Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1918-05-02

manifested itself by sundry yawns on
their part, they went to bed.
With breakfast over, Bill put COM
pass in his pocket, after having ground
his ak blade to a keen edge.
Come on" said he, then; I'm going
to transact some important business -
What is it?" she promptly demand
ed with much curiosity.
"This domicile of ours, girl he told
her, while he led the way through the
surrounding timber, sis ours only by
grace of the wilderness. It's built on
unsurveyed government land land
that I have no more legal claim to
than any passing trapper. But I'm
going to remedy that. I'm going to
formally stake a hundred and sixty
acres of this and apply for its pur-
chase. Then We'll have a cinch on our
home. Well always have a refuge to
fly to, no matter where we CO."
She nodded appreciation of this. The
cabin in the clearing stood for some
of those moments that always loom
large and unforgettable in every wom-
ans experience. She had come there
once in hot, shamed anger, and she
had come again as a bride. 1t was the
handiwork of man she loved with a
passion that sometimes startled her
by its intensity. Just the mere pos
sibility of that place being given over
to others reused in her a pang of re-
sentiment. 1t was theirs, hers and
Bills, and, being a woman, she viewed
its possession jealousy.
So she watched with keen interest
what he did. Which, in truth, was
simple enough. He worked his way
to a point southeast of the clearing
till they gained a little rise whence
through the treetops they could look
back and see the cabin roof. There
Bill cut off an eight-inch jack pine,
leaving the stump approximately four
feet high. This he hewed square, the
four fiat sides of the post facing re-
spectively the cardinal points of the
compass. On one smoothed surface
Bill set to work with his pocketknife.
Hazel sat down and watched while he
busted himself at this. And when he
had finished she read, in deep-carved
letters:
W. WAGSTAFFvS S. E. CORNER
Then he penned on a sheet of let
ter paper a brief notice to the effect
that he, William Wagstaff, intended to
apply for the purchase of the land en-
braced in an area a half mile square,
of which the post was the southeast
corner mark. This notice he fastened
to the stump with few tacks, and sat
down to rest from his 1abors.
GLOW long do you suppose that will
stay there, and who Is there to read it
If it does?" Hazel observed.
oSo0rch mo Tho ynn0So ond "a
deer and the timber wolves, guess"
Bill grinned. '4The chances are the
paper won't last long, with winds and
rains. But it doesn't matter. It's SIM
ply a form prescribed by the land act
Of British Columbia. and, so long as ]
go through the legal motions, that lets
me out. Matter of form, you know"
'"Then what else do you have to do?''
Nothing but furnish the money
when the land department gets around
to accept my application" he said. 81
can get an agent to attend to all the
| details. Well, let's take a look at our
estate from another corner"
This, roughly ascertained by sight
ing line with the compass and STEP
ping off $50 yards, brought them up
on knoll that commanded the small
basin of which the clearing was prac-
ttcal1y in the center.
"Aha ~ Bill exclaimed. 'Look at
our ranch, would you; our widespread
acres basking in the sun. A quarter
section is quite a chunk. Do you
know I never thought much about 1t
before, but there's piece of the finest
land that lies outdoors. If this coun-
try should get railroad and settle up,
that quarter section might produce all
the income we'd need Just out Of hay
and potatoes. How'd you like to be a
farmers wife, huh?"
eFine," she smiled. 'Look at the
view-it isn't gorgeous. lists SIM
ply peaceful and quiet and soothing.
hate to leave it."
Better be sorry to leave a place
than glad to get away" he answered
lightly. "Come on, let's pike home and
get things in order for the long trail,
woman O. mine. TIL teach you how to
be q woodland vagabond."