The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1915-10-28
CHAPTER VIII.
The Half Opened Bud.


MSk away at the mountain with
M W the precipice," Lahoma con-
tinued after she had told
about the wonderful window. But it
was too far off. When he got to know
me it tired him walking this far twice
a day, morning and night. SO ut last
Brick and Bill decided to cut some
cedars from the mountain and make
me Il cabin. They took the dugout to
sleep in. There are two rooms in the
cabin-one. the kitchen. where we eat,
and the other. my parlor. where l
sleep. Some time you shall visit me
in the cabin if Brick and Bill are will
ing. They made it for me. so couldn't
ask anybody in unless they said So"
I'VE aren't far enough along" OBJ
served Bill, Ito be shut up together
under a roof
I'D like to hay e you visit my par
lor," Lahoma said somewhat wistfully.
I'D like to show you all my books.
They were Bills when we first met
him. but since then he's given me ev
erything he's got, haven't you, old
.BiIl?" Lahoma leaned over and patted
the unyielding shoulder.
She resumed. her face glowing with
sudden rapture: There are six books
half dozen! Maybe you've heard of
some of them. Bills read 'em over
lots of times He begins with the first
on the shelf, and when he's through
the row he just takes 'em up all over
again. like to read parts of them
the interesting parts. This is the way
they stand on the shelf: The Children
of the Abbey'-that's Bills favorite;
The Scottish Chiefs David Copper
field The Talisman.' The Prairie
The Last of the Mohicans.'
And SO your cabin was built VIII
fred prompted her. land the men took
the dugout."
"Yes, and then-oh! The most won
derful thing happened. A family set
tied in the arm of the mountain at the
west end-a family that had a woman
and a baby in it. For three years l
had the mother and her baby to show
me how to be woman. Then came
the soldiers Brick thinks big cattle
king stood in with congress, and he got
the soldiers sent here to drive out all
the settlers because they were begin
ming to farm the land instead Of letting
it grow wild. for the cattle. Anyway
all the settlers We're driven out of the
country, and it's been four years since
/ lost my only friends in the world
except Brick and Bill. What makes
me and Brick and Bill mad is that the
soldiers didn't have any right to drive
out the settlers, because Texas claims
this country, and so does the United
States. but it's never been settled"
But they didn't drive you out
You see," Brick explained simply,
I'VE didn't want to 60"
1T nearly broke Mrs. Featherby's
heart to have to leave" Lahomn added,
''for they'd got a good stand of wheat,
and l think she liked me most as well
as liked her. But Mr.. Featherby
came from Ohio. and he had respect to
the government, so when the soldiers
said go he pulled up stakes"
eve amt got no respect to nothing"
Brick explained. that stands in the
way of doing what we're a mind to-
The soldiers come to force Us out. but
changed their minds. We will stay
here at anchor till Lahoma steams out
into the big world with sails spread.
Nothing amt more sheltering than
knowing you have moral right and a
dependable gun
$50 that's about ALL" Lahoma went
on. 'These past four years we've just
been to ourselves, with a long journey
once year to the settlements. And
I've tried to do like Mrs Featherby
used to do and be like she was. She'd
been to Europe. too. and she'd taught
school in New England. She was like
you-right out of the big world She
came out here because the family was
awful poor. Is that why you left the
big world?"
Wilfred shook his head I'm poor
enough" he said. "but it wasn't that
1t was girl"
Brick Wilcox explained: Hes got
q sweetheart He's been carrying her
letters for about two years He's
done spoke for. Lahoma. staked out,
as a fellow might say. and squatted
on
Lahoma looked at him in breathless
interest. "A girl out in the big world? ?
Completely civilized, | reckon! Was
the as old as am?"
"She is nineteen Years old and so
thoroughly civilized that she thinks
this part of the world is still oyerrun
with Indians and buffaloes. She
wouldn't live out here for a fortune.
and she wouldn't marry a man back
east without one. That's why I'm
here. i didn't have the fortune"