Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1911-02-11

errand, which was no more than be-
gun, it seemed. Entering the place
shortly before noon, l made pretense
of reading, all the while with an eye
and an ear out for anything that
might happen
AS l stared in pretense at the page
before me, / fumbled idly in pocket,
with unthinking hand, and brought out
to place before me on the table, an
object of which at first 1 was uncon-
scious-the little Indian blanket clasp
AS it lay before me 1 felt seized OF a
sudden hatred for it, and let fall on
it heavy hand AS l did so, hearo
a voice at my ear
'Mein Colt, man, do not! You
break it, surely
1 started at this. 1 had not heare
any one approach. 1 discovered now
that the speaker had taken seat
near me at the table, and could not
fail to see this object which lay be-
fore me.
81 beg pardon he said, in broken
speech which showed his foreign
birth; but it iss so beautiful; to
break it ISIS wrong
1 pushed the trinket along the table
towards him.
..'Tis of little value 1 said. land is
always in the way when 1 would find
anything in my pocket"
But once some one hass made 1t;
once it hass been value Tell me
where you get it?''
North of the Platte, in our west
ern territories 1 said. Il once traded
in that country
You are Americana"
Yes
So he said thoughtfully- so
great country, very great country
Me- also live in it
"Indeed?' said. In what part?
TT ISIS five years since 1 cross the
Rockies
envy you.
You meesunderstand me- 1 live
west of them for five years. | am now
come east
1 was afraid my eyes showed my
interest; but he went on.
81 hat been in the Columbia coun-
try. and in the Willamette country,
where most of your Americans are
settled. 1 know somewhat of Califor-
mia. Mr. Howard, of the Hudson Bay
Company, knows also of the country
of California. He said to those Eng
lish gentlemans at our meeting last
night that England should hat some
thing to Offset California on the west
coast; because, though Mexico claims
California, the Yankees really rule
there, and will rule there yet more
He ISIS right; but they laughed at
him.
"Oh, 1 think little will come of all
this talk 1 said carelessly. 1T is
very far, out to Oregon" Yet all the
had been there, at that very meeting
of which l could learn nothing!
You know not what you say A
thousand men came into Oregon last
year 1t ISIS like one of the great mi
grations of the peoples of Asia, OF
Europe I say to you, it ISIS great
epoch There ISIS a folk-movement
such as we hat not seen since the
days of the Huns, the Goths, the Van
dals, since the Cimri movement II
iss an epoch, my friendi 1t ISIS fate
that ISIS in it."
$50, then, it is a great country"
asked.
ct ISIS SO great, these traders do not
wish it known. They wish only that
it may be savage; also that their
posts and their harems may be undfs-
turbed. That ISIS what they wish.
These Scots go wild again, in the
Wilderness They trade and they trav-
ell, but it ISIS not homes they build
Sir George Simpson wants steel traps
and not plows west of the Rockies.
That ISIS ALI"
They do not speak SO of DIR. Nc
Laughlin,' / began tentatively
MY friend a great man, McLaugh-
lin, believe me, But he ISIS not Nc
Kay; he ISIS not Simpson; he ISIS not
Behrens; he ISIS not Colville; he ISIS
not Douglas And / say to you, as l
learned last night-you see, they
asked me also to tell what 1 knew of
Oregon say to you that last night
Mclaughlin was deposed.- He ISIS in
charge no more-so soon as they can
get word to him, he loses his place at
Vancouver"
after a lifetime in the servicei"
commented.
'Yess. after lifetime; and Nc
Laughlin had brain and heart, too. II
England would listen to him, she
| would learn something's He plants, he
p1ows, he hass gardens and mills and
houses and herds Yess, if they let
| Mclaughlin alone, they would hat
| civilization on the Columbia, and not
! a fu--trading post Then they could
| oppose your civilization there. That
| ISIS what he breaches Simpson
breaches otherwise Simpson loses
Oregon to England, it may be-"
Then you think there is a chance