Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1918-03-21

uh bays that'n yanx yuh to the Mead
ows in four hours n half. My wife'n
be plumb tickled to have yuh. They
amt much more'n half a dozen white
We keep boardin' house. Hope you'll
like the country"
That was a lengthy speech for Jim
Briggs. as Hazel discovered when she
rolled out of Soda Creek behind the
-team nh bays" His conversation was
decidedly monosyllabic. But he could
drive. If he was no talker. and his
team could travel. BY eleven O'Clock
Hazel found herself at Cariboo Mead
ows.
"Schoolhouse's over yonder" Briggs
pointed out the place-an unnecessarr
guidance, for Hazel had already
marked the building set OF by itself
and fortified with a tall f1agpole. "And
here's where we live. Kinda out uE
the world. but blame good place tic
live"
Hazel did like the place. Her first
Impression was thanAfulness that her
lot had been cast in such a spot But
1t was largely because of the surround
ings. essentially primitive. the clean
air, guiltleSs of smoke faint, the aro-
matte odors from the forest that
ranged for unending miles on every
hand.
So with the charm of the wild land
fresh upon her. she took kindly to
Carfboo Meadows.
Her first afternoon she spent loaf
ing on the porch of the Briggs domf-
cile. within which Mrs. Briggs, a fat
good-natured person of forty. toiled at
her cooking for the ~boarders." and
kept brood of five tumultuous young
sters in order-the combined tasks
leaving her scant time to entertain
her newly arrived guest.
Cariboo Meadows, as a town. was
simply double row of buildings fac
ing each other across a wagon road.
Two stores. blacksmith shop. feed
stable, certain other nondescript
buildings. and few dwellings, mostly
of logs, was all. Probably not more
than a total Of fifty souls made per-
manent residence there. Directly OPP
posite Briggs boarding house stood a
building labeled Regent Hotel" Ha-
Eel could envisage it all with half
turn of her head.
From this hotel there presently is
-
nary costume of the Countrywide
hat, flannel shirt, overalls, boots. He
sat down on a box close by the hotel
entrance. In q few minutes another
came forth. He walked past the first
few steps. stopped. and said some
thing. Hazel could not hear the words.
The first man was filling his pipe. APP
parently he made no reply; at least,
he did not trouble to look up. But
she saw his shoulders lift in a shrug.
Then he who had passed turned
square about and spoke again, this
time lifting his voice trif1e. The
young fellow sitting on the box in
stantly became galvanized into action.
He flung out an oath that carried
across the street and made Hazel's
ears burn. At the same time he leaped
from his seat straight at the other
man.
Hazel saw it quite distinctly, saw
him who jumped dodge a vicious blow
and close with the other; and saw.
moreover. something which amazed
her. For the young fellow swayed
with his adversary a second or two.
then lifted him bodily off his feet al
most to the level of his head, and
slammed him against the hotel wall
with a sudden twist. She heard the
thump of the body on the logs. For
an instant she thought him about to
jump with his booted feet on the pros
trate form. and involuntarily she held