Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1909-02-10
CHAPTER x.-contInued.

L II go you, says Martin, shocking
his jacket. "Sol, what do 1 do next?"
l showed him. l started 'em even
on cucumber beds. They hoed like
they went by steam. You never see
such ambitious farmers in your life as
they was-just then.
Kind of hard work, amt it," says
I, watching their front hair get damp
and stick to their foreheads.
Work." says Van. This is recrea-
ton, mani"
"All right" l says. "Heave ahead
and recreate. I've got to work, my
SELF"
So went in and swept out the din
ing room. Once in a while, through
the open window, I'd get sight of EN-
laying into the cucumber beds, with
the sun blazing down. 1 grinned
When the boots been on one leg too
long it's kind Of nice to see somebody
else's corns get pinched.
When they. come in to dinner they
was just stopping over with joy. Gar
dening was more fun than barrel of
monkeys. But l noticed that when
Van got up from the table he riz kind
Of STEADY by jerks" as If he had kinks
in his back, and Martin moved his
shoulders slow and easy and said
"Ouch!" under his breath when he
reached too far.
They didn't seem to be in any real
hurry to get back to work, either.
Stayed on the porch, and smoked two
cigars instead of one. l had to chuck
out a hint about getting them seeds
covered up quick afore they'd leave
their chairs. Then they went, and l
could see the hoes moving; but they
moved slower.
They turned in right after supper,
which was unusual. Next morning /
didn't hear word about gardens. The
conversation was pretty limited and
doleful, being separated with grunts
and groans, SO to speak. When Van
Brunt dropped his napkin he hollered
to me to come and pick it up, and
Hartley fed with his left hand and
kept the right in his jacket side peck
ct. They didn't seem to enjoy that
meal half so much as l did.
Well" says l, to brighten things
up; Il caplate them cucumbers is
ready to eat, pretty nigh, by this time.
Started on your corn, yet? No? Well,
you mustn't lose no time. It's late in
the season now. Come along with me
and I'll get you going"
headed for the door as l spoke.
They looked at each other again.
It's pretty cloudy for planting, isn't
it?" asks Hartley. I'VE might be
caught in the rain. you know
Rain your granny" says l. Then
clouds is nothing but heat fog. TIN
burn right off,
Wait till We finish our cigars, skip
per-" says Van.
NO." says 1. You can smoke and
plant at the same time. Smoke IL
drive away the mosquitoes"
They got up then and followed me
out. The hoes was laying by the beds
and 1 handed 'em one apiece. They
took 'em, not with what you'd call en-
thusiasm, but more the way the boy
took the MISUNDERSTANDING twas more
blessed to give than to receive. The
cucumber beds was begun beautiful,
the first hills rounded up fine and
lovely. But the tail-end ones looked
like the pauper section Of the burying
ground, more useful than ornamental.
/ showed 'em how to plant the corn
and went away, leaving 'em leaning on
their hoes, with a kind of halo of
mosquitoes around their heads. My
talk about smoke was more or less
sarcastic; the mosquitoes on Horse.
foot Ozone was smoke-cured and FIRE
proof.
got the breakfast work done about
ten o'clock and then twas time to go
after the pig and the hens. took the
skin oars out of the barn and then
walked around by the gardens to see
how things was getting on. There laid
the hoes by the place where the corn
hills was intended to be, but there
want any corn-hills nor any Heavenly