The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1917-11-08
lCopyright, by shorts,ory rub, Coz

| another animal heavily packed made
! his way slowly along the road which
| follows the windngs OF thu North
| Platte river--that tickle and irrespon
sible stream, now high, now low, cut
ting new channels. undermining groves
and sanding meadows
The water was high and rising. The
read only few feet above It's level
was sloppy and slippery from recent
| rain.
The read became heavier, and the
man locked about vainly for some shel.
tered spot where he might camp On
his right hand the river flowed darby,
to the left the valley, even rs noor,
and scarcely above the river level ex-
tended for mile to high and broken
cliff The only break within the pros.
pect was distant clump of three or
four great cottonwoods beside the
stream; and muttering that he would
spend the night In treetop to get or
the sodden earth, the man heade,.
toward them.
The drizzle had now become a sharp
sleet which fell noisily, and was rap
idly changing the tone of the land
scape from dull green TO CLASSY white
when he drew rein at the cottonwood
The trees stood upon a slight rise
OF ground, and the man, now pulling
up the hat-brim which had sheltered
his face from the sharp sleet, saw to
his surprise, that he had halted he
tween two cabins built beneath their
shade. The little earth. rooted build.
lngs OF one room each stood face to
face at distance of some 40 feet.
Twins" said the traveller.
The door of one cabin opened wide
and a man In buckskin shirt sur,
veyed the newcomer, closing the door
with bang when the traveller sprang
from his horse
Hello" shouted the horseman,
hammering on the door; you are d.
hospitable."
You bet" said voice behind him;
come right in. A rough day. Looks
like Uncle Billy left the cover off the
ice box, don't it," And In the door of
the other cabin stood, apparently, the
same man, inviting him to enter and
be at home.
Twins" calculated the astonished
traveller.
Put your horse In the stable and
come in" repeated the settler. Il got
rheumatic and don't like to get wet"
AS for that, don't like to get wet"
the man replied, going around the
house.
After caring for his stock, the trav.
eler came into the cabin.
Il don't like to get wet" he said;
Il hate it as bad as cat But I've
been wet for three days. I'm chasing
the Doan outfit of surveyors. Have
you seen them?"
Nobody takes the valley road in the
spring" replied his host; you ought |
to know enough to keep on the mesa
In this weather"
Il shall next time" said the traveller.
Who is your crusty neighbor in the
other cabin, that shut the door In my |
face?"
I've got no neighbors," said he.
The other house belongs to me-"
But somebody shut that door on
me-" insisted the newcomer
You were turned around" suggest.
ed the settler; "the door OF this one
blew shut just as you rode up"
The traveller seemed, at first, in
clined to contest the point, but let II
1rop and assisted his host 10 negotiate
IN ample supper Of beans, hot bread
and coffee.
When the tobacco smoke In the lit.
lie room became dense enough to
lrive the dog into the open air the
men grew confidential.
III you are surveyor said the set.
Ter, who gave his name as 10 Byrnes.
! want you TO run a line for me.
I'm trying to hold down two govern.
nent claims. This one is my pre-
'mption, where the other cabin stands
s my homestead. The line is some
where between the two cabins. have
,ot good pocket compass, and have
I'm II out for myself 80 times. Some.
lines make II run close TO this door.
md sometimes further north. but |
ont know where 1t really Is. / be
|eve there is iron In those hills; how
many degrees do you allow for iron?
] knew exactly where the line is. I
Vould move my house onto Il and
lace my bed across the line, 30 that
could sleep with my head on my
omestead and my feet on my pre-
mption. II keeps me ALFRED busy
D live In two cabins at once. cook
ny meals In both houses and sleep
very night In both beds. II is wear.
az me out ! haven't much money. |
ut I'll give you ten dollars to locate
hat line for me so can swear to IT," ,
The young surveyor was glad (
nough to accept the pronered bunk in |
ne OF the cabins, and retired mar
cling at the idiosyncrasy Of the man {
no would be TO such pains To beat
,e government" out OF a strip OF 4
land. IL must be more B
ian half under water now be re-