The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1918-06-28

1 want 10 SthCk b rev IONS OF nay,
he went on, disregarding her exclama.
I. ton. "Tll need 1t in the spring. II not
/ this winter. Soon as that's done we'll
! hit the high spots. Wen take three
or four thousand dollars, and while 1t
lasts Wen be couple of-of high
class tramps. Huhl Does It sound
| good?"
She nodded vigorously.
"Perk up, then" he wheedled.
"Bill-boy," she murmured. you
mustn't take me Zoo seriously"
II took you for better or for worse,"
he answered, with a kiss. T don't
want 1t to turn out worse. want you
to be contented and happy here, where
I've planned to make our home.
know you love me quite a lot, little
person. Nature fitted us In good
many ways to be mates. But you've
gone through pretty drastic siege Of
Isolation In this rather grim country,
and I guess It doesn't seem such an
alluring place as 1t did at first. I
don't want you to nurse that feeling
until It becomes chronic. Then we
would be out Of tune. and II would be
good-by happiness. But think know
the cure for your malady."
In the morning he began his hay
cutting. About eleven O'Clock he threw
down Ills scythe and stalked to the
house.
"Put on your hat, and let's go inves-
tigate a mystery" said he. 81 heard
a cow bawl in the woods a minute
ago. A regular barnyard below"
"A COW bawling2" she echoed.
"Sure? What would cattle be doing
away up heref"
"That's what I want to known Bill
laughed. "Ive never seen a cow north
Of Fraser-not this side Of the Rockies,
anyway"
They saddled their horses, and rode
out In the direction from whence had
arisen the bovine complaint. The
sound was not repeated, and Hazel
had begun to chaff Bill about too
vivid Imagination when within half
mile Of the clearing he pulled his horse
up short In the middle Of little
meadow.
"LookT
The track Of broad-tired wagon
had freshly crushed the thick grass.
Bill squinted at the trail, then his
gaze swept the timber beyond.
Somebody has been cutting timber
over there" he enlightened. II can
see the fresh ak work. Looks like
they'd been hauling poles. Let's fol-
low this track ways"
The tiny meadow was fringed on
the north by grove Of popiars. Be-
yond that lay another clear space Of
level land, perhaps forty acres In ex-
tent. They broke through the belt OF
poplars-and pulled up again. On one
side Of the meadow stood cabin, the
fresh-peeled log walls glaring yellow
in the sun. and lifting an earth-covered
roof to the autumn sky. Bill whistled
softly.
Along the west side Of the meadow
ran q brown streak Of sod, and down
one side Of this man guided the han
dies Of q plow drawn by the strangest
yokemates Hazels eyes had seen for
many q day.
"For goodness sake" she ex-
claimed. :,
That's the true pioneer spirit for
you." Bill spoke absently. He has
bucked his way into the heart Of
virgin country, and he's breaking sod
with q mule and a cow. That's adap-
tation to environment with q venge-
ance-and grit"
There's b woman, too, Bill. And
see-she's carrying a babyT Hazel
pointed excitedly. "Oh, Bill !"
The man halted his strangely assort-
ed team to watch them come. The
woman stood step outside the door.
q baby In her arms, another toddler
holding fast to her skirt. A thick
bodied. short. sQuare-shouldered man
was this newcomer, with O. round,
pleasant face.
"Hello, neighborv" I" Bill greeted.
The plowman lifted his old felt hat
courteously. His face lit up.
"Achw said he. "Neighbor. Dot
iss goot word In diss country we're
defe iss no neighbor. But am glat
to meet you. VIII you come do der
house und rest q v'ile1"
"Surei" Bill responded. "But we're
neIghbors, all right. Did you notice
q cabin about half q mile west Of
here3 That's our place-when we're
at home.
$50" The word escaped with the
peculiar rising infection Of the Teu.
ton. II half saw dot cabin ven We
come here. But I dink II vass aban-
don. Veil, let rs to der house 60.
Id will rest der mule-und Gretchen.
der cow. Hahl"
He rolled blue eye on his incon.
gruous team, and grinned widely.
"Come," he invited; "mine wife be
glat."
They found her q matron Of thirty
odd; fresh-cheeked. round-faced like
her husband, typically German, with
out his accent Of the Tatherland. Ha-
eel at once appropriated the baby. It
lay peacefully In her arms, staring
wide-eyed. making soft, gurgly sounds.
ssTho lfttlo dearf~ Hazel mur.