The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1919-03-06
CHAPTER vI-continued.

One day in December of that year,
I had my first trial in the full respon-
Sibility of mans work. I was allowed
to load and harness and hitch up and
go to the null without assistance. My
uncle and Purvis, our hired man, were
busy with the chopping and we were
out of flour and meal. 1t took a lot
of them to keep the axes going. So
1 filled two sacks with corn and two
with wheat and put them into the
box wagon, for the ground was bare,
and hitched up my horses and set out.
L reached the mill safely and be-
fore the grain was ground the earth
and the sky above were white with
snow driving down IN a cold, stiff
wind out of the northwest. 1 loaded
my grists and covered them with a
blanket and hurried away. The snow
came so fast that it almost blinded
me- There were times when I could
scarcely see the road or the horses.
The wind came colder and soon it
was hard work to hold the reins and
keep my hands from freezing.
Suddenly the wheels began jumping
OFCA AOChS. LIE AOES6S WERE III inc
ditch. l knew what was the matter,
for my eyes had been filling with snow
and I had had to brush them often. Of
course the team had suffered in like
manner. Before 1 could stop heard
the crack of a felly and front wheel
dropped to it's hub. 1 checked the
horses and jumped out and went to
their heads and cleared their eyes. The
snow was up to my knees then.
How the thought of that broken
wheel smote mel It was our only
heavy wagon, and we having to pay
the mortgageI What would my uncle
sayf The query brought tears to my
eyes.
1 unhitched and led my horses up
into the cover of the pines. How CRATE
full 1t seemed, for the wind was slack
below but bowling in the treetOpsI 1
knew that was four miles from home
and knew not how was to get there.
Chilled to the bone, 1 gathered some
pitch pine and soon had a fire going
with my flint and finder. knew that
I could mount one of the horses and
lead the other and reach home prob
ably. But there was the griSt. We
needed that; / knew that we should
have to go hungry without the grist.
1t would get wet from above and be-
dow if I tried to carry it on the back
of a horse. I warmed myself by the
fire and hitched my team near it so as
TO thAW the frost out of their forelocks
and eyebrows. I felt in my coat peck
ets and found a handful of nails
<azoz-vb0r3U in ono
In those days-and I remember that
my uncle's pockets were museum of
bolts and nuts and screws and wash
ers.
The idea occurred to me that 1 would
make a kind of sled which was called
4 jumper.
So got my ak out Of the wagon
and soOn found couple of small trees
with the right crook for the forward
end of a runner, and cut them and
hewed their bottoms as smoothly as
/ could. Then I made notcheS in them
near the top of their crooks and fitted
a stout stick into the not6hes and Sc
cured it with nails driven by the ak
head. Thus got hold for my evener
That done, I chopped and hewed an
ners and hold them apart and used
all my nails to secure and brace it.
got the two boards which were fas-
tened together and constituted my
wagon seat and laid them over the
arch and front brace. How to make
them fast was my worst problem. !
succeeded in splitting a green stick
to hold the bolt of the evener just un-
der its head while I heated its lower
END In the fire and kept its head cool
with snow. With this 1 burnt q hole
in the end of each board and fastened
them to the front brace with withes OF
mooSewoOd.
It was late In the day and there was
no time for the slow process of burn.
ing more holes, so notched the other
ends Of the boards and dashed them tC
the rear brace with q length Of my
Eeins. Then retempered my bolt and
brought up the grist and chain anC
fastened the latter between the boards
in the middle of the front brace
hitched my team to the chain and sci
out again, sitting on the bags.
1t was pitch dark and the horses
wading TO their bellies and the snow
coming faster when we turned int
RattIeroad. Soon heard loud hal
loo and knew that it was the voice o.
Uncle Peabody. He had started GU
to meet me in the storm and Shep wa:
with him.
'aThank God I've found vel" h,
shouted ''I'm blind and tired out ant
I couldn't keep a lantern goin' to say,
me. Are ye frozef"
.Fm all sight. but these horses ar,
awful tired. Had to let 'em rest ever!
few minutes
told him about the wagon-an,
how 1t relieved me to hear him say:
-As long as you're all right boy,
ain'e goin' to worry bout the OF wag