstairs
about half past ten, but was in plenty
of time for breakfast. was feeling
too mean to have any appetite-which
was mercy, and I'm thankful for it
We had smoked mush, Wall street
style, and fried eggs with cinders, and
one cup of coffee for three. But that
cup was strong enough-owing to
Hartley's letting it bile for two hours
so nobody wanted any more.
The Twins was pretty well wore out
by this time, so neither of them would
wash dishes. They chucked 'em into
the kitchen sink and left them there.
Then they put in three or four hours
looking out of the window and swear
ing at the weather I stayed in the
armchair by the fireplace and did lit
tie or nothing but groan and rub alco-