Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1915-11-25
CHAPTER v.

wood that supported him, while
Wilcox calmly stretched him
self out on the grass. SIS that
a book?' she asked, by way of opening
up the conversation.
The man gripped it tighter and
moved his lips busily. AS she remain
edsat his knee, he presently said, "Oh.
no,,it's Il hand organ!'
Lahoma smiled pityingly. care you
afraid of me, Atkins"
The man looked up with open mouth.
Not exactly, kid"' There was some
thing in her face that made him lose
interest in his book. He kept looking
at.her.
"Then why don't you tell the truth?
We won't hurt you"
The man opened his mouth and closed
it. Then he said, cts q book"
did you ever read it before?"
"This is the third time I've read it."
Seems as it hasn't accomplished no
good.on you, as you still tell lies"
4 The man rose abruptly and laid the
book on the seat. His ann was
quite as discouraging as it had been
from.the start.
Honey i%nterposed Wilcox, that
~ain't.to say a lie, not a real lie"
els it a hand organ?" Lahoma de-
manded sternly.
"In a manner of speaking, honey, it
is, q hand organ in the sense Of shut
ting you off from asking questions.
You learn to distinguish the sauces Of
speech as you gets older. Out in the
bfg"world people don't say this or that
according as it is. They sleeps their
words<in q sauce as suits the digestion.
Don't be so quick to call lies till you
learns the favor Of a fellows meaning,
not by his words. but by the sauce he
sleeps 'em in"
Don't get mad at me- said Lahoma
to'the trapper. II want to be civilized.
and I am Investigating according"
The trapper, somewhat conciliated,
reseated himself. He regarded the
girl with greater interest, not without
a certain approval. "How comes it
that you aren't civilized, living with
such a knowing specimen as your ia
ther?'
my fathers dead. Brick is my
cousin, but I not knowing nothing Of
him till he. saved my life two years
ago and after that, me with the In
dams and him all alone. Would you
like to hear about it,"
II wouldn't bother him, honey, with
all that long story" i%nterposed Will
lock, suddenly grown FESTIVE.
eyes, tell me-" said the trapper, NOV
ing owe that she might find room on
the block Of wood beside him.
1--WE was crossing the plains-father,
mother and me-in Il big wagon. And
men dressed up like Indians, they come
whooping and shooting, and father
turns around and drives with all his
might-drives clear to yonder noun
tain. And mother dies. being that sick
before, and the jolting too much for
her. So father takes me on his horse
and rides all night, and I all asleep.
Well, those same men dressed like In
dams, they was in a cabin way up
north and had put their wigs and
feathers off and was gambling over
what they stole from the other was-
ons SO father he sees the light from
the window and rides up with me.
And they takes him for q spy, and says
they in a voice awful fierce just this
way, Kill 'em both!"
The trapper gave a start at the eX-
~Dlosiyeness of her tone.
Lahoma shouted again as harshly as
she could, "'Kill EN- both says they"
Then she turned to Wilcox. Did I
put them words in the correct sauce,
Brick?"
"You done noble. honey"
Lahoma resumed: "Now it was in a
manner of happening that Brick, he
was riding around to have q look at
the country, and when be rides up to
the cabin, why. right outside there was
me and father and two Of the robbers
Gbout to kill us. What are you devils
UP to?' says Brick. You go to -!
says the leading man. That's where
we're going to send this spy and his
little girl says he. You go to -,
and maybe you'll meet 'em there he
says. And with that he ups and shoots
at Brick, the bullet lifting his hat right
off his head and soaring the horse out
from under him, so he falls right there
at the feet of them two robber men on
his back. Brick, he never harmed no.
body before In his life, but what was
he to do? He might of let them kill
him, but that would Of left father and
me in their grip, SO he just grabs the
gun out Of the leading mans hand, as
he hadn't ever carried a gun in his life
his own self, and he shot both them
robbers, him still laying there on his
back"
"No, honey; / got up about that
time
Brick, you told me you was still
laying there on your back just as you
fell"
"Did !, honey? Well, | reckon I was.
then, for when ! told you about 1t 1t
was moro recent"