Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1915-12-09

because the big fattened rocks
looked like turtles that had crawled
up out Of the cove to sun themselves,
Among these turtles she would lie,
watching the open mouth Of the noun
tain horseshoe in the vain hope that
Wilfred would appear from around the
granite wall.
1t was Brick who heard about Will
fred's adventures on leaving the Red
river ranch, and as all three sat ont
side b cabin In the dusk Of evening
he retailed them as gathered from q
recent trip to the corral.
1t was now ten years since the dis
covery had been made that in the west
ern part OF Indian Territory were H.
ouO,WU acres that had never been as
signed to the red man and which
therefore were public land, subject to
homestead settlement.
April %, 1889, had been appointed
as the day on which the Oklahoma
country was to be opened w to set
Element, and it was to meet this event
that Wilfred Compton bad left Greer
county. He was a uRit in that i'm
mense throng that waited impatiently
Tor the hour of noon, when would be-
, gin the mad rush for homes in a land
that had never known the incense of
b hearth or the civilizing touch Of
the pillow.
At noon, a wilderness, at night, a
land of tents, and the morrow, a set
tied country Of furrowed fields. "Pfo-
neer work is awful quick nowadays!"
grumbled Bill Atkins, as Brick conclud-
ed. ut wasn't so in my time. Up
there in the Oklahoma country, fifty
years have been squeezed into a weeks
time. It's like a magician making a
seed grow and sprout and blossom
right before the audience"
Its a great story" Brick declared,
with enthusiasm. II reckon it's the
greatest story that America can put
out in the pioneering line. There they
had everything in twenty-four hours
that used to wear out our ancestors
%Injuns, unbroken land, no sign of life
for hundreds of miles-and just a turn
of the hand and cities is a-coming %
out Of the ground, and saloons and
churches is rubbing shoulders, and
there's talk Of getting out newspapers.
What do you think of it. h%oney?'
Lahoma was sitting in grave silence,
her hands clasped in her lap. She turn
ed slowly and looked at Wilcox.
Brick, I'm disappointed"
"''Which?' asked Wilcox. somewhat
taken aback. "Whcre?"
"In HMM Wiifred."
"As how So"
"Going into that wilderness life, in
stead of taking his place in the world"
"Well, honey, if he hadn't come to
this Wilderness, you'd never of saw
him"
Eyes, but he wasn't settled, and now
he's settled in it,
"Ain't we in the same boX?"
Eyes, and that's why l mean to get
out Of it some day. But it's different
with him. He's chosen his box and
gone in and shut the lid OH himself.
I'm disappointed in him."
We'll let it go ut that" muttcred
Bill, who was anxious to turn LaAo-
mas mind from thoughts OF Wilfred.
"We'n just go ahead and look for new
prospects,"
Not till I make a remark" said Will
lock, laying aside his pipe. Honey,
do you know what l mean by a Vi
sion? 1t calls for q big vision to take
in a big person. and you amt got it.
Maybe it wasn't meant for women or
at least Il girl Of fifteen to see further
than her own foot tracks, so no blame
laid and nobody judged, according. If
you don't see nothing in that army of
settlers going into Il raw land and fall
ing to work to make it bloom like tie
irose, asserting out to live in solitude
for years that in due time the world
may be richer by Il great territory,
why, you amt got a big vision"
, Lahoma did not reply, and Bill fear
led that under the conviction Of her
friends eloquence she had begun to
idealize the efforts Of Wilfred Comp
ton. He need not have been afraid.
To her Imagination big people were
not living in dugOutS or tents far from
civilization. Big people were going
to the opera every night and riding
in splendid carriages along imposing
bOulevards every day.
II reckon it amt right" said Brick
Wilcox to Bill Atkins as they went
one morning to examine their traps
before Lahoma was astir, "tO keep our
little gal to ourselves as we're doing.
You're getting old, Bill, awful ODD
well, - It," growled Bill, 81 guess
| don't have to be told. She's only
seventeen years old"
Eyes, she was only seventeen years
old two years ago, but she's nineteen
now"
Bill Atkins sank upon n rock at the
foot OF n brlstling cedar, "Nineteen!
Who, Iahomu? Then where've ] been
all the timoY"